If you’re serious about reaching your fitness goals and maximizing your performance in and out of the gym, then it’s vital that you not neglectyour core muscles. Without astrong core, you won’t be able toefficiently transfer energy from your legs to your upper body, which can really affect your athletic performance. Fortunately, it’s easy to build up your core strength by using a combination of dynamic and isometric exercises. Here are four simple exercises that will help tosignificantly increase core strength:
Exercise #1
For this exercise, start by lying flat on your back and have a training partner hold your feet flat on the floor. If you don’t have a partner, you can just tuck your feet under a couch. Next you’ll want to hold a medicine ball in front of your chest with both hands and contract your abdominal muscleswhile sitting up. Stop once the medicine ball gets close to your thighs. Now, you want to twist your torso to the left until you’re able to touch the floor with the medicine ball, then do the same on the right before returning to the center and lowering yourself slowly back down to the ground. Repeat 10 times.
Exercise #2
Start this exercise by standing up with a medicine ball in front of your chest and your knees slightly bent. Now bend forward while keeping the medicine ball in the same position until your spine is parallel to the ground. Hold this position for a moment and then slowly stand back up. Repeat 10 times.
Exercise #3
For this exercise, start off with your feet spread roughly six inches apart. Now slowly bend at the waist and allow your knees to flex while you place your hands on the ground. Now “walk” forward with your hands without moving your feet until your legs, head and torso are all in line parallel to the ground. Now assume a plank position by holding yourself up with your elbows and forearms for at least ten seconds. That’s one rep! Now rest for 30 seconds and repeat for a total of 3 to 5 reps.
Exercise #4
For this exercise, you’ll need a long barbell or something comparable in length and diameter. Start out by spreading your feet out at shoulder width while holding one end of the barbell with both hands. The other end of the barbell should be placed at the base of a wall in a corner. The rest of the exercise is simple, just twist to your left without moving your feet and lower the barbell until it’s down at hip level. Twist back to the center and repeat to the right side. That’s one rep. Now repeat 10 times.
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