10 Core Exercises: Strengthen Your Core Muscles

 

STRONGER YOUR CORE AT HOME

Regular core muscle exercises will help you strengthen your core. Regular training is the key to building core strength. The best way to achieve this is to exercise at home. You won't have to deal with queues, traffic, interruptions, or distractions.

You can get into a routine by working out your core at home. Your abs, obliques, and lower back will become a focus.

You can work on your abs in many ways with just a few items of equipment. For example, you could use an Abs Trainer Pad. Most people can build strength by using their body weight.

Top 10 Core Exercises

1. HOLLOWMAN

MUSCLE WORKS

This is a hold that is isometric, meaning the core muscles are activated but the body does not move. This is an excellent exercise for building a strong core. This is a great exercise for those who get pain when they move their lower back.

Exercise Difficulty

 The exercise can be modified to suit different athlete levels.

Beginners: Bend knees, tuck chin

Intermediate: Legs straight with chin slightly tucked in, arms at sides, palms facing up.

Raising your hands and/or legs higher or closer to the ground

SETS & REPS

Hold for 40 seconds

Rest for 20 seconds

Perform 3-4 sets

How to do this core exercise

Lay on your back, with arms at the sides and chin tucked. You should have your back flat on the floor. Squeeze your glutes, quads, and stomach. Tuck the hip bones and ribs together. Deeply breathe to activate the diaphragm.

MISTAKES COMMONLY MADE

No Breathing

There should be space between your back and the ground. It means that the core isn't engaged, and the lower back is being stressed.

Try the harder option first, then master the easier one. Start with the minimum recommended and gradually increase your reps, sets, and challenging variations.

2. HIGH PLANK

MUSCLE WORKS

Anterior Deltoids

Pectoralis Muscles (Chest)

Glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves

Exercise Difficulty

The following variations can make this exercise easier for intermediate athletes:

Perform the same move as the video except for dropping the knees

Use an unstable surface, such as a basketball, to place your hands.

SETS & REPS

Hold for 40-60 Seconds

20 Second Rest

Three sets of 3 pieces

How to do this core exercise

Hands and legs should be placed shoulder-width apart on the floor. Keep your neck neutral and slightly forward, but look at the floor. Keep your stomach tight, your back flat, and your butt tucked to avoid lower back pain and use your core muscles. Squeeze your glutes and legs, which are extensions of your core. It can be nice to round your shoulders and it helps support the lower spine.

Exercise Mistakes You're Making -

Sticking your Butt Out

Not activating your leg muscles

Lookup

3. GLUTE BRIDGE

MUSCLE WORKS

Glutes

Hamstrings

Erector Spinae

Transverse abdominis

Exercise Difficulty

This exercise is appropriate for beginners. You can increase the difficulty to add more strength. To make the exercise more difficult, extend one leg at the top. Change legs. One set equals both legs extended.

SETS & REPS

20 reps

Rest 20 seconds in between sets

Three sets of three repetitions are the maximum.

How to do this core exercise

Lay on your back, feet shoulder-width apart with flat surfaces on the ground. Your hands should remain on the floor. Squeeze your glutes while maintaining your mid-section (core).

Return to the starting position

Form Tips and Cues

Keep Chin tucked.

Keep your hips and rib cage together, and your core engaged.

Exercise Mistakes You're Making - Frequently

Perform too quickly

Engaging core muscles

Do not squeeze the glutes at the top

Loss of form at the top

4. Neutral, brace, breathe

This is not a core exercise in the traditional sense but it's a great place to begin as it sets up the rest of the exercises that will follow. Core stability is the ability of our body to stop unwanted movement in our core. Strength can be thought of as a movement, like a crunch.

In general, core stability training has more practical benefits for functional movement and spinal/back health. It is important to know these three things before we begin any core training:

Most people will need to align their head, ribcage, and pelvis to feel a neutral spine. "Locking down your ribs" is a common coaching tip. However, puffing up the chest can cause you to misalign yourself and prevent optimal core stability.

Imagine that someone is about punch you in your stomach. You should instinctively 'intensify' your midsection. The amount of effort you put into bracing should be proportional to the level of difficulty.

To learn how to breathe correctly, you must first be in a neutral spinal position. This will put your diaphragm in the right place. This is a topic worthy of its book or article. It's also important to know how to use your diaphragm and 'belly breath'. This is important for core stability. Breathe in, all around the belly area, and not into your chest or shoulders.

Learn to do all three simultaneously, in different positions, before you begin any of the exercises listed below.

5. Dead-Bug

This exercise is great for beginners, and falls under the category called "anti-extension". This exercise helps strengthen all the muscles in the lower back that prevent unwanted extension. It's important to keep your lower back flat on the ground (using your ab muscles) to ensure there is no gap. Then, maintain this position while extending your opposite arm and foot towards the floor. This exercise is great for teaching people to move their limbs in a circle around a stable center.

6. Plank

This is a core exercise that most people have tried. It's easy, but it still works. As you set up, support yourself on your toes and forearms, and maintain a neutral, level spine throughout the exercise. This will prevent sagging in the lower back and hips. This can be progressed to an "active" plank, by adding extra tension to your body by pulling your elbows in the direction of your feet, straightening as much as you can your legs, and squeezing those glutes.

7. LEG RAISES

Leg raises are great for targeting your lower abdominals. This is one of the hardest areas to work. The leg raises also work the hip flexors.

How To Do Them - Lift both legs until they form a 90-degree angle with your body. Drop them until they're just about to hit the floor, then lift them again. Place your hands underneath your lower back to prevent you from arching your back.

Alternate legs can help you build strength if doing both legs together is too difficult.

8. Toe Touches

They're great for - These target your upper abdominals and they are intense.

How To Do Them -Lie on the floor and lift your legs at 90 degrees to your body. Reach up and touch your toes, then return to the floor. As you return to the starting position, do not let your abs relax completely. This will ensure that your abs remain tense for the entire set.

9. DYNAMIC PLANK

Planks work your abs as well as your lower back. By doing dynamic planks you can also target your shoulders and arms at the same time.

How they are done -you should keep your hips aligned with your back when doing a plank. Start on your forearms, then straighten your right arm. Then straighten your left arm. Come back down, first with the right arm and then the left. This time, start with your right hand and alternate throughout the entire set.

10. Bird Dog

They're great for the lower back, glutes, and abdominals.

How they are done -while you're on all fours stretch your left foot so that it's straight in front of you. Bring it in. Continue on the opposite side, and alternate for a full minute. These exercises should always be controlled and slow.