Hi all,

I've been looking on the web and can't find a simple, coherent regimen to build core strength. My son plays Rugby and is tall for his age, but he's grown fast and the coach is worried with core strength isn't strong enough to stand the risks that go with Rugby.

I figured pushups and situps + some other non-equipment exercises, but what I'm at a loss to know what is best.

What I'm after is a simple routine that he can do daily for 5+ minutes to build his core strength, and preferably requires no equipment.


Thanks
db

well, apparently sitting on your ass playing poker and watching TV does not do it. Who knew?

Push ups, Squats and Chinups are a good start. Here's a website with some good routines: http://www.simplefit.org/bodyweight-exercises.html. Blarg is a bit of an expert on body weight exercises. So try to get him to chime in.

I fgured pushups, situps and 'the plank' would be my go-to if nothing else is obvious, if that helps.

The plank is great. I don't like situps so I don't do them or know anything about them. But he really should add squats to his routine and chinup bars are cheap and easy to install.

db, there are a number of yoga exercises that are for strengthening the core. your son would be amazed with the results imo. they work the core in a way that traditional techniques cannot.

and these are...?

step 1 - move to usa
step 2 - eat mcdonalds alot
step 3 - ???????????
step 4 - you will become strong

I've got a slipped disc in my back which requires daily core exercises. They all surround the concept of contracting your stomach muscles (as if pulling your belly into your back) while maintaining good breathing.

This site is an excellent resource: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cy...estability.php

One of the best things to do for core strength is doing very heavy squats and deadlifts. They give your core quite a work-out, especially deadlifts, because all your trunk muscles down to the last little assisting muscles have to work to keep your body safely aligned under the very heavy load. That requires barbells or very heavy kettlebells, or very strong jumpstretch bands.

You can do it with jumpstretch bands pretty quickly and they're portable, which is nice. But it will probably cost you a couple of hundred dollars or more to buy the handles and thick enough bands. Using barbells usually means taking a while, especially if you have to go to the gym to do it.

You can get a bit of a core work-out with one-legged bodyweight squats too, and you can make them heavier by holding a kettlebell in front of you, or one in each arm out to the side. But for most people who are not in tremendous shape, simply using bodyweight is more than enough. The weight of your entire body on one leg is considerable but not overwhelming. What makes these squats (usually called pistols) so hard is that they require a great deal of balance, and this puts your core to work as it keeps you from falling one way or the next. It takes a good bit of tension.

As you get stronger, you can try variations like rolling into them while on your back on the ground, and jumping at the top of the squat. Using variations like that, and/or weights, can make pistols a pretty tough exercise with some headroom in it before you're likely to find them easy -- if you ever do at all.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/core-...exercises.html

There was a men's health issue that had a great list of core excersizes, but I couldn't find a link to it online. I'll continue looking, or if I find the magazine I'll just scan and pm them to you.

QFT asflk;asjf;lksfjasglasd;g come on man

y'all have google doncha? don't recall the exact names of the poses, but will ask my instructor and get back to you.

That's okay, I'm going with

- pushups
- situps
- squats
- The Plank

thanks all!

Push-ups aren't going to do anything for core strength.

Really? I thought it would put decent strain on his midsection.

Ya see, lots of websites mentioned pushups as good for core strength....meh.

However, he does need some improved upper body strength too, so this isn't a big deal.

Push-ups are for your chest and shoulders mostly, and triceps a bit too. Your core muscles aren't called on to do much but keep your back reasonably straight and your belly from flopping on the floor. But that's pretty natural and not much of a strain unless maybe you're obese.

Now, if he does one-armed push-ups, you start talking about getting your abs and even your lats involved.

He can also grab onto some monkey bars or a pull up bar and raise his knees to his chest, or else try to do it holding his legs out straight.

He could always try working up to a planche too. That's great for core strength and you don't need any equipment.

The dragondoor.com site has bodyweight articles that include a very good one from Coach Sommers on working up from very low levels to doing cool gymnastic things, and it includes a planche progression that starts very easy. Doing something like this is kinda fun and would give your kid huge bragging rights if he could do it too, so you might want to check it out.

http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi-bin/ar...&articleid=229

That's the direct link to the article Blarg was referring to.

how can a plank be a good core exercise and a push up not be one? they are in the same position...

Lifting your feet off the ground makes the difference and turns a planche into something very different from a push-up.

Even when you start, you have to hold your body stable with your legs off the ground versus with most of your weight on the ground, on your feet. The core helps a lot in what keeps your legs and trunk's weight from careening one way or the next. And when you start extending your legs out ... the need for tension all through the core skyrockets. A planche can't be done with just upper body muscles alone. With super strong arms, chest, and shoulders, the exercise will still be impossible without great core strength.

As Blarg already said, push-ups do nothing for the core.

To stem the confusion about what a "core" is, it is not that large. The reason that women are better at gymnastics is because they have a stronger core, and their center of blalance aligns with it. The core is right about where a man's happy spot is, thus we are missing vital muscle connections to strengthen the core completely.

But, have no fear, to train for acrobats, I have learned about 50-odd core excersizes. I guarantee if you son does the following in quick succession, he will be huffing and puffing in less than 10 minutes.

Oh, and before I forget, NEVER DO SIT-UPS. This is a great way to slip out your disc, and it honestly does not do anything to more than crunches.

Technique for doing core: You are not to round your back more than is minimally necessary. A core excerisize is flexing the muscles in your stomach and that is it.

The crunch:



Note how little she is working herself. All she is doing is "crunching" her abs. To do this well, bend your legs and have your feet flat on the ground. Do not expect to get this high at first, she is very strong.

Side crunch (or sit-up)



The form shown in this picture is horrible. Lay on your side, bend the righ leg, cross your right arm over your chest, put your left arm straight toward your feet. Pretend you are being tugged toward your feet.

Switch.

"3-inch"

Lay on your back, arms at your side. Lift your feet about three inches off the ground. If it feels easy, you have your feet too high.

Variation: Perform the three inch. Either have someone drop apples on your abs, or have someone stand on your abs.

Scissor

Laying on your back. lift one leg up to about 10 inches, drop to the floor and do with the other leg.

Running man:

Assume the push-up position, and "run."

Leg extenders:

Assume the push up position, alternate extending one leg.

Bicycles:

Lay on your back. Lift the right leg and left elbow. Hit the elbow against the knee.

Bonus:

For a sich exercise, do 10 seconds of 3-inch, and go straight into running man. Do not let the feet touch the ground.

Don't know the name, but these are tough.

Lay flat on the ground. Lift the right leg and make a wide circle with your knee in a clock-wise direction, putting your foot on the ground each time. (make sure to bend the knee as much as possible). With the left leg, go counter clockwise. Make as large of a circle as possible, really stretching the joints at the same time.

Cant find an image for the next series. Lay on your back with you legs straight up.

bouncies:

Crunch your abs and force your feet up to the ceiling. A very small part of your back should come off the ground.

Windmills:

Extend your arms to the side. Rotate both legs side to side, touching the floor each time.

Half windmill

Using the windmill position, extend one leg to the floor and return.

I do 3-inch to bicycles, side crunces, bouncies, the tough one. crunches and half windmills.

Ten minutes of this maintains a nice 6-pack.

not sur if mentione but
side bridge 4x 45 seconds with swiss ball knee tucks 4x15-20

or plank with diagonal arm lifts X cable kneeling chops
great for cre

daveT

Yes, I think I'll swap situps for crunches. Thanks!

If you want to do an absolute killer ab and obliques work-out in a minute or less, get one of those wheels with a handle on each end and feel it destroy your stomach and sides.

Here's a you-tube clip:

Ab roller use

Personally I think his warnings are more for beginners than universally applicable. In fact I find that using the hips to pull back spreads the work more evenly across the entire length of the abs, which is difficult to do in other exercises, which tend to scorch your abs either at the top or bottom of the movement and leave the middle and other end feeling relatively unworked. You'll also notice that he has a limited range of movement both at full extension and when rolling back up. Fine for beginners and by far the safest way to learn.

But one of the glories of this thing is that it is NOT as limited as this guy says. You just have to be in good shape to take it further. When you get in good enough shape you won't be rolling out from your knees, but from a standing position where the wheel is touching your toes, out to flat on the ground and back up again.

Instead of pushups, do Burpees