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Ab Workouts and Core Exercises - A Circuit For Fat Loss and Strength
Ab Workouts and Core Exercises - A Circuit For Fat Loss and StrengthBy Nathan Long
There are plenty of myths in the fitness industry that ab workouts will not create fat or adipose tissue loss. If you are just training abdominals with hundreds of crunches and other core exercises, chances are you won't create any significant fat or adipose tissue loss during your ab workouts. If done correctly, however, training your whole core with targeted ab workouts will maximize your fat or adipose tissue burning ability. This can be accomplished by taking the basic principles of cardiovascular and circuit training and combining it with challenging core exercises, movements, and ab workouts that will require the use of major muscle groups.
Any time your body moves, there are muscles working to keep you stabilized and other muscles working to actually move you. Your circuit should feature challenging core exercises and ab workouts to target both the stabilizers and the movers, because they are both an extremely important part of everyday functions as well as during strength and fitness training.
What is the Core?
The major muscles of the core reside in the area of the belly, the mid back, the lower back and the hip flexers. Most movements originate with the core, so a strong core is important for preventing and eliminating most lower back problems.
Static Core Function
Static core functionality is the ability of one's core to align the skeleton to resist a force that does not change. The bridge exercise is an example of a static core function that uses your whole core to keep you stabilized in position. Your body weight will rest on your forearms and toes, however without your core staying tight, your butt will shoot up in the air to get your calves involved to keep you in position, or your hips will drop to the floor. Starting and ending each round with static core exercises will target and improve the strength and endurance of your core. As you begin working on your core exercises while in the circuit, you'll notice a massive difference in how you feel during the first static exercise and the last. You can use this comparison as a way to gauge where you're at with your strength and endurance.
Dynamic Core Function
Dynamic core functionality is the ability to use the core as a stabilizer however also deal with the force of external resistance and incorporate a vastly different complex of muscles and joints versus a static position. For example, if you get into position to do a push-up, your core has to keep you stabilized and aligned in that position. Your chest, shoulders, and triceps are sharing the load as you lower down towards the floor and again as you come back up to starting position, all while your core continues to work keeping your back flat and your hips from dropping to the floor. Performing challenging dynamic core exercises, movements, and ab workouts will exhaust your energy stores extremely quickly, causing your body to start dipping into your fat or adipose tissue stores to help complete your exercise. This is why it's important to keep the repetitions high with clean mechanics for whichever core exercises, movements, or ab workouts you choose.
A Circuit for Core and Ab Workouts
Start with three dynamic core exercises and two static core exercises. Remember that completing one set of each exercise equals one round.
1. Start with a static core function - 30 seconds/12 - 15 repetitions2. Dynamic core function - 45 seconds/12 - 15 repetitions3. Dynamic core function - 45 seconds/12 - 15 repetitions4. Dynamic core function - 45 seconds/12 - 15 repetitions5. Static core function - 45 seconds/12 - 15 repetitions
Rest 1 - 1.5 minutes and complete another round. There should be no breaks between ab workouts or core exercises, only between rounds; however, rest depends on stamina and endurance level. Beginners should start at 1.5 minutes and work their way back to minimum time between rounds.
Rounds: 3-6
Exercises: 5 -7
Every other week, switch up the order and/or movements for both dynamic and static core exercises to keep the body from adapting to the ab workouts and core circuit program and thereby hitting a plateau. Keeping the repetitions high with an overall round time between 4 - 7 minutes will keep your heart rate in a cardiovascular/fat loss mode. The idea is to keep your heart rate between 65-70% of your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR), which will maximize your opportunity for fat or adipose tissue loss while strengthening major muscle groups, and most importantly, your core.
Examples of Circuit Movements, Core Exercises, and Ab Workouts
Dynamic Core Function
Cable Woodchops1. Wrap tube or band around a sturdy object and stand to the left, holding handles in both hands.2. Keeping the arms straight, swing the arms across the body and rotate towards the left, contracting the abs.3. Repeat for 10-12 repetitions before switching sides.
Dumbbell Pushup Row1. Start by placing the dumbbells onto the ground and getting into a pushup position holding onto the dumbbells.2. Proceed into a pushup and then extend your arms into a completed pushup.3. Then, row one dumbbell up to chest level and return to the ground. Repeat with the other arm. This is considered one repetition.4. Make sure you keep your abs tight and back flat throughout this movement.
Medicine Ball Lunge and Twist1. Start with feet hip width apart and a medicine ball or dumbbell in your hands.2. Lunge forward with one foot as your back knee drops down into a proper lunge. Make sure you keep your back straight so that you aren't leaning forward.3. Extend your arms in front of you about chest height with the ball in your hands and twist your torso towards the leading foot. This will cause everything from your torso up to twist with the ball, which causes a nice contraction for the abdominal area. Inhale and bring the back foot up and twist back to starting position.4. Make sure to keep your back straight, along with the proper breathing technique through your sets.
Medicine Ball Crunch and Toss 1. Begin seated on the floor, legs and spine straight, and the ball extended out in front of you.2. Pull the abs in and engage the pelvis as you roll down onto the mat, feeling each vertebrae make contact, while taking the ball over the head.3. Roll back up to start taking the ball up and releasing the ball forward as you come back to sitting.4. Repeat for 10-12 repetitions and bend the knees to modify this move if your back is arching off the floor.
Static Core Function
Side Bridge1. Lay on the ground on one side. Raise your body using one forearm and support it in this raised position for the required time.2. Lower your body and repeat on the other side.3. Remember to keep your head, neck, and body in a straight line.
Bridge1. Start by lying face down on the ground. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest.2. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms.3. Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground.4. Hold for the required time limit or until you can no longer maintain a flat bridge.
Noticeable benefits to core exercises and ab workouts include better balance, stability, and posture, more and greater energy (a stronger core will require less help from major muscle groups), elimination and prevention of back pain or other pain related to poor posture, and a decrease in cardiovascular limitations as well as an increase in fat or adipose tissue loss and overall strength.
The core exercises and ab workouts you choose to put in your circuit will depend on your personal fitness goals. If you are using strength and fitness training to tone your upper body, choose dynamic core exercises and movements that target chest, back, and/or shoulders. For lower body, focus more on dynamic core exercises and movements like the lunge and twist, standing bicycle kick, or other similar exercises.
Nathan Long is a fitness management consultant at Atlanta Fitness by metaMorphixx, a fitness consulting firm in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. With over seven years of personal training and fitness management experience, Long's interest in health and fitness began with his own sports training as well as an influence that started at home - his father was a bodybuilder. Due to Long's belief that a great body starts with the core and works its way out, he considers core workouts his specialty along with developing fast-twitch muscles and incorporating plyometric training. For more information on Atlanta Fitness by metaMorphixx, please visit www.metamorphixx.com.
,Core Training With the Bosu Ball
Core Training With the Bosu BallBy Charles Inniss
In gyms all across the country, people are using many different tools to exercise their core muscles. Some people really like the Swiss ball (Exercise Ball), and some people really like using the Bosu Ball. The Bosu Ball is half of a Swiss ball on a flat rubber platform, and it stands for Both Sides Up or Both Sides Utilized because you can do exercises on the flat platform and also on the soft dome shaped side.
Balance Training has become an important part of core workouts, because when you stand on one leg your center of gravity shifts, and the core muscles in your lower back and hips must work harder to maintain your stability. You can stand on the Bosu Ball with 2 feet or on 1 leg. 1 legged balancing on the Bosu Ball is really challenging, however it can lead to dramatic improvements in balance, coordination, and sports performance.
In addition to balancing exercises, you can do traditional abdominal and core exercises on the Bosu Ball. The Bosu ball can enhance your core workout in 2 major ways. It can challenge your stability because it has a soft unstable surface, and it can increase your core strength by allowing your body to utilize a greater range of motion when you perform traditional core exercises.
Whenever you do a core exercise on the Bosu Ball, your core muscles work both to stabilize and move your lower back and pelvis. When you perform core exercises on a stable surface like a machine or the floor, there is less challenge for the stabilizer muscles.
The Bosu Ball can also enhance your core workout by allowing your spine to utilize a greater range of motion. Your lower back has a natural curve, and the abdominal muscles work to reverse that natural curve. When you lie flat on the floor, the floor partially reverses the natural curve inyour lower back, and this decreases the range of motion that the spine can move. Less range of motion equals less muscle work.
Here is an example of how the Bosu Ball can be used in your core workout to make your exercises more effective. When you perform crunches on a Bosu Ball, your spine can extend to its natural position, so you get additional range of motion when compared to the floor. The Bosu ball is also unstable, so your core muscles also work to keep you balanced as you crunch. Also, because the Bosu Ball is contoured, your body can focus more on segmental movement through the spine. Lastly, because the Bosu Ball keeps your body elevated off the ground, there truly is no rest position for the core muscles, so they stay engaged throughout the entire exercise.
The Bosu Ball is a great tool to use for core exercises. In addition to regular ab crunches, you can do reverse crunches, leg raises, Russian Twists, or V-ins. If you see a Bosu Ball lying around the gym floor, ask a trainer to show you a few exercises on it. You may find that it is one of your favorite tools to incorporate into your core workouts.
Charles Inniss is a Physical Therapist and Personal Trainer. Visit his website to read directives and see pictures of abdominal exercises on a bosu ball, and also get free ab workout routines.
Or read about his book to help you Lose Belly Fat.
,Why Core Strength Exercises Are Vital to Athletes
Why Core Strength Exercises Are Vital to AthletesBy Chip Westley
Core strength exercises that target the abdominal muscles, the obliques, and the muscles of the lower back, facilitate dynamic athletic performance.
While many athletes spend hours each week building up their arms, chest, and legs; they often give small thought to one important muscle group. The often neglected core muscle group is vital to athletic performance. Because the muscles of the core provide stability and tie the other muscles together, they are central to almost all athletic endeavors.
Think of a golf swing or a pole vault. Notice how all the muscles of the body must coordinate in order to get the max result. Imagine a shortstop fielding a hot grounder. Visualize a basketball player twisting toward the basket.
All of these athletic activities involve the intense use of the core muscles. While a big chest or bulging arms may look impressive, a superior athletes secret weapon may be their well developed core muscles.
Core strength exercises can greatly increase an athletes ability. There are so many ways to increase your core strength and boost your athletic ability. When you think of core exercises, do not limit yourself to sit ups and crunches. The world of core training has long since advanced beyond these gym class exercises.
Core strength training exercises include jumping exercises such as plyometrics. They include strength building yoga workouts and such diverse disciplines as kenpo karate and core synergistic exercises.
In order to become the greatest athlete you can be you need to include as much of these dynamic disciplines to your on season and off season workouts as possible. The world of competitive sports is becoming more and more competitive. Athletes are looking for any advantage over their competition.
While others turn to unhealthy and illegal alternatives such as steroids, you can gain your advantage by building up all areas of your body. You can build up the important core muscles that other athletes neglect.
You can still strive to build up the rest of your body, however be sure to give your core the attention it deserves with these advanced core strength exercises and gain a big advantage over your competitors.
Are you a runner, football player, or basketball player who wants to become a better athlete? Or do you just want to trim away belly fat or adipose tissue and build up an awesome set of six pack abs? Learn how to strengthen your core muscles with core strength exercises at http://the-truth-about-abs-review.blogspot.com/ and increase your athletic performance.