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Ultimate core workouts


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After checking 20 pages returned in the search for "core" I didn't get what I was after hence the new topic.

 

A question to all the coaches/personal trainers/people in the know; Core training and the best exercises I can do with my exercise ball. I've been doing push-ups (decline on the ball), crunches and hyper-extensions but I know doubt I'm getting the best routine I can.

 

The constraints are time I guess, I'm looking for the best sub-set of core exercises to be compressed into a short and focused routine, something I can do in the evenings.

 

de antemano gracias amigos Wink
ShortLegs2009-02-17 04:49:55
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Hi Short legs...I am in that buisness!!

Core training on the ball is best done by doing exercises that use your abdominals!! i.e crunches/obliques/bridge/stability exercises on the ball
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Santa C, common help out a few fellow cyclists.

 

give us a few excercises we can do in say 10-15 minutes to hellp with the core strength.

 

 

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what you can do is go to your local VA, and ask one of the instructors to show you core exercises. Careful. One got hold of me, and I was sore for 3 days, he assumed I was fit as I did Ironman.Dead Uhm, thats why they say fitness is specific!

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Hi Short legs...I am in that buisness!!

Core training on the ball is best done by doing exercises that use your abdominals!! i.e crunches/obliques/bridge/stability exercises on the ball

 

can you explain how to do the bridge on the ball, please?
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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, so not quite the responses I was looking for so I did a bit of digging and found a oldish Men's Health magazine with a collection of "ultimate" core exercises and this is the routine I'm following. All the exercises constitute a set and 3 sets should be attempted (eina). I'm no personal trainer so fire any questions at the pros. Enjoy  Wink

PGBSLP ? Shortlegs ultimate core workout routine 

Plank (swiss-ball) (12 reps)

20090128_055348_Plank_swiss_bal.jpg

Rest your forearms on a Swiss ball toes on the floor. Once you feel balanced, raise one foot a few inches off the floor and hold for 6 seconds. Place the foot back on the floor and lift the other for 6 seconds. That's one repetition.

Lying Gluteal Bridge (12 reps)

20090128_055418_Gluteal_bridge_.jpg

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels on the floor with toes raised. Place your arms at your sides, palms facing down. Squeeze your glutes and slowly raise your butt off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Hold this position for 1 to 2 seconds, then slowly lower yourself back down to the floor.

Jack knife (swiss-ball) (12 reps)

20090128_055531_Jack_knife_swis.jpg

Get into a press-up position with the tops of your feet resting on a Swiss ball, so that your body forms a straight line from toes to shoulders. Keeping your back straight, contract your abs and roll the ball in towards you as far as you can. Keep the motion steady and constant.

Side bridge (45s each side)

20090128_060421_Bridge_side.jpg

Lie on your side with your forearm on the floor under your shoulder, and your feet stacked together. Contract your glutes and abs. Push your hip off the floor, creating a straight line from ankle to shoulder and keeping your head in line with your spine. Hold for 45 seconds. Roll over and do the other side to complete your rep. 

Lying singe Leg lower (12 reps)

20090128_060500_Single_leg_lowe.jpg

Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing down. Both legs straight up perpendicular to the ground. Lower one leg until 20cm from the ground hold for 2s and then raise the lowered leg. Repeat for the other leg and you have 1 rep.

Decline press-up (swiss-ball) (15 reps)

20090128_060537_Decline_press-u.jpg

Position yourself so your shins are resting on a Swiss ball and your hands are on the floor. Tuck your chin and, leading with your chest, lower your body until your arms form 90-degree angles.

AND/OR

Press-up (swiss-ball) (15 reps)

20090128_060755_Incline_press-u.jpg

With the balls of your feet on the floor, assume the standard push-up position, but place your hands on the sides of a Swiss ball directly under your shoulders. Spread your fingers, with your thumbs pointing forward. Keeping your body in a straight line from your head to your heels, bend your arms until your chest touches the ball. Pause, then push yourself up to the starting position.
ShortLegs2009-01-28 06:08:00
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Shortlegs - Nice exercises there, I added a few sadastic extras to some of your exercises, these are what a physio here gave me to do - Hope you dont mind. The extra moves are added in red

Plank (swiss-ball) (12 reps)

Rest your forearms on a Swiss ball toes on the floor. Once you feel balanced, raise one foot a few inches off the floor and hold for 6 seconds. Place the foot back on the floor and lift the other for 6 seconds. That's one repetition. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

You can do the same exercise without the ball, except rest your forearms on the ground and raise one foot (for example the left foot) and your opposite arm (right) extending your hand forwards so you form a straight line from finger tip to toes parallel to the ground, hold for 1 ? 2 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg and arm.

Lying <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Gluteal Bridge (12 reps)

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels on the floor with toes raised. Place your arms at your sides, palms facing down. Squeeze your glutes and slowly raise your butt off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Hold this position for 1 to 2 seconds, extend your leg from the knee until it forms a straight line, hold for 1 or 2 seconds then lower your heel back onto the ground, then slowly lower yourself back down to the floor.

Side bridge (45s each side)

Lie on your side with your forearm on the floor under your shoulder, and your feet stacked together. Contract your glutes and abs. Push your hip off the floor, creating a straight line from ankle to shoulder and keeping your head in line with your spine. Lift and lower the top leg a few inches for as many repetitions (max 15) you can do while maintaining your body in a straight line, once you cannot maintain your body in a straight line rest the top leg on your lower leg and hold until your form starts to deteriorate. Hold for 45 seconds. Roll over and do the other side to complete your rep.

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Eish, SV your physio is a scary scary person...... Evil%20Smile

 

Finished my second session last night and I think every muscle in my abs is in pain. I did feel a little better as my torso warmed up but after three sets I was broken.

 

I'll give your plank and side bride variations a try. I've actually been doing the gluteal bridge the way you explained.
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Yep physio's can be cruel, the first few times I was useless and after 10 minutes would be sweating like mad and stiff as hell the next day...

 

The nice thing about these type of exercises is that they can be done at home anytime in a short space of time, and it does not take long before you start seeing an improvement.

 

 

 

 
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  • 2 weeks later...

Some feedback on how it's going. I've crazily took SV's advice and have modded my routine per suggestion.

 

This is my third week and while I'm still sweating at the end of each set I'm able to hold good form on each exercise. I'm doing the side bridge with 10 upper leg raises and then holding for a further 50s which is pretty tough. I'm extending alternate arm/leg for the lying plank on the floor and at the end of the individual leg lower, I'm holding both feet together just off the ground until failure.

 

I didn't do any waist measurements initially but I'm easily down to 71cm with and a couple of % of BF loss in 3 weeks.

 

I've ramped up the press-ups and I'm doing 50-40-30. All in all the progress has been noticeable and even though the effects thus far on my cycling has been minimal, I'll continue to help up my metabolism.
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GR8 Stuff SL

 

Dont forget to ride the bike Wink

 

You can do the exercises mid way thru an indoor training session to really work the cycling specific core muscles, ride for 20 - 30 minutes, get off do some exercises then get back on and ride another 30 minutes.

 

 
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