Six Active/Dynamic Core Strengthening Moves

In an earlier article I talked about static core strengthening. I know some of you thought this stuff is SO easy it’s for babies. Well I’d bet if you have tried it you’ll have a somewhat different position particularly if you ramped up the time of the “Hold” as you should have.

But for the rest of you who adopted this as a part of your regimen and devoted yourselves to core strengthen like I KNOW you did, I am going to ramp things up a bit using active exercises. I am not saying to get rid of the static ones as they are some of the best but… perhaps add in a few of these to give yourself a change of pace as one of the problems inherent in any exercise program is boredom.

Lets start out with an attack on those Flab-dominals. I gave the plank in the past article and that is one Mean Cruel mistress. One of my least favorite exercises so I know that it’s good for me. Today we’ll take a look at a crunch.

Lay on your back knees elevated and lace your fingers across your chest. I don’t like people putting their hands behind their heads as then they use their neck as a lever and often times pull their torso off the floor using their neck as a pry bar.

This is the crunch start position.

This is the crunch finish position.

Many people don’t like the arms across the chest, they feel like it somehow impedes their ability to do the crunch. Another way that works for me is to lace my fingers together and lightly place my thumbs on the corners of my jaw, that gets the arms out of the way but is insufficient stress on the neck to do any damage. Try to do the crunch at least ten times holding the crunch position for about ten seconds and then releasing it. As you get better at it add time or repetitions.

Next Up lets try a side bridge with rotation. Start in a push up position with your hands on the ground shoulder width apart.

Push up position.

Next rotate your feet to the side about shoulder width apart and reach up to the ceiling and hold the position.

Finish Position.

Try to do about five of these to each side. Again as your endurance improves add time or repetitions to this drill.

How about moving into some hardening of the buttock I know more than a few of us could use some of that. This is a variation of one called the bridge. You lay on your back bring your heels to your buttock or as close as you can get them anyway. Straighten one leg and elevate it to about fifteen degrees from the horizontal and hold it up during the course of this exercise.

Start Position.

Then elevate your buttock in essence using hamstrings and the butt muscles while keeping the leg straight.

Finish Position.

Try to start this one with five repetitions to each side holding the finish position for about ten seconds. Again ramping it up with time or repetitions as you become more comfortable with the movement.

Next we are going to go for something that will help a little with balance and core as well as stretching the quads as a byproduct of the movement. This one is known as the knee up.

With this one, you start by kneeling down then sitting back on your knees. This should feel like a little quad stretch. More in some than others me… more.

Start Position.

You then move into a kneeling position keeping the back and head straight or if anything a little bit in extension. (leaning Back.)

Finish Position.

The next one we are going to tackle is the lumbar roll. This is an active rotation of the lumbar spine.

You lay on your back with your knees elevated and the calf held at about a ninety-degree angle. You have the knees vertical on the midline of your body.

Start Position.

You then rotate the low back keeping your knees parallel and not exceeding about a thirty degree rotation. You do this side to side slowly holding about ten seconds at the end of each movement. (The end or most lateral portion of the arc.)

Finish Position.

Lastly we will end up with something called the Quadruped opposing raise. This will work the low back, upper back and balance.

The start position is on your hands and knees, arms extended and head held up high.

Start Position.

You will then extend the contralateral (opposing sides) arm and leg out straight and hold them in that position for about ten seconds.

Finish position.

Again start doing this five times per side and as you develop endurance up the difficulty with more time and or repetitions.

So here is a nice active core routine you can use part or all of in your quest for a more stable core. Get at it !