Home Core workout

If you’re newer to training or getting back into shape, I’m sure you’ve heard about core training. Perhaps you’ve heard about it in magazines or maybe your doctor recommended it.

So, that’s all great and you want to start working on your core strength - but you have no idea where to start and you’re not exactly sure what the “core” really means.

What Is the Core?

The “core” is a term used to describe just about everything on your body that isn’t your legs and arms. This means you can think of your glutes, hips, abdominal muscles, inner abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, and scapula as your core. Your core is where your power is generated in order to carry out any movement. While abdominal and inner abdominal muscles do play a large roll in core stability, they don’t make up the core all by themselves.

The core is made up of much more than the abdominal muscles. It includes the muscles of the glutes, hips, pelvic floor, and scapula.

A mistake many people make is to think of their core as only being their abs, and because of this they go about training their core in many ineffective ways. Traditional ab exercises like crunches and sit ups are often used in hopes of achieving a stronger core and more defined abdominals, but this is a terrible method. Not only does performing endless crunches and sit ups not strengthen your core or give you more defined abs, it can be hazardous to your spine.

"The crunching movement is a secondary function and one that’s not meant to be done at high volume due to the stress it puts on the discs of your spine."

Furthermore, crunches don’t work your abs in the way these muscles were designed to perform. The main function of the abdominals is to support the spine and prevent it from spinning all the way around, breaking over backward, or flexing to the side. The crunching movement is a secondary function and one that’s not meant to be done at high volume due to the stress it puts on the discs of your spine.

In order to train the core effectively, we need to train all the muscles involved, starting slowly and building a foundation. These muscles need to work together as a team. Think of developing your core stability as pouring the concrete base for your home. This base provides structure and safety. It also cannot be rushed or overlooked. You wouldn’t build a home on soggy ground because your house would sink or fall apart. The same can be said for your body when it comes to developing your core.

5 Core and Abdominal Exercises for the Beginner

Most people are familiar with basic core exercises such as planks or side planks. While those are two excellent core exercises, I want to discuss a few under-used movements that go a long way in developing core strength and function. While they may seem gentle or simple, the importance of each of these exercises can’t be overstated for the beginner.