Do you know how to train your abs? Classic ab exercises are not enough
Do you know how to train your core? Classic ab exercises like sit-ups won't be enough. Find out which core exercises are the best.
Ab training is hugely popular; everyone wants a six-pack. But if you want visible abs, your diet will matter even more than your training. And when someone says “I want to lose weight from my belly”, that is a very inaccurate idea of how it works. It depends on genetics, hormones and a whole range of other factors, and the truth is that the belly is the last place you lose fat from. Today, strength and conditioning coach Jojo Porubský helped us put this topic together.
It is not just about abs and sit-ups
With these exercises and body parts, I would rather talk about the midsection, the “core”, than about the abs; it covers the abdominals and the lower back. Having a strong core is a great benefit not only in training but in everyday life too. A stronger core supports your spine better and helps you prevent many of the problems caused by, for example, a sedentary job.
People often think abs are trained with sit-ups, crunches and the like, but if you do lots of crunches, all it does is make you able to do more crunches. You build muscular endurance, but that is not enough to strengthen the core. And even seemingly simple crunches can be done wrong and hurt you.
Among gymnastic exercises, a good one is vertical leg raises (Toes To Bar), which engage more muscle groups. In corrective exercises, we focus on stabilising the core and on correct posture, for example the “dead bug” (Dead Bug) or the SM system. Strength training is very important, mainly deadlifts, front squats, back squats, good mornings, and even strict presses, where we engage the core and breathe into the belly. This way of breathing pushes the diaphragm down and helps brace the whole core.
Every exercise has its own specific execution. Some need a flat back, in others we round it. But you need energy for every exercise, and it is a pre-workout that gives you the juice you need during training. If you do an exercise wrong, or at the expense of other body parts, it will be pointless. If you are not sure you are doing it right, ask a coach or a more experienced friend.
Either way, a strong core has no weak spots. ?
