CORE Training

When you do crunch after crunch at the gym or while laying on the floor in front of the T.V. during commercials (that's a common tip to encourage you to stop laying on your ass as soon as you get home from your "busy day") what is your main goal? Are you trying to whittle your muffin top,  get a dreamy six-pack or strengthen your core?

I certainly think it's commendable that you are putting in effort towards whatever your goal is. BUT, what if I told you that you are likely making very minimal gains. It's kinda BS that you put in all that work for barely anything to show how hard you worked. AND you are not likely getting anywhere closer to your goal!

Having a STRONG CORE and a SIX PACK do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. And I would argue, without a doubt, that getting a strong core is WAY more important than pursuing the more visually appealing goal. 

A six pack is the ripped and defined abdominal muscles...but a strong core encompasses almost every muscles from your hips to your shoulders, front and back. That means you need to work on strengthening your back, hips, and multiple abdominal muscles. Doing crunches is not going to help much. 

So what DOES work????

You've likely heard it before and I am going to say it again...PLANKS! I have a love/hate relationship with planks! Mainly because I am crazy and always do tougher variations of them that make my body shake and burn (only temporarily, of course). Here are a list of different planks I have in my trainer tool-box:

Traditional Plank
Up-Down Planks
Side Planks
Stability Ball Planks
Plank Jacks
BOSU Planks
Side Twist Planks
Inchworm w/Planks
Opposite Arm & Leg Planks
Extended Arm Planks
For those just starting out: Knee Planks


Although I have a love for planks, they can get boring sometimes even when I switch up what type I do. Soooo I have a ton more CORE STRENGTHENING exercises that I fit into my workout on Cardio/Core days. 

• Wall Walks
• 1-Leg Plyometric Balance
• Weighted Overhead Crunch to Stand (killer but f*cking love this!)
• Reptiles
• Sit-up Toe Touches
• Goodmornings
• Inchworm
• Supermans
• Side Burpees
• Reverse Crunches
• Woodchops
• Side-to-Side Crunch and Weave
• AND THE LIST GOES ON!!!!! 

CORE TIP: You can work on strengthening your core everyday while just sitting in your car, at work, etc. AND during your upper- and lower-body training sessions. Focus on contracting your muscles and keeping a tight core and glutes when performing other exercises. This will also help ensure you are using proper form and activating the muscles that you are trying to train. :)

Healthfully,

Amanda Chubb

www.healthyathomept.com

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