Core exercises

[Kim]

Normally I do a lot of cardio work, working the arms and legs, but I can never seem to work anything in my core region. My friend advised me to take up yoga, or learn some quick exercises with the exercise ball. Any people got experience with either, or would just like to comment on good habitual exercises that I can do regularly to shape my core?

Roughly how much time daily must be dedicated to yoga exercises if I were to take it up, pros/cons?

[phata$$]

During football season they told me to work on my core excercises and recommended this excercise ball. I basically did all the workouts I did at home but on top of that ball. You know like sit-ups, push-ups, dumbell routines. It supposedly works your abs simultaneously as you work the rest of your body. I didn't really use it that much because I didn't think it would help me that much. I don't really know what to say because I don't know what your physical capabilities are. It seems to be quite popular and I don't see anything wrong with trying it out.

[Bioture]

YUO CAN DO IT

[Richard Creager]

Your core? You mean the torso/stomach&chest deal? It's quite easy, charge into things with all of the force you can put into it, its a good idea to use your shoulder or entire upper arm (much like how Wario does it, and look how fucking huge that guy is) you'll probably want to start small with things like people, small trees, and wooden fences, and eventually work your way up to toppling over automobiles, and busting down housing walls, and bigger trees. If you need a challenge, go to California where they have the biggest trees and a healthy assortment of tall buildings for you to work on bringing down with a sudden charge. Hope it helps.

[Pooh Bear]

pushups and squats work your core muscles simlutaneously with the arms, legs. regular cardio exercises also work your core. you don't want to build up your abs until you have a solid foundation of core muscles

[Bilbo]

Deadlifts are pure fucking awesome for your lower back. For the stomach area I do crunches and leglifts with weights.

[Mr. Peanuts]

Get one of those sit-up frames they have at gyms, I personally am fine with doing sit-ups without the aid of a frame but apparently they work wonders and you can really feel it.

[StarKitty]

Kim..

Talk to Pandagirl about this thing... she used to be obsessed about her stomach..

I'm sure she can help you out.

[Liquid Blue]

I can't help you in terms of the specifics on yoga exercises, but I can give you some suggestions in terms of exercies you can do with weights, at the gym. First, it's probably a good idea just to split the "core" of uyour body into parts, since some exercises won't work every part of your torso. I'll keep it simple and go with Chest, Delts, Stomach, Back.

Chest-
--------
Bench Press
Incline Press
Parallel bar dips

Deltoids (the muscle between your chest and armpit)
--------
Military Press

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...taryPress.html

Lateral Raises

http://www.theministryoffitness.com/...ms/lraises.htm

Stomach
------
Sit-Ups (duh)
Ab Crunches

http://www.teamflex.com/firm_tone/ab_crunches.asp

Back
----
Bent- Over Rows (Barbell or Dumbell)

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...ntOverRow.html

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...ntOverRow.html

Chin-Ups (wide, overhand grip spread far apart)

Bent-Legged Deadlifts

Shrugs

http://www.changingshape.com/exercis...uldershrug.asp



I know you're working on the arms and legs, just don't forget to work out you shoulder muscles also. I still see people sometime not taking them into account, and their arms don't look (and aren't) as developed as they could.

[Broly]

Kim..

Talk to Pandagirl about this thing... she used to be obsessed about her stomach..

I'm sure she can help you out.

don't think hes trying to become dyslexic :P

[Verthanthi]

Normally I do a lot of cardio work, working the arms and legs, but I can never seem to work anything in my core region. My friend advised me to take up yoga, or learn some quick exercises with the exercise ball. Any people got experience with either, or would just like to comment on good habitual exercises that I can do regularly to shape my core?

Roughly how much time daily must be dedicated to yoga exercises if I were to take it up, pros/cons?

For yoga, about an hour a day is plenty. Plus it'll do more than shape your physical core.

[Material Girl]

Pilates is the greatest way to strengthen your core. It requires mental focus and supreme physicality along with proper technique to do it right. It is super-specific so I can not suggest anything to you, other than to find a pilates expert to teach you the proper way. The evolved pilates people do crazy things like resting their butt on the mat with their arms and legs steady at 45 degrees, using only their abdominals to support their entire resistance.

It is sort of like tightening your abs when jogging.

[Verthanthi]

The evolved pilates people do crazy things like resting their butt on the mat with their arms and legs steady at 45 degrees, using only their abdominals to support their entire resistance.

Even pretending that "supporting their entire resistance" made any sense, I can do that and I'm rediculously out of shape. Also it's much more difficult to it at more obtuse angles.

[404 Not Found]

When doing core exercises...squats are always good, especially with an exercise fitness ball placed behind your lower back (lombar), against a wall. Just sitting on a Fitness ball, rather than a chair will cause your abdominals and obliques to always work on keeping you steady. You would exercise them without doing all that much, if done on a daily basis.

Pilates are also great to do for core stabilization.

[Miku19]

I've done a bunch of leg raises too, works the lower parts of the abs quite nicely.

Other than that I do crunches, back extensions and some weird stuff for my obliques.

Squats, deadlifts etc. are nice to build up core stabilization while strengthening the legs, but you have to remember that they're leg excercises, otherwise you'll just break your back.