Core Muscle Stretch
After a good abdominal workout it’s always a perfect idea to end with a core muscle stretch. No matter what type of exercise session you just finished, you can be sure that you somehow utilized this area of the body so cooling down will be important not only to prevent injuries but also to increase your range of motion.
A great core muscle stretch is done by first laying stomach down on a mat. Then place your hands directly under your shoulders with the elbows bent and slowly begin to press up so your upper body rises towards the ceiling. Note that your legs should stay straight the entire time and it is best if you also simultaneously think about squeezing your bum.
Take a few breaths in and out while you do this to help you feel the core muscle stretch even more. After holding for about ten to thirty seconds, lower the body again and repeat when ready.
Another exercise to perform is the side bend. Note that when you do these you do not want to lean back all that much as it can place additional strain on the back joints. To start, place your hands on your hips or alternatively straight out to the side. Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart to give you a good balanced stance. Next slowly begin to tilt your body over to one side until you feel a slight pull all along your side. After you’ve held this for a moment, switch back over and repeat on the other side.
Always ensure that you do not forget the lengthening training aspect of your workouts. Far too many people get all caught up in the contraction portion (the actual lifting) and forget that relaxation from this is also key to seeing results.
Core Exercise
There are many different variations of core exercise that you can do. While all will be beneficial in some regard, others will be a notch above the rest.
One of the most important things you want to look for when choosing a core exercise is that it utilizes as many muscle fibres as possible. Usually the types of movements that do this will be ones where your base of support is very small. This would include any movements performed on an exercise ball, done while balancing on one foot (or alternatively, if you are really good, a balance beam) or else done in the air (hanging from a bar for example).
The reason these core exercise movements are so great is because not only will you be working the superficial rectus abdominis muscle (the one you ’see’ as being the six-pack), but you will also work the deep muscles that are located underneath this and are also closer to your back.
Additionally, whenever you can utilize a greater range of motion, your chances of seeing more development will be higher. To implement this principle, if you were to perform some abdominal sit-ups on the ball for example, rather than just going back halfway, go back the full distance so that your stomach is very extended. Then when you curl up really think about pulling up from the muscles in the stomach rather than using your upper body to help propel you to be sure you are focusing in on your target. Breathe out while you crunch up, hold for a second while you feel the muscles contract and then slowly inhale while you lower back into the fully extended position once again.
By performing all your abdominal movements like this you should see a noticeable improvement without even having to change the type of workout you do. Abs are one muscle group where it is of utmost importance that you concentrate on what you are doing and not just ‘go through the movement’.
Core workouts
Setting aside some time in your training to develop oyur core workouts is definitely worth your while. Whenever you do any strength training exercise you are going to call upon your core for additional support and strength and if it is weak, you might have great difficulties maintaining proper form.
When thinking about what type of core workouts to do for your stomach, really think about functional training. This would include any type of core workouts that gets you using more every day type of movements. The reason this is so beneficial is because it will transfer directly over into ‘real life’ much more than if you had just performed typical ab work.
One good example of this would be standing back to back with a partner and then passing a medicine ball back and forth by twisting to the side to execute the pass. Since you often do twisting movements every day (which also often lead to injuries), strengthening these muscles will really help to prevent back pain down the road.
Another really great way to exercise this section of the body is with an exercise ball. Try performing many of your classical strength training moves on it such as chest presses, military presses, dumbbell curls and so on. Since while you are sitting on the ball doing these movements your base of support is not sturdy, you will need to use your abdominal muscles in order to steady yourself.
As you progress you might even try doing standing exercises on the ball (first try standing atop it and then advance to squatting on the ball). Having a spotter while trying either of those movements is very essential though for your safety.
So make sure you don’t neglect this very important section of your body from your workouts. The great news is that it will be worked on any exercise you perform as long as you mentally pay attention to it and focus on keeping the muscles tight and contracted. Then also setting aside some additional time for specific exercises will enhance your results even more.