These workouts for abs and core can give a better-toned body, flexibility, and support.
Workouts for Abs and Core | Combine These Exercises for Better Body Strength and Support
Why You Need to Do Core and Abs Exercises
Many people perform workouts for abs and core without fully understanding their benefits. When they think of abs, they immediately picture a ripped six-pack or shredded obliques. The overall chiseled look is what many men and women dream of having.
What people often fail to realize is that the abs and core are relevant in keeping the body functional and healthy. Whether you know it or not, you use these all day long. You even need them in routine tasks such as sitting upright and walking.
People also believe when they do abs workouts, they are already exercising the core. The core includes not only the abdominals. It also involves the following:
- Rectus abdominal muscles
- Internal and external obliques
- Transverse abdominal muscles
These are just muscles in front of the body. The core also covers those in your back such as multifidus muscle and erector spinae. The last forgotten part is the pelvic floor.
The Dangers of Poor Abs Exercise
It’s essential to include core exercises in a routine that work all these muscles. Doing a thousand crunches as workouts for abs and core may make you feel like you’re working toward that shredded ab look we see in movies and magazines. In reality, it creates muscle imbalances.
These types of abs exercises can also lead to the synergistic dominance of muscles. It can translate into imbalances of muscles and overcompensation when trying to perform specific exercises. These imbalances and overcompensations are dangerous. They can result in prolonged injury.
Try These Exercises for Your Workouts for Abs and Core
When including the core in your abs workouts, try some of the examples below. This combination of these core and abs exercises can help balance the work between anterior (front side of the body) muscles and posterior (back side of the body) muscles. You can also include the pelvic floor.
Design your workouts for abs and core with these exercises. Perform each at least once for 30 seconds:
- Planks: Planks are a great way to work the entire core in one movement.
- Bird Dogs: It can incorporate balance and core work in one action. To add a proprioceptive (knowing where your body is at in space) element, try closing your eyes while performing this exercise.
- Dead Bugs: It is a preferable exercise if you have a history of back pain or injury. It is excellent in working the core and taking the pressure off the back.
- Side Planks: It incorporates the often-forgotten obliques. The side planks focus in on the obliques as the primary muscle used to stabilize the body. The other previously mentioned muscles kick in to do the secondary stabilization work.
- Supermans: It is a great way to hit the posterior core muscles. It lets you focus on the concentric (squeezing) part of this exercise.
Combining Core Workouts with Lifts
Dedicated workouts for abs and core is vital to strengthen the muscles in the lower torso. What many people don’t know is they can also engage the core when they’re doing primary lifts:
- Front Squats: If you’re doing this exercise correctly, you are engaging the core during the entire movement. Make sure the chest is staying up. The back should also not be arching. You should be able to feel your core working during this lift.
- Unsupported Shoulder Press: When you’re not using a bench to support your back, a shoulder press is a great way to engage the core while working the deltoids. Make sure to grab a weight that isn’t too heavy. Your core should have to work, but do not arch the back. You shouldn’t be using your legs to lift the weight.
- Dips: If you notice your body swinging during dips, you need to strengthen your core. Focus on contracting and engaging your core to prevent swinging.
- Pull-ups: Similar to dips, if you have a hard time performing pull-ups because your body is swaying, engage the core during the movement.
Learn a 5-minute ab workout perfect for beginners:
The above are just a few of the exercises you can incorporate in your workouts for abs and core. Remember, your abs and core are necessary for everyday activities. Train them to maintain the ability to perform daily tasks, prevent injury, and improve flexibility.
Looking for an in-depth theory of getting hardcore shredded abs? We’ve compiled a whole list of workouts and exercises you can do to make your abs leaner and stronger, and then we put it all in an easy-to-use, easy-to-read program just for you. Click here to check out our “Six Pack Shred” program!
What are your favorite workouts for abs and core? Share your list in the comments section below! To know more about the best workout for your body, take this short 1-minute free quiz.
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