Core muscles - why so important and how to strengthen.

Sticking with the core theme of the last few Posts here is one more in this little series that will wrap things up and identify why it is important to your overall fitness to develop your core, and how you go about this. This is one of a series written by Rich Carroll (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Carroll) and found once again at 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/7544274), and again will provide you with some good options for that all important core work.


Because core muscles are harder to visualise, we might not give them their due respect in our workouts. But they have great importance in everything we do by providing a stable base for exercise and practically all daily activities we perform. These 29 pairs of muscles that make up our core make up a muscular box that are the foundation for arm and leg movement as well as balance and the ability to maintain good posture.

Finding exercises that strengthen the core muscles should be a major part of our exercise routine. Pilates and yoga have multiple movements that support and build the core, but simply balancing on one leg while stabilising the back and pelvis will also be beneficial. When people think of building the core, they think sit-ups or crunches. This is certainly an option, but it isn't the top one for working most of the 29 pairs of core muscles.

One that we will concentrate on in this article are varieties of the old standard without-equipment exercise, the push-up. Using a variety of push-ups will work all of these muscles. But performing them improperly can be a waste of time and energy. Trying to go too fast and using an abbreviated range of motion are two of the most common mistakes people make when doing push-ups. Rather than trying to do a set number of push-ups, try to work each individual one slowly, keeping the body straight, your elbows at a 45 degree angle to the body, gently touching the sternum to the floor and raising up to a straight-arm position.

In order to do a push-up properly requires a little strength, so if you are just starting out you may want to build strength by putting your knees rather than feet on the floor. It is imperative that you maintain the same form. Another option for beginners is the wall push-up. Do this by standing facing a wall with your feet about three feet away, place your palms flat against the wall leaning forward, then slowly push away from the wall.

As you get stronger and advance, for a more complete core workout try the reverse push-up. From the basic start position of the push-up, instead of allowing your weight to move downward to the floor, bend at the knees and hips and push backward until your waist is totally bent, but only your hands and feet are still on the floor. A more difficult variation of this is to start the backward movement from your low position on the floor. This gets even more of the core muscles involved.

There are many variations of the standard push-up that will further tax the core muscles. A key is to not let the exercise become too static. For instance, by varying you hand positions you can dictate which muscle groups that are to be targeted. By bringing your hands together under your chest you can work the triceps, or by widening your hands you can work the hands and shoulders more. Plus of course the big bonus with these exercises is they take no additional equipment and don't need a membership at a health club to do. You can use them even when you are on vacation (in case you are really motivated).

Core muscle workouts, whether done with free weights or machines, are a necessary part of building strength. These exercises described here are excellent because they can be done without the need for machines or weights.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Five reasons why you should 'plank'

A lot has been said about 'planking' in recent years, and there is all sorts of advice & guidance out there about the benefits of the 'plank' as part of your exercise regime to build your core strength. Recognising this I sourced this great little article from 'ezinearticles' and thought it would help. It is written by Rich Carroll (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Carroll) at http://EzineArticles.com/8869700, and is worth a read before combining these into your regular workout routine. I have recently begun combining these into my daily workout and have started to feel the benefits already - I know you will too!



Some of the best exercises are the least complicated, and plank exercises I think fall into that category. These have recently become an important part of my exercise routine because they are great for core conditioning. In fact, they may look too easy to be beneficial, but especially if you have irritation in the lower back this exercise might be your answer. But it also gives the hamstrings, glutes and shoulders a good workout, and will support proper posture and improved balance.

It should be noted, however that there are some common mistakes made when people do planks, and perhaps even more so than most exercises doing improperly could lead to injury. These exercises will tax the upper and lower regions of the spine. If these areas are weak it will normally cause the spine to sway. This can put compression pressure in the vertebrae and can cause back injuries. It is important especially when starting out, to know just where your limits are and not to exceed them. If you feel any pain in the back area, don't push it, but work your time up little by little.

Besides trying to hold the position for too long, other common faults are placing the hands too close together, allowing the hips and head to drop, and holding your breath. And what should your goal be? You are considered to be fairly fit in the core area if you can hold the abdominal plank position for at least two minutes. But again, you should build up to that point slowly.

That said, here are some reasons why you should be looking to plank exercises as part of your fitness programme:-

1. Posture and balance improvement. By merely staying in the plank position for the period of time requires you to work on your balance. This can be enhanced further by doing planks on a BOSU ball, or by doing side planks. If we do lose our balance and posture position as we age, it is normally because of the weakening in the core area. Planks are great for this.
2. Alleviates back pain. Whatever you do to strengthen your core area is probably going to make your lower back stronger. The reason is because plank exercises require minimal movement while contracting all the layers of the abdominals.
3. Tones the stomach region. These exercises will be in our core muscles of the belly area. This is the foundation of the outer abdominals, or six-pack abs. This will be helped further by pulling in the area of your belly button, which will contract those deep inner transverse abdominal muscles.
4. Builds flexibility. The first time get into the plank position you will probably feel how the body becomes stretched. Not only in your posterior muscles but also in the shoulder area, the hamstrings and even the arches of your feet down to your toes. Plank exercises are a natural for stretching the body.
5.  Mood enhancement. All of the above reasons for doing planks will help to improve a person's mood. Stretching and releasing the tension from muscles throughout the body are going to invigorate anyone who does these wonderful exercise routines.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Picking a Personal Trainer . . . it's a process!

Riding hot on the heels of my last article on this next step in the process - choosing the right one for you. Again, ezinearticles.com is a trove of knowledge and insight and I grabbed this one because it provides some simple steps to think about when you embark on a PT journey. There are questions you will need to ask and similarly there is information that your prospective PT will need to ask of you - it's a two way street and you are forging a relationship where trust, motivation, friendship, respect and money will need to flow either way - so it's important you make the right choice. Phillip J. Schiefer (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phillip_J_Schiefer) provides some words of wisdom below that you'll do well to heed as you kick-start your programme


It's been about fifteen years since I first set foot in a gym and I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Had I known the things I do now, I could have avoided injuries, bad advice and progressed more efficiently. Regardless of the gym I go to, it seems as if we all sneak a peek at what the personal trainers are doing at some point. I know I do it and I notice it being done to me when I'm training a client. We're in a field where our profession is typically displayed in our backs. If that's not an attention grabber, then our actions are. If you work with a trainer or are looking to work with a trainer, you want to make sure your trainer is working to help address your specific requirements.

When you meet with a trainer, they should ask questions about your background, medical issues and injury history, before any exercising takes place. The exercises given should be to assess your form and posture to see what issues need to be corrected. The program they use for you should be specific to your goals and limitations. If your goal is weight loss and your trainer has you on machine after machine, then you don't have the right match. If you feel sore to the point where walking, standing up and sitting down are painful, you were probably over trained or exercised with poor form and weren't corrected. Your muscles shouldn't ache and you shouldn't feel deteriorated after a session. If you don't feel sore at all and you are new to exercising, then your routine wasn't intense enough for you. Either that or you left with a big smile on your face because you spent the entire session chatting and laughing it up.

There are stages to progression that are implemented to prevent injury and help you to achieve faster results. With a good trainer, your form should get better, your posture should improve, you should get stronger, more flexible and feel better. Both you and your trainer should notice your progress. Feel free to ask questions and make suggestions about your routine. If you didn't feel like you matched well with they trainer they assigned to you, ask for another one. You may want to continue training, just not with your trainer. It's your body and your money, their feelings are not your concern. Shop around and observe the other trainers, approach the one you think will work best with you. If that trainer is in the middle of a session, approach the front desk and get their info.

Conversely, don't get in the mindset that you have to find someone better.

Progress comes slow. If you've made some progress and have a plan, moving forward, stick with that trainer. Lock them up long-term. Chances are that there is someone else waiting for your time slot to vacate. The purpose of the trainer should be to guide you to exercising independence. For me, the biggest reward is seeing someone I trained come in and use all the things I taught them, on their own. At that point, their training with me is focused on pushing them to the next level.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-