When it comes to fitness, a strong core is the foundation on which everything else is built. Beyond traditional core exercises lies a realm of advanced techniques that can take your core strength to new heights. Allow me to reveal the secrets of next-level core strengthening to help you unlock your full potential.
Core Strengthening Fundamentals
Before we delve into advanced techniques, let's revisit the core strengthening basics. The core encompasses more than just the abs; it includes the muscles in your lower back, hips, and pelvis.
Your core muscles are a weightlifting belt that nature has designed for you. The diaphragm above, core muscles around, and pelvic floor at the bottom.
To engage the pelvic floor muscles, attempt to pause the flow of urine and contract your sphincter as if you’re preventing a bowel movement. Try this - cough, then tighten your pelvic floor muscles and cough again. You should feel significantly more pressure being created when these muscles are engaged.
Core Bracing
Bracing makes your core stiff and protects the lower back while moving and lifting. Press your fingers into your sides and then cough to push the fingers out. This internal pressure is what gives your core stability, similar to a pressurized soda can.
If you struggle to connect with these muscles, imagine bracing for the punch, or place a weight on your stomach and brace your core to press the weight up.
To kickstart your core strength journey, focus on exercises such as deadbugs, side planks, and bird dogs. These exercises lay the groundwork for the more advanced techniques described below.
Advanced Core Exercises
1. Hollow Body Hold Complex
This routine involves 3 exercises repeated for 30 seconds without rest. First, perform a 30 second hollow body hold. Lie on your back, raise your arms and legs off the ground, and hold the position, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor.
Then, without rest perform a hollow body rock for 30 seconds.
Again, without rest perform a V-up for 30 seconds.
This hollow body hold complex will have your core on fire! 2-3 rounds of this circuit should have you feeling like your core is made of steel! If these movements are too challenging or cause you pain, consider these regressions to make it easier:
Hollow body hold regression: Place your hands under your hips.
Hollow body rock regression: Bend your knees
V-up regression: Cocoons
2. Single-leg Contralateral Deadlift
The core includes all muscles from your knees to your shoulders. Core strength is also about coordination! You can't say you have a strong core unless you can handle some seriously challenging weight in this exercise!
Hold the weight in the opposite hand from the working leg. Slowly lower down to just past knee-height, then control your hip muscles to return to standing. This will build great coordination and control from your foot all the way to your shoulder and it's a very effective method for core strengthening!
3. Renegade Row
This exercise helps to train a stable core while performing dynamic upper body movement. While in a plank position, row a weight to your hip. Keep your hips level and don't allow movement at your core!
To increase the challenge you're going to elevate your feet. If you've never tried this before, trust me it's very difficult!
4. Kettlebell Windmill
Train your core in a functional way that improves shoulder stability, hip mobility, and coordination.
With the kettlebell overhead, push your hips to the back corner as you lower down and reach towards the ground with your other arm. Keep the movement slow and you'll feel your obliques working very hard!
Nutrition for Six pack abs
A strong core and six pack abs are not necessarily the same thing. You can have a six pack and still have a relatively weak core, or you can have a very strong core with some extra body fat that doesn't show your abs. A developed six pack is sculpted in the kitchen with disciplined nutrition.
Eating a balanced diet rich in lean proteins and fiber will help to cut off the body fat to reveal the savage core you've built underneath! Remember, without muscle there's nothing to reveal, so we need both training and nutrition to have a developed six pack.
Embracing Recovery
As you challenge your core with advanced techniques, remember that recovery is equally important. We grow outside of the gym! If your abs are very sore, the best thing to do is to rest. As you increase your fitness, you can train your abs up to 4 times per week, but train wisely!
Conclusion
By incorporating these strategies into your workout routine, you can take your fitness journey to new heights and achieve a core that is not only strong but also resilient.
Remember, a strong core is not built in a day! It requires dedication, perseverance, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Start incorporating these advanced core strengthening techniques into your routine, and watch as your core strength reaches new heights.
If you want help or guidance on your journey, schedule a consultation to work with me directly.
Until next time! - Tom
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