Women Strength Training

Join

core strengthening

Options
wishfullthinking79
wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
in Social Groups
I am wanting to find out what is the best exercises to strengthen my core. Can someone help me with that?

Replies

  • katnoir1
    katnoir1 Posts: 128 Member
    Options
    Planks. Start with forearm planks, and then move on to variations as you gain strength.

    Other good exercises: Russian twists, kettlebell swings, bicycle crunch... That said, you can turn pretty much any exercise into a core exercise by flexing your tummy to activate the muscles.
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
    Options
    katnoir1 wrote: »
    Planks. Start with forearm planks, and then move on to variations as you gain strength.

    Other good exercises: Russian twists, kettlebell swings, bicycle crunch... That said, you can turn pretty much any exercise into a core exercise by flexing your tummy to activate the muscles.

    Wow. Surprisingly I already do all of these plus some other exercises. I just there had to be something more. Like I am mising the mark somewhere. Good to know I am doing the right stuff.
  • TamzFit777
    TamzFit777 Posts: 110 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    Kettlebell swings! My favorite!
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
    Options
    TamzFit777 wrote: »
    Kettlebell swings! My favorite!

    The gym I go to the most does not have kettlebells. Is there a different weight i can use in place of it?

    I have been doing leg lifts with the medicine ball, bicycle crunches, iron butterflies, planking, side planking, russian twist. The squats with 8 pound medicine ball and lunge twist with the 8 pound medicine ball. yesterday I also did some decline crunches. I really felt it in my lower abs. yesteday I did squats with the weighted bar. Plus some other exercises. I tried to make myself aware of tightening my core when I was doing them.
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
    Options
    My favs are hanging leg raises and ab wheel rollouts. I added landmine 180's to my routine last week. They're fun if you want to try something new.
  • fanncy0626
    fanncy0626 Posts: 7,152 Member
    Options
    Kettlebells and Stronglifts!
  • DawnEmbers
    DawnEmbers Posts: 2,451 Member
    Options
    The one I've tried lately which at first looks like not going to help but then you do the move and feel it in your core is called a pallof press. It uses the cable system. Look it up some time, it's definitely different if you want to mix things up a little.
  • DeadsAndDoritos
    DeadsAndDoritos Posts: 267 Member
    Options
    If you have TRX in your gym, it's good for abs. Rollouts, body saw and reverse crunches are all good TRX ab exercises.
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
    Options
    @sucampbeN i do not know if my gym has that. What is it?
  • giusa
    giusa Posts: 577 Member
    Options
    wishfullthinking79 wrote: »
    I am wanting to find out what is the best exercises to strengthen my core. Can someone help me with that?
    Here's a interesting article that might help answer your question - Why Are You Doing Situps? by Mark Rippetoe
  • DeadsAndDoritos
    DeadsAndDoritos Posts: 267 Member
    Options
    TRX
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    Options
    I second Hanging knee and leg raises and ab wheel rollout. Along with planks, the best isometric IMO is the boat pose. Lay on your back, arms extended overhead and legs extended. Lift head, neck, arm and legs a few inches off the ground and hold. The higher the arms and legs, the easier.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Options
    Turbo jam cardio(kick boxing) is a fun way to work your core. Lifting free weights also engages the core.
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
    edited March 2016
    Options
    thank you everyone..:) my ab area needs some serious help. I try to make sure I have it engaged through my entire workout. I just have that layer of fat that I have yet to get rid of. Maybe then I could get a flatter tummy. My waist has gone down an inch but my hips have stayed the same. I do squats and lounges like a mad person. I cant see it in my legs or butt. I just want to see some visible change through all this. I know I pretty much was starting over since I was out of the gym for so long nursing my knee. I just wish I could see all the hard work I have been putting in.

Categories