best core moves. discuss!
Saltfae
Posts: 82 Member
I was told that dead lifts and planks are the best core moves, not crunches. Discuss!
Ps darlings, youre lovely.
Ps darlings, youre lovely.
0
Replies
-
60 second plank hold equals 100 sit ups0
-
Depends on your strength. There are exercises more demanding than those on your core, but only worth trying if planks and crunches are easy. Check out leg lifts, jack knives and flags for examples of a range from harder than crunches/planks to just plain tough as can be.0
-
So i need to plank it up. My unit nurse is a body builder, short and always wears blue. I call him arnold smurfinegger. Anyway i talk to him about weightlifting and hes the one who told that. Im good at crunches and suck at planks. So i need to do them
0 -
MrCoolGrim wrote: »60 second plank hold equals 100 sit ups
If you can hold a plank for 60 seconds you are doing it wrong. RKC planks are real planks.
Most compound lifts work the core well. The few things I add are mostly for obliques. Hanging leg raises and ab roll outs are great.0 -
I usually incorporate rope crunches to my routine to finish.
0 -
Dr. Stuart McGill warned some years ago to limit spine-flexing exercises like crunches--they aren't disc-friendly and your spine only has so much "flex" in it. I'm not entirely sure what to think about this, since many laud him then justify crunches anyway, but the modern approach seems more focused on core stabilization in increasingly difficult circumstances--e.g., plank, side plank, planks with less base of support, planks combined with dynamic motions like a lat row, hollow holds, etc. Core stabilization also seems more akin to how we more often use the muscles in life.
0 -
RKC planks are legit. Your whole body begins to shake almost immediately. I've been doing them for a while and still only hold them for 12-15 seconds.
0 -
Squats and deadlifts.0
-
MrCoolGrim wrote: »60 second plank hold equals 100 sit ups
That seems optimistic0 -
*Runs off to google RKC planks*0
-
MrCoolGrim wrote: »60 second plank hold equals 100 sit ups
If you can hold a plank for 60 seconds you are doing it wrong. RKC planks are real planks.
Most compound lifts work the core well. The few things I add are mostly for obliques. Hanging leg raises and ab roll outs are great.
Okay, you got me. I've never heard of an rkc plank so I youtubed it. What am I missing? It looks like a plank plank. What's even so difficult about it? It looks like something I could hold for 3 minutes pretty easily (except for the part where I died from boredom).
Seriously asking.0 -
MrCoolGrim wrote: »60 second plank hold equals 100 sit ups
If you can hold a plank for 60 seconds you are doing it wrong. RKC planks are real planks.
Most compound lifts work the core well. The few things I add are mostly for obliques. Hanging leg raises and ab roll outs are great.
Okay, you got me. I've never heard of an rkc plank so I youtubed it. What am I missing? It looks like a plank plank. What's even so difficult about it? It looks like something I could hold for 3 minutes pretty easily (except for the part where I died from boredom).
Seriously asking.
A plank is just propping yourself up. RKC plank is engaging everything as you are holding it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TKktamzq4o 0 -
MrCoolGrim wrote: »60 second plank hold equals 100 sit ups
If you can hold a plank for 60 seconds you are doing it wrong. RKC planks are real planks.
Most compound lifts work the core well. The few things I add are mostly for obliques. Hanging leg raises and ab roll outs are great.
Okay, you got me. I've never heard of an rkc plank so I youtubed it. What am I missing? It looks like a plank plank. What's even so difficult about it? It looks like something I could hold for 3 minutes pretty easily (except for the part where I died from boredom).
Seriously asking.
The posterior pelvic tilt makes a difference. How much I guess depends on the individual, but I think it is more than it appears.
0 -
This is a good one: http://nicktumminello.com/2011/03/the-single-best-abs-exercise-scientifically-proven/0
-
I can't remember the last time I did a crunch. Dead lift, squat, hanging leg raises once a week.0
-
MrCoolGrim wrote: »I usually incorporate rope crunches to my routine to finish.
I like this idea. I was once told that we should treat abs as any other muscle. If we want a muscle to get bigger we use weight and don't do a ton!!!! of reps but just make a reasonable amount really hard and count. That being said, I find that all ab exercises are as good as the effort I put into them. For example, I can do a crunch where I use momentum, fast and not pressing my abs down in the floor and probably can do a ton of them. On the other hand, If I really contract my abs, make each rep intentional, slower and never let myself get in the rest position (you know, on the down motion, using the ground as a quick rest before going up again) they can be darn hard. This is true for me when doing stand up crunches, spiderman pushups, bicycle crunches. On the bicycles, try going slower and really stretching your leg out at a medium height. Play with the height and angles until you feel the most impact on your abs. I know when I'm pushing myself to make them hard as possible and when I'm trying to just pass the time in the class or get them over with.0 -
Loooove this one. It's fun too! Oh by the way, have you ever tried one of these as an adult!!! Man do they work your abs. Just go at night so nobody sees you. But when you go in a circle, the adult weight makes the animal bend down lower so you really have to use your core to make is rotate in a circle lol. Also you have to keep going in a circle or the weight will make part of your body hit the ground lol.
0 -
Depends what you are trying to achieve.
The best core exercise for me are heavy deadlifts and squats.
0 -
Loooove this one. It's fun too! Oh by the way, have you ever tried one of these as an adult!!! Man do they work your abs. Just go at night so nobody sees you. But when you go in a circle, the adult weight makes the animal bend down lower so you really have to use your core to make is rotate in a circle lol. Also you have to keep going in a circle or the weight will make part of your body hit the ground lol.
This one is a little too advanced for me.0 -
arditarose wrote: »
Loooove this one. It's fun too! Oh by the way, have you ever tried one of these as an adult!!! Man do they work your abs. Just go at night so nobody sees you. But when you go in a circle, the adult weight makes the animal bend down lower so you really have to use your core to make is rotate in a circle lol. Also you have to keep going in a circle or the weight will make part of your body hit the ground lol.
This one is a little too advanced for me.
lol
you could work up to it on a smaller one. jk
0 -
I've been told that no one should do crunches (especially the way you see most people doing them at the gym) - we spend far too much time in a rounded back position and crunches just reinforce that (i.e. sitting down).
Planks are good and, as suggested, RKC are better.
Planks strengthen your core in a stationery stable position through one plane of movement. The problem is that this doesn't much translate well to a real-world scenario. In life we need to have a strong, stable core with moving limbs and rotation.
Particular core exercises that I like for this include:
- Roll outs (ab-wheel/fit ball)
- High and low wood chops (cable/dumbell)
- Pallof presses
- Half kneeling cable anti rotation press
- Washing machines
- Land mines
- Dead bugs
0 -
I forgot one - suitcase carries. So good for stabilisation through your obliques (amongst other things)0
-
MrCoolGrim wrote: »60 second plank hold equals 100 sit ups
If you can hold a plank for 60 seconds you are doing it wrong. RKC planks are real planks.
Most compound lifts work the core well. The few things I add are mostly for obliques. Hanging leg raises and ab roll outs are great.
Okay, you got me. I've never heard of an rkc plank so I youtubed it. What am I missing? It looks like a plank plank. What's even so difficult about it? It looks like something I could hold for 3 minutes pretty easily (except for the part where I died from boredom).
Seriously asking.
A plank is just propping yourself up. RKC plank is engaging everything as you are holding it.
<snip>
so it's a plank done correctly?0 -
I've been told that no one should do crunches (especially the way you see most people doing them at the gym) - we spend far too much time in a rounded back position and crunches just reinforce that (i.e. sitting down).
Planks are good and, as suggested, RKC are better.
Planks strengthen your core in a stationery stable position through one plane of movement. The problem is that this doesn't much translate well to a real-world scenario. In life we need to have a strong, stable core with moving limbs and rotation.
Particular core exercises that I like for this include:
- Roll outs (ab-wheel/fit ball)
- High and low wood chops (cable/dumbell)
- Pallof presses
- Half kneeling cable anti rotation press
- Washing machines
- Land mines
- Dead bugs
I forgot about rollouts. And whats a landmine0 -
I don't typically do specific ab exercises either, primarily stick with compound lifts.
But, I also have a particularly brutal yoga instructor who makes us hold dolphin plank (aka RKC plank) for 60 seconds at a time. That combined with all of the balancing poses (dancer, eagle, tree) means I usually wake up the next day with sore abs. She's also a fan of bicycles, usually in sets of 60. No idea why, since they aren't, you know, yoga poses, but there you have it.0 -
MrCoolGrim wrote: »60 second plank hold equals 100 sit ups
Yay! I just recently worked up to 3 sets of 60 second planks!0 -
In addition to planks, I also do (and forgive me if I don't use the proper exercise name) captains chair side-leg raises to exhaustion, followed immediately by captains chair side-knee raises to exhaustion without getting off the chair. I do this for either 2 or 3 sets (either right after working out, or throughout my day at work).0
-
I used to subscribe to the school of thought that squats and deadlifts were enough. However, every time I throw ab work in consistently, my squats and deadlifts get better.
My go to are:
straight leg raises (toes to ceiling/bar if possible)
bar roll outs
fall outs
dumb bell side bends
suit case carries
front squat static hold (one of my favourites but I don't do it as much. Overload the bar, unrack and just stand straight)0 -
If you are conscientiousness about engaging your core, there are a number of good movements/lifts. But if you aren't, then most of them won't help you in that regard (but may be good for other reasons). That's a big detail that a lot of people miss - you can do squats and deads and whatever else with relatively minimal core activation.
Personally, I love pivot presses for core work, but again, you have to intentionally engage your core to get the most out it.0 -
Would probably agree here since most people who do sit ups use their hip flexors more than their core.MrCoolGrim wrote: »60 second plank hold equals 100 sit ups
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions