problems with "engaging your core"

sister83 · March 2012

hi guys i seriously need some help here
i'm currently doing the insanity workout and i'm always hearing from shaun T that i've to engage my core while doing all if not most of the exercises.
my question is what does that really mean?? at first i thought it was just sucking in my stomach.
after some research i found that you're actually supposed to flex those muscles (correct me if i'm wrong). so i tried the 2nd method while doing insanity.
and i realized during the workout i'm so busy trying to 'engage my core' that sometimes i forget to breathe properly during the workout.
and after awhile my lower back starts to hurt a little (esp doing high knees)

am i doing it wrongly?

i hope someone can help me with this as i'm hoping to get the best out of my workout!
thanks alot

LesliePierceRN · March 2012

It's hard to get it all together at the same time.. but as long as you are aware of what you're supposed to be doing and are trying to do it, I say you're on the right track. Keep it up, keep trying to tighten that core, but also remember to breathe.. after a while, it'll become more natural. And when you're core is strong, everything else is stronger too.

Shines01 · March 2012

pull your belly button to your backbone while you are doing the exercises, that is engaging your core

Huffdogg · March 2012

Pretend someone is about to punch you in the stomach. brace for it. there ya go.

medoria · March 2012

I had the same problem especially with the breathing. I found that doing hollow man really helped me. You have to give it time, I realized i found the contraction after training 3- 5 times a week for over six months, and by total accident.
You already have a small contraction and if you find that you know what to look for. Practice by letting go totally in your abarea and youll find your belly sinks down a bit and grows out. Thats just what you have to do, but more. The breathing will come naturally, its just a matter of teaching the muscles what to do. If my explantion sucks, send me a mail and ill try explain better.

wellbert · March 2012

Practice the 'ab vacuum'
that helps a lot

i think it helps to visualize 'knotting' your abdominal muscles together.

plantgrrl · August 2012

SO I just searched this for the SAME reason above--what do they mean oh mystery of mysteries?!! I like the brace for a punch analogy--this pretty much tells me exactly what to do. Thanks!

starcyndycyn · August 2012

I'm doing Shaun T's "Hip Hop Abs' right now, and in that workout, he teaches you his "Tilt, tuck, tighten" method, which is basically a dancer's versionof engaging the core (he calls it "absolute engagement" in that workout.) He had a good way of testing whether you're tightening your abs--he said, put your hand up to your mouth like it's a mirror, and blow out the air as if you're going to fog up the mirror. When you do that, you're exhaling and engaging/tightening your abs. That works and I found it useful. Hope you do, too!

cdpoole82 · April 2013

That was the best explanation ever! Very helpful

phjorg · April 2013

pull your belly button to your backbone while you are doing the exercises, that is engaging your core

thats about the worst thing you can do when lifting... NEVER do this if anyone reads this as good advice.

The complete opposite. Best way is to imagine you have a belt on thats a couple inches too loose. You then stick your stomach OUT to try and fill this belt, and tighten your core up solid. That then builds the bridge to support your back when lifting to not hurt yourself.

phjorg · April 2013

I'm doing Shaun T's "Hip Hop Abs' right now, and in that workout, he teaches you his "Tilt, tuck, tighten" method, which is basically a dancer's versionof engaging the core (he calls it "absolute engagement" in that workout.) He had a good way of testing whether you're tightening your abs--he said, put your hand up to your mouth like it's a mirror, and blow out the air as if you're going to fog up the mirror. When you do that, you're exhaling and engaging/tightening your abs. That works and I found it useful. Hope you do, too!

this is also false. A properly engaged core will be done with your breath IN. Not out. Soon as you exhale you start to lose contraction strength. And fully exhaled is nowhere near as strong as inhaled. this is why when you see powerlifters lift, you rarely see them exhale out of the pocket. They may as the movement progresses, but in the danger zone, they have their breath fully in, and have their core fully contracted.

mustgetmuscles1 · April 2013

There is a major difference between an abdominal brace and the abdominal vacuum. There are tons of youtube videos out there on both. If you tried to do a lift or exercise with an abdominal vacuum when you should be bracing you could really hurt yourself.

Planks are great for working on the abdominal brace and learning to breathe while doing it. When lifting very heavy there is something called the Valsalva maneuver where you would brace and create additional pressure by holding your breath and pushing against the resistance of your flexed core.

ellaloveslove · April 2013

Pretend someone is about to punch you in the stomach. brace for it. there ya go.

That is a really good way to put it...Thank you because I was confused too :flowerforyou:

darrensurrey · April 2013

Another way is to push your abdominal area in and to resist it with your abdominal muscles.

Pretend someone is about to punch you in the stomach. brace for it. there ya go.

I'm curled up in the foetal position crying for mummy. Am I doing it right? :frown:

gmallan · April 2013

Pilates taught me how to properly engage my core (the deep transverse abdominis muscles not just the six pack that sits on top of these). In order to do it properly you also need to engage your pelvic floor muscles (my pilates teacher often uses the cue of trying to suck a pea up a straw). Once you engage these it's a lot easier to then tighten your TA muscles (pull in your abs like you're wearing tight pants). You also need to make sure your spine is in a neutral position (if you're lying down on your back your spine should not be arched or pressed into the floor). Takes a lot of practice to get used to maintaining it while breathing and doing something else. You can practice during the day just sitting around to get used to it.

YoungDoc2B · April 2013

Pretend someone is about to punch you in the stomach. brace for it. there ya go.

This exactly

IzzyBooNZ1 · April 2013

One way I also heard was to laugh.... and apparently the part where you laugh and exhale & feel your core tighten is the engaging your core, so try and hold it there.

I also saw on a bloglates video that for the breathing, breath out through your nose while at the same time sucking tummy in

Is this correct or have I been told wrong?

it is really hard to do this while doing an exercise ! so am also interested in answers.

nofunforangie · July 2013

Hi folks!

Ok, this issue really makes me feel like an idiot because one of my workout videos (Walk at Home 5 Really Big Miles) says to just suck your stomach in but that seemed wrong because I never felt anything in my abs. Today I finally Googled and found out I've been doing it wrong for the past 3+ months.

Question: Should I feel like I've done an ab workout after properly engaging my abs during stretches/cardio/squats?

Are you all saying that the trick is to clench/tighten my abs but not necessarily suck my stomach in? When I do the clench thing my stomach doesn't suck in but it does lift a good 2 inches higher than it usually droops.

Sorry to beat a dead horse.

problems with "engaging your core"

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