7 Workouts to Strengthen the Core

The Core                                                                                                         

The core consists of your hips, back, and abdominal Muscles.  It is important to workout these muscles in order to keep them strong.  These muscles help with posture, balance, and stability of your body.   You don’t need special equipment to focus on these muscles. Body weight exercises are great and can be used everywhere. Take time out of the day and strengthen your core. 

Exercises

1. Burpees
2. Squat and Leg Abduction
3. Plank Walks
4. Low Plank Arm Lifts
5. Low Plank Leg Lifts
6. Plank Jacks
7. Rowers

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Exercise

Burpees
Squat and Leg Abduction
Plank Walks
Low Plank Arm Lifts
Low Plank Leg Lifts
Plank Jacks
Rowers

Weight

Body Weight
Body Weight
Body Weight
Body Weight
Body Weight
Body Weight
Body Weight

Reps

10-12
15-20
15-20 each
10-12
10-12
15-20
15-20

Sets

2-3
2-3
2-3
2-3
2-3
2-3
2-3

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Burpee: 
This exercise involves your core yes, but your entire body is involved. It is a great total body exercise that will get your heart rate up, and make you strong in the legs, arms, and core muscles.  This is a basic burpee, but you can make it challenging by adding a push-up or jumping jack.

Burpees (Squat down - jump your feet back into a plank - jump your feet back into a squat - and jump up to reach the sky)

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Squat and Abduction:  
This is a great exercise that involves your leg muscles (specifically the glutes (Maximus, minims, and medius) , hamstrings, and quads.)  Your oblique muscles are involved with the side leg lift. Erector Spinae and Recus Abdominus are involved in the downward and upward phase of the squat.  Also, because one leg needs to balance the body - the core is forced to help with your stability. 

Squat and Abduction. (Squat down - During the upward phase of the squat, lift your leg to the side.)

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Plank Walks:  
This exercise is great because it also strengthens your arms, while the core is fully engaged in the plank.  You need to focus on keep your abs tight, body aligned and parallel to the ground. 

Plank Walks. (In a plank position, walk your left arm and left leg to the side, and bring the right arm and leg to the side to follow them.) - Make sure you change directions after a set.

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Plank Arm Lifts:  
Planks are always a great way to strengthen your core.  Try spicing it up with some arm lifts.  This will force you to have to balance on three limbs while keeping your body aligned and parallel to the ground. You also strengthen the muscles in your shoulder and arms as you lift your limb up off the ground.
Plank Leg Lifts:  
Another great way to challenge yourself in a plank.  While balancing on three limbs in this as well, you work your glutes more by lifting the legs up and down.

1. Plank Arm Lifts. (In a plank position alternate lifting your arms in front of your body. Try to keep from rocking your body from side to side. Use your abdominal and back muscles to keep you stable.) 2. Plank Leg Lifts. (In a plank position, alternate lifting up your legs.)

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Plank Jacks:
Another great way to spice up your planks.  You can either do them in a high plank or a low plank.  When moving your legs in and out like a jumping jack, you are working those oblique muscles as well as your leg abductor and adductor muscles.

Plank Jacks. (In a plank Position, jump your legs out to the opposite side of your body simultaneously. - Like a jumping jack.)

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Rowers:
This is a great crunch exercise.  Rowers focus on strengthening your abdominal muscles.  The rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdomens muscles are all being worked.  You can have your hands behind you on the ground, like in the picture, or, for more of a challenge, you can have them in the are by your side, focusing on balancing.

Rowers. (While balancing on your butt, simultaneously bring your upper body and lower body down to the ground, and meet back in the middle. Arms can either be on the ground or in the air along the side of the body.)

Enjoy the Exercises!

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Questions?

If you have any questions or comments about these exercises, feel free to contact me! here.