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Examiner article
While at the gym and after ½ hour of
cardio on the elliptical machine, I was on a weight machine lifting. My shaky
arms were looking pretty rough as I pushed 50 pounds over my head. Normally,
this isn’t too difficult but this day I wasn’t really on my game; it was impacting
me more than usual.
As a response to push through the reps, I
tightened my stomach and when I did this I noticed the shake in my arms
disappeared.
I know you’re supposed to do this anyway
but I hadn’t done it often (only last year when my personal trainer was yelling
at me to do it).
What I’ve noticed after more than a month
of a daily gym workout is that my stomach is feeling toner (inside). Yes, the
outside is starting to take shape (the top has two abs defined) but there is
still flab through the mid-section. I’m sure with a diet in place I’ll
eventually tone everything but inside it is starting to feel tighter like the
under muscles are taking shape. It is difficult to explain but the feeling is
inspiring me to continue.
Since tightening my stomach made such a
difference to my strength lifting, I’m engaging these muscles more during my
workout now and I know it is helping me.
Are you working out? What seems to help
you? Leave me a note.
“Prone Bridge
In
a face down position, balance on the tips of your toes and elbows while
attempting to maintain a straight line from heels to head. This exercise
focuses on both the anterior and posterior muscle groups of the trunk and
pelvis.
Lateral Bridge
Start
on your side and press up with your right arm. Form a bridge maintaining a
straight line from your hand to your foot. Rest on your elbow to increase the
difficulty. This exercise focuses on the abdominal obliques and transversus
abdominus.
Supine Bridge
Lying
on your back, raise your hips so that only your head, shoulders, and feet are
touching the floor. The supine bridge focuses on the gluteal muscles. Stronger
gluteals help maintain pelvic control.
Pelvic Thrusts
Lie
on your back with your legs bent 90 degrees at the hip. Slowly lift your hips
off the floor and towards the ceiling. Lower your hips to the floor and repeat
for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Russian Twists
1.
Start by sitting on the floor with hips and knees flexed to approximately 90
degree angles.
2. Grasp a medicine ball or small dumbbell and swing it to the
right and left as you keep the hips from rotating with the shoulders.
3. The
arms are not perpendicular to the torso, but instead, kept low, near the
thighs, as the medicine ball is swung to each side.
Good Mornings
1)
Stand with feet shoulder width apart with knees slightly bent (at 20).
2) Start
position: Grasp bar with overhand grip shoulder width apart. Back should be
straight in a neutral position.
3) Bending at the hips, lower bar to
approximately knee height. Keep knees bent at 20 throughout movement.
4) Return
to start position.
5) Remember to keep back straight - movement should occur at
the hip. To facilitate this, shift glutes back as if ready to sit down. Knees
should not move forward beyond the toes.
Dumbell Lunges with Crossover
1)
Start position: Stand with feet hip width apart. Grasp DB's and hold out in
front of body.
2) Step forward 2-3 feet forming a 90 bend at the front hip and
knee. DO NOT allow front knee to extend past the big toe - may cause injury. As
you are lunging swing dumbbells across body towards the hip.
3) Pushing off
front foot, return to start position with legs and dumbbells.
4) Remember to
keep head and back upright in a neutral position. Shoulders and hips should
remain squared at all times.
5) Watch for proper knee alignment - do not let
front knee extend past big toe or deviate laterally or medially. Back knee
should not come in contact with floor.
Other excellent core stability exercises
include:
Lat
Pull Downs
Leg
Presses/Squats
Crunches
and crunch variations
Regular
lunges
Back
extensions
Deadlifts
Chin-ups.”
