Core strength/stability work

What do you do?

I've factored in some planks at the end of my lower body workouts for a while now to help with some lower back issues, but found they're becoming a little too easy in being able to add ~15kg of weight on my back and holding them for about 15 seconds.

Any recommendations for other exercises or progression?

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200kg DL

140kg Squat

to help with my lower back i love pull throughs

tyre flipping http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO-Oo5y_aZY[/link

some new PB's 17 August 2008

For anterior core I do Medicine Ball Rollouts.
Same as ab wheel rollouts, but you roll a medium size med ball out without your back sagging. Its the same style movement as a plank, its an anti-extension exercise.
I wouldnt jump into it though, start off with a big stability ball and steadily go down in size. Make sure form is 110% and your extending a decent distance. Do for reps till you work down to a med ball, holding for time is harder.

You can also do single leg / arm planks as a progression before rollouts.

You can eventually progress to bar rollouts with weigth, but I personally dont like them. Glute work and external / internal obliques are important too. Single leg bridges and suitcase deadlifts are great.

If you are mainly doing your upper and lower body workouts on machines then you will have core strength issues and the possibility of injuries.

Instead bring in squats and deadlifts, standing shoulders presses and bent over rows and you shouldn't need to do specific core strength exercises.

stuart hamilton
Hamiltons Fitness
Colchester, UK
www.HamiltonsFitness.co.uk
www.HamiltonsHealth.com

depending on your weight try and balance whilst stood on a swiss ball. when you can stand ok on it try squats on it. no bar obviously. your core gets a monster work out doing that. 

possibility of injury falling off is there but its possible at the rugby club we used to stand on the swiss ball and do the passing the ball around the circle type drills.

(almost essential to have a spotter!)

cleans, deadlifts, front squats, jerks....

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Although all these suggestions of compound movements and not needing to do anything specific have a place. They dont train your body in different functions, e.g. resisting extension, resisting rotation and lateral flexion. All they do is train anti flexion of the core.

Not saying anyones wrong, but most people dont consider other movements.

Chubbytackle


depending on your weight try and balance whilst stood on a swiss ball. when you can stand ok on it try squats on it. no bar obviously. your core gets a monster work out doing that. 

possibility of injury falling off is there but its possible at the rugby club we used to stand on the swiss ball and do the passing the ball around the circle type drills.

(almost essential to have a spotter!)

imo unless you're training for the circus, I wouldn't bother with this kind of thing.
 
 
Also agree with FM; direct core work isn't needed for a bodybuilder but a bit of extra stuff can deff help with stuff like injury prevenetion/strength

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Thats the main reason i've been incorporating extra stuff CF - i seem to be over the worst of my back problems (touchwood) and i'm making damn sure i don't suffer a relapse.

Prevention is better than cure, especially when it's 5 minutes on the end of a workout!

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200kg DL

140kg Squat

My current favourite is pallof press; cable or band (I much prefer band) at shoulder height to my side. Starting at chest, slowly push away from chest, hold, then back in. This'll be a good one since you've got back problems; there isn't any real movement in the spine, so it'll be minimal stress

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Nothing dramatic as I feel I get well covered in my day to day training TBH. However, I do bent knee fall outs as a preventative measure for my back probs, lots of stretching and do a little plank work on a swiss ball.

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
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cricket_fire


My current favourite is pallof press; cable or band (I much prefer band) at shoulder height to my side. Starting at chest, slowly push away from chest, hold, then back in. This'll be a good one since you've got back problems; there isn't any real movement in the spine, so it'll be minimal stress

I was looking at that the other day actually, looked quite good.

Odd question but is it particularly hard on the delts being a pressing movement?

Journal

200kg DL

140kg Squat

Depends on relative strengths I suppose, but my shoulders and really weak and they don't feel it at all

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Although all these suggestions of compound movements and not needing to do anything specific have a place. They dont train your body in different functions, e.g. resisting extension, resisting rotation and lateral flexion. All they do is train anti flexion of the core.

People read this again and again, the core works in a lot of ways, train it as such.

hamiltonsfitness

Instead bring in squats and deadlifts, standing shoulders presses and bent over rows and you shouldn't need to do specific core strength exercises.

As someone who trains people for both function and injury prevention I couldn't agree LESS.

Drew Price BSc MAppSc R.Nutr. CSCS
Sports Nutritionist and S&C coach
My BLOG

Odd question but is it particularly hard on the delts being a pressing movement?

 
Pallof Presses shouldnt be a problem on shoulders. I've done iso holds with 20kg, which takes some doing, and i barely press anything (volume or weight).
Just focus on bracing the core. Should even feel it working one side of your rec. abs. more.

Leave the swiss balls at home!
load a squat bar with as much weight as you can handle, something HEAVY (300-400kg for example) and walk it out the racks, hold it for a few seconds and then back in again!!

That will get your core shaking!

Make sure you dont go stupid and hurt your self!!

english.bred.muscle@googlemail.com

INVEST IN A SWISS BALL, PLENTY OF THINGS YOU CAN DO ON IT TO CHALLENGE YOUR CORE. DONT LISTEN TO THE GUY ABOVE!

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adam_5kids


INVEST IN A SWISS BALL, PLENTY OF THINGS YOU CAN DO ON IT TO CHALLENGE YOUR CORE. DONT LISTEN TO THE GUY ABOVE!

yer there is and its good for stability stuff but it wont strengthen your core to the degree heavey squatting and walk outs will achieve! I bet any decent heavy squatter can do all the exercises you can on your ball, but you cant hold half as much weight on your back as he can!
 
you wont the body of a ballerina then buy one!

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English.muscle

adam_5kids


INVEST IN A SWISS BALL, PLENTY OF THINGS YOU CAN DO ON IT TO CHALLENGE YOUR CORE. DONT LISTEN TO THE GUY ABOVE!

yer there is and its good for stability stuff but it wont strengthen your core to the degree heavey squatting and walk outs will achieve! I bet any decent heavy squatter can do all the exercises you can on your ball, but you cant hold half as much weight on your back as he can!
 
you wont the body of a ballerina then buy one!

I bet you they cant! just because your your a heavy squatter doesnt mean you have an strong core. myself i can squat a pretty decent amount but working my core on a swiss ball kills me a lot more!

my shape up!
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I'm not sure I agree with heavy walkouts being the best for core; they're good as a very specific exercise (for people who suck at walking weights out and/or need to get a feel for heavier weights), but in terms of strengthening the core muscles I'm not sure the risk/reward is in a good ratio.

I'm also not a massive fan of swiss balls; they're useful but way over-hyped.

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