Functional Fitness: Hard Core, 6-Pack Abs, Core Strength, Power ...

When your dog is walking you, while tossing out the garbage, hoisting luggage into the trunk, carrying groceries in from the car, mowing the lawn,or opening a jar of your favorite pickles, do you consider the fundamental forces of your core?

Have you ever felt shoulder soreness after doing an activity you don't usually engage in? Sprained an ankle or twisted a knee? This could be from weak core muscles, even if you do crunches every day.

What is the "Core"?

A little bit of everything.? Specifically:? Core muscles include the pelvic floor, external obliques, internal obliques, rectus abdominis, multifidus, quadratus luborum, erector spinae, and traverse abdominus but also the lower back, gluteals and diaphragm.

How do you strengthen the core to make that jar of pickles easier to open??

You can focus on traditional "ab" exercises, but don't stop there.? A good, heavy bench press or squat will rip your 6 pack.? Yoga and pilates help with flexibility and rotation.? Proper development of the core muscles includes spinal flexion (flexibility), extension and rotation.? Make your ab routine well rounded and you can get a whole body benefit.

Want to show off at the gym with heavy weight training?? Increasing the power of your core will increase the power of each appendage, because a strong and dynamic connection exists between the legs, chest, back and arms. (Power Training for the Core, Tom Seabourne IDEA Health & Fitness, 2001 http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/power-training-core)

Back Pain
Maybe you don't care about showing off with your workouts or having sexy abs? What about walking through the mall, getting a good nights rest and alleviating back pain?? Improving Core strength also prevents injury, improves posture and balance, and ensures more efficient functional movement patterns. (http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/focus-on-core-conditioning)

Here are some basic exercises to strengthen your core muscles and?supprt movement?to help stabilize the spine.? (Activate and Initiate, Leigh Crews, IDEA Health & Fitness, 2005.? http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/activate-and-initiate)

Reverse Crunch- http://www.ehow.com/video_16237_reverse-crunch.html

Side Plank

Crunch

Back Extensions

For more exercises check out The New Rules of Lifting for Abs.

Source: http://www.fxlfitness.com/2011/09/hard-core-6-pack-abs-core-strength.html

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