Archive for June, 2009
Copyright (c) 2008 Nancy Rishworth
Are you suffering from a recent muscle injury? Whether you tore or strained a muscle exercising or are recovering from an injury, you know the pain and frustration of a slow recovery. Fortunately, our bodies have amazing recuperative abilities. We can help that recuperation along by working with some therapeutic exercises.
Therapeutic exercises are a series of exercises that are prescribed with the intention of correcting muscle impairment, improving your musculoskeletal function or your overall health. These exercises are often highly focused on a specific muscle group, but provide the benefit of overall muscle relaxation and increase flexibility.
They may consist of several procedures. As part of the exercise regimen, you may receive instruction on strengthening muscles, stretching muscles, deep breathing, massage and relaxation or meditation techniques. The aim of these exercises is to achieve the following benefits:
- Increase flexibility
- Strengthen muscles
- Improve or reduce joint and muscle pain
- Deepen and regulate breathing
- Increase cardiovascular fitness
- Improve posture
These therapeutic exercises are especially beneficial for people that are suffering from lower back pain. With persistence and repetition, therapeutic exercises aimed at strengthening your core muscles can help you overcome your persistent lower back pain. Whether you’ve suffered an injury or merely carrying some extra weight, strengthening this muscle group can add to your quality of life. Not only will you increase flexibility, but you’ll find you have greater energy and stamina as a result.
Putting together a therapeutic exercise routine is not as complicated as it sounds. Often, a physical therapist or personal trainer will prescribe a set of exercises to help strengthen your muscles and increase flexibility, or you could find an exercise regime that focuses on helping people achieve strength and get back into shape.
What is important is consistency. Whether you are working with a prescribed exercise regime or you are performing exercises with the goal of increased flexibility, it’s essential to perform these exercises on a regular basis. Some of the simple core exercises can be performed each day in a matter of minutes, others can easily be incorporated into a warm-up or simple exercise routine.
There’s nothing more frustrating than being slowed down by muscle pains or injury. Fortunately, if you take a proactive approach, you can quickly change this pain into gain. All you need are a few therapeutic exercises, a little bit of practice, and you’ll soon have a new lease on life.
By: Nancy Rishworth
About the Author:
Are you suffering from a recent muscle injury? Whether you tore or strained a muscle exercising or are recovering from an injury, you know the pain and frustration of a slow recovery. Fortunately, our bodies have amazing recuperative abilities. We can help that recuperation along by working with some therapeutic exercises.
Therapeutic exercises are a series of exercises that are prescribed with the intention of correcting muscle impairment, improving your musculoskeletal function or your overall health. These exercises are often highly focused on a specific muscle group, but provide the benefit of overall muscle relaxation and increase flexibility.
They may consist of several procedures. As part of the exercise regimen, you may receive instruction on strengthening muscles, stretching muscles, deep breathing, massage and relaxation or meditation techniques. The aim of these exercises is to achieve the following benefits:
- Increase flexibility
- Strengthen muscles
- Improve or reduce joint and muscle pain
- Deepen and regulate breathing
- Increase cardiovascular fitness
- Improve posture
These therapeutic exercises are especially beneficial for people that are suffering from lower back pain. With persistence and repetition, therapeutic exercises aimed at strengthening your core muscles can help you overcome your persistent lower back pain. Whether you’ve suffered an injury or merely carrying some extra weight, strengthening this muscle group can add to your quality of life. Not only will you increase flexibility, but you’ll find you have greater energy and stamina as a result.
Putting together a therapeutic exercise routine is not as complicated as it sounds. Often, a physical therapist or personal trainer will prescribe a set of exercises to help strengthen your muscles and increase flexibility, or you could find an exercise regime that focuses on helping people achieve strength and get back into shape.
What is important is consistency. Whether you are working with a prescribed exercise regime or you are performing exercises with the goal of increased flexibility, it’s essential to perform these exercises on a regular basis. Some of the simple core exercises can be performed each day in a matter of minutes, others can easily be incorporated into a warm-up or simple exercise routine.
There’s nothing more frustrating than being slowed down by muscle pains or injury. Fortunately, if you take a proactive approach, you can quickly change this pain into gain. All you need are a few therapeutic exercises, a little bit of practice, and you’ll soon have a new lease on life.
By: Nancy Rishworth
About the Author:
Nancy Rishworth, grew up dancing and became a qualified Aerobics and Fitness & Personal Trainer. She is also a qualified Naturopath having studied various healing modalities through healthy eating, herbal remedies, vitamins, massage & exercise. Her Flexibilty Plus Workout Program improves flexibility, strength and overall health. For nutritional info and other core strength and cardio exercise tips and guidelines go to http://www.flexibilityplus.com/” href=”http://www.flexibilityplus.com/”>www.FlexibilityPlus.com
You have set your goals, you have an idea of the results you are trying to achieve, and now you want to implement a successful training regime to get the physique of a proper bodybuilder. Exercises are divided up into core exercises, which will always be included in your training plan, and various other optional exercises which you can pepper your routine with.
Altering the exercises you do will help shock the body, and increase muscle mass in your different muscle groups. There is a distinct difference between working towards mass, and generally exercising your body. To increase your mass, you need to use heavy weights, and only do three sets containing eight repetitions each. If your aim is to lose body fat, you will use lighter weights, and do more sets and repetitions. One of the fallacies amongst new gym users aiming to gain mass is that more is better. Well, they are half right! More weight is better, but more sets and reps will actually be detrimental to your efforts.
Bench presses, squats, and deadlifts will be a core part of your workout. The other exercises mentioned can be used to add variability to your plan.
Bench Press
Though this is going to be a fundamental part of your plan, do not devote so much time this exercise that you wind up with a disproportionately large chest and skinny legs!
Body Position – Lie in a firm, balanced way on the bench with the bar directly resting above your nose. Place your feet on the ground comfortably, and ensure your back is in contact with the bench all the way to your buttocks.
Movement – Take hold of the bar, and in a controlled way, bring it down to your mid-chest. Be very sure not to drop the weight on yourself, as this could cause a painful injury. Inhale deeply throughout.
Completion – Using fully extended arms, lock your elbows, and press the bar upwards towards the starting position. The whole exercise should be done at a constant speed to keep your muscles under continuous strain.
Squats
This is an effective way to exercise several muscles at one time. It will build your lower body, and eliminate the possibility of chicken legs!
Body Position – Stand with your back to the bar. Try to position your feet a little wider apart than your shoulders. Place your hands comfortably on the bar. Your bar should be located around mid-trapezius height.
Movement – Hold the bar steady, and squat using your hips and the bend of your knees to help you. Your focus should be forward at all times to prevent you falling.
Remember to keep your torso straight to avoid putting strain on your back.
Completion – Rise back up to your starting position using your knees and hips.
Keep exhaling to increase the oxygen levels in your blood. Control your movement carefully throughout.
Deadlift
This will combine your upper and lower body in one solid exercise.
Body Position – Your feet should be slightly wider apart than your shoulders. The bar should rest across the top of your feet. Keep your focus forward, bend your knees, and grab the bar. Your back should be perfectly rigid.
Movement – Maintaining the rigidity of your back, raise the bar. Your arms should be fully extended. If you are tempted to bend your back, you are faced with the strong possibility that you will damage your disks. Power should be coming from the lower body.
Completion – Carefully move the bar through the same motion back to the starting position.
CHEST EXERCISES
Incline Press
Body Position – Sit in a reclined seat. Whether the seat is adjustable or fixed, your back should be firmly pressed against it. Your feet need to be in full contact with the ground.
Movement – Lower the bar towards the top of your chest at a controlled rate. Be very sure not to drop the weight on yourself, as this could cause a painful injury.
Completion – Lock your elbows, extend your arms, and move the weight back to its starting position. You should feel the muscles in your upper chest working hard.
Decline Press
Body Position – Lie on the bench and secure your feet on the pads provided. Your head will be at a lower angle than your body. Whether you are using a fixed bench or an adjustable one, your back should be making contact with it at all points.
Movement – Lower the bar towards the top of your chest at a controlled rate. You should feel your lower chest muscles straining.
Completion – Move the bar back to the starting position by extending your arms and locking your elbows. The bar should always be perpendicular to the floor. A good spotter will help you perfect this technique.
ARM EXERCISES
Bicep Curls
Body position – There are many variations of this exercise you can use, but a curl bar comes highly recommended. Using the grips, clutch the bar in an underhanded manner. Your arms will naturally find the right position this way. Your arms need to be near to full extension with the bar on its rest around thigh height.
Movement – Keeping your elbows in a constant position, raise the bar toward your chest. Your muscles should be squeezed tightly. If your elbows move, this will hinder the impact of the exercise.
Completion – Without letting the bar drop vertically, return the bar to the starting position. It should travel exactly the same path as when you lifted it.
Rope Pulldown
Body Position – Your feet need to be the same distance apart as your shoulders as you face the cable machine. The rope handle should be at a height where when you hold it your arms are still pressed tightly to your sides.
Movement – With your arms tight to your sides, hold the rope handle and pull it directly downwards. Your hands will separate slightly as you complete your movement.
Keep your back and torso rigid, and do not bend over your hands. If you use your body weight to push the weight down, you arms will not get a thorough workout.
Completion – Resist and control the return of the weight to the starting position.
This control is what will increase your muscle mass.
BACK EXERCISES
Lateral Pull Down
Body Position – Sit firmly on the chair attached to the overhead cable machine.
Your knees should be comfortably sitting beneath the restraining pad. Grip the handles attached to the lateral bar.
Movement – You can either pull the bar behind or in front of the head. Behind the head is more beneficial as far as the muscles are concerned, but it also increases the likelihood of pulling your shoulder socket.
Completion – In a careful, controlled, steady way, return the bar to the starting position.
Bent over Row
Body Position – Stand sideways on to the bench. Leaving the outer leg on the floor, bend your inner leg and place the knee on the bench. Put your outer hand on the bench, so your body is situated directly over the bench. Use your free hand to pick up the dumbbell which should be on the free side of the bench.
Movement – Pick the weight up from the floor and pull it straight up. This movement should leave it around hip height and slightly in front of your body.
Completion – Control the descent of the weight until it is a few inches from floor level. Do not allow it to bang on the ground.
LEG EXERCISES
Lunges
Body Position – Take a normal stride, freeze, and then extend the stride a little more. One foot should be in front of the other. The knee of the leading foot should rest directly above its accompanying foot. Depending on your level, you can also do this exercise holding a free weight in each palm.
Movement – Keep your focus forward, and use your front knee to lower the trailing knee towards the ground. Do not lean and cause a deficiency in the exercise.
Completion – Straighten both legs to raise your body. Your abdominal muscles and lower back muscles should be utilized to maintain the rigidity of your upper body.
Leg Press
Body Position – Seat your self comfortably on the leg press machine. Your feet should be evenly spaced in the middle of the footpad, and the angle of your knees should slightly exceed 95 degrees.
Movement – Extend your legs slowly, to the point where they almost lock (but don’t!) using pressure from your heels. If you use your toes to push, the exercise will not work as you intend it to.
Completion – Carefully, and at a slow pace, return the weight to the starting point.
It should not slam back; you should be resisting it all the way.
This list of different exercises is certainly not exhaustive. However, these are some of the simplest and most effective exercises you can include in your routine. It will be useful to have a variety of options when you become more advanced in your planning, and want to target specific areas to work on.
By: Thomas Calkins
About the Author:
Altering the exercises you do will help shock the body, and increase muscle mass in your different muscle groups. There is a distinct difference between working towards mass, and generally exercising your body. To increase your mass, you need to use heavy weights, and only do three sets containing eight repetitions each. If your aim is to lose body fat, you will use lighter weights, and do more sets and repetitions. One of the fallacies amongst new gym users aiming to gain mass is that more is better. Well, they are half right! More weight is better, but more sets and reps will actually be detrimental to your efforts.
Bench presses, squats, and deadlifts will be a core part of your workout. The other exercises mentioned can be used to add variability to your plan.
Bench Press
Though this is going to be a fundamental part of your plan, do not devote so much time this exercise that you wind up with a disproportionately large chest and skinny legs!
Body Position – Lie in a firm, balanced way on the bench with the bar directly resting above your nose. Place your feet on the ground comfortably, and ensure your back is in contact with the bench all the way to your buttocks.
Movement – Take hold of the bar, and in a controlled way, bring it down to your mid-chest. Be very sure not to drop the weight on yourself, as this could cause a painful injury. Inhale deeply throughout.
Completion – Using fully extended arms, lock your elbows, and press the bar upwards towards the starting position. The whole exercise should be done at a constant speed to keep your muscles under continuous strain.
Squats
This is an effective way to exercise several muscles at one time. It will build your lower body, and eliminate the possibility of chicken legs!
Body Position – Stand with your back to the bar. Try to position your feet a little wider apart than your shoulders. Place your hands comfortably on the bar. Your bar should be located around mid-trapezius height.
Movement – Hold the bar steady, and squat using your hips and the bend of your knees to help you. Your focus should be forward at all times to prevent you falling.
Remember to keep your torso straight to avoid putting strain on your back.
Completion – Rise back up to your starting position using your knees and hips.
Keep exhaling to increase the oxygen levels in your blood. Control your movement carefully throughout.
Deadlift
This will combine your upper and lower body in one solid exercise.
Body Position – Your feet should be slightly wider apart than your shoulders. The bar should rest across the top of your feet. Keep your focus forward, bend your knees, and grab the bar. Your back should be perfectly rigid.
Movement – Maintaining the rigidity of your back, raise the bar. Your arms should be fully extended. If you are tempted to bend your back, you are faced with the strong possibility that you will damage your disks. Power should be coming from the lower body.
Completion – Carefully move the bar through the same motion back to the starting position.
CHEST EXERCISES
Incline Press
Body Position – Sit in a reclined seat. Whether the seat is adjustable or fixed, your back should be firmly pressed against it. Your feet need to be in full contact with the ground.
Movement – Lower the bar towards the top of your chest at a controlled rate. Be very sure not to drop the weight on yourself, as this could cause a painful injury.
Completion – Lock your elbows, extend your arms, and move the weight back to its starting position. You should feel the muscles in your upper chest working hard.
Decline Press
Body Position – Lie on the bench and secure your feet on the pads provided. Your head will be at a lower angle than your body. Whether you are using a fixed bench or an adjustable one, your back should be making contact with it at all points.
Movement – Lower the bar towards the top of your chest at a controlled rate. You should feel your lower chest muscles straining.
Completion – Move the bar back to the starting position by extending your arms and locking your elbows. The bar should always be perpendicular to the floor. A good spotter will help you perfect this technique.
ARM EXERCISES
Bicep Curls
Body position – There are many variations of this exercise you can use, but a curl bar comes highly recommended. Using the grips, clutch the bar in an underhanded manner. Your arms will naturally find the right position this way. Your arms need to be near to full extension with the bar on its rest around thigh height.
Movement – Keeping your elbows in a constant position, raise the bar toward your chest. Your muscles should be squeezed tightly. If your elbows move, this will hinder the impact of the exercise.
Completion – Without letting the bar drop vertically, return the bar to the starting position. It should travel exactly the same path as when you lifted it.
Rope Pulldown
Body Position – Your feet need to be the same distance apart as your shoulders as you face the cable machine. The rope handle should be at a height where when you hold it your arms are still pressed tightly to your sides.
Movement – With your arms tight to your sides, hold the rope handle and pull it directly downwards. Your hands will separate slightly as you complete your movement.
Keep your back and torso rigid, and do not bend over your hands. If you use your body weight to push the weight down, you arms will not get a thorough workout.
Completion – Resist and control the return of the weight to the starting position.
This control is what will increase your muscle mass.
BACK EXERCISES
Lateral Pull Down
Body Position – Sit firmly on the chair attached to the overhead cable machine.
Your knees should be comfortably sitting beneath the restraining pad. Grip the handles attached to the lateral bar.
Movement – You can either pull the bar behind or in front of the head. Behind the head is more beneficial as far as the muscles are concerned, but it also increases the likelihood of pulling your shoulder socket.
Completion – In a careful, controlled, steady way, return the bar to the starting position.
Bent over Row
Body Position – Stand sideways on to the bench. Leaving the outer leg on the floor, bend your inner leg and place the knee on the bench. Put your outer hand on the bench, so your body is situated directly over the bench. Use your free hand to pick up the dumbbell which should be on the free side of the bench.
Movement – Pick the weight up from the floor and pull it straight up. This movement should leave it around hip height and slightly in front of your body.
Completion – Control the descent of the weight until it is a few inches from floor level. Do not allow it to bang on the ground.
LEG EXERCISES
Lunges
Body Position – Take a normal stride, freeze, and then extend the stride a little more. One foot should be in front of the other. The knee of the leading foot should rest directly above its accompanying foot. Depending on your level, you can also do this exercise holding a free weight in each palm.
Movement – Keep your focus forward, and use your front knee to lower the trailing knee towards the ground. Do not lean and cause a deficiency in the exercise.
Completion – Straighten both legs to raise your body. Your abdominal muscles and lower back muscles should be utilized to maintain the rigidity of your upper body.
Leg Press
Body Position – Seat your self comfortably on the leg press machine. Your feet should be evenly spaced in the middle of the footpad, and the angle of your knees should slightly exceed 95 degrees.
Movement – Extend your legs slowly, to the point where they almost lock (but don’t!) using pressure from your heels. If you use your toes to push, the exercise will not work as you intend it to.
Completion – Carefully, and at a slow pace, return the weight to the starting point.
It should not slam back; you should be resisting it all the way.
This list of different exercises is certainly not exhaustive. However, these are some of the simplest and most effective exercises you can include in your routine. It will be useful to have a variety of options when you become more advanced in your planning, and want to target specific areas to work on.
By: Thomas Calkins
About the Author:
Get FREE tips on Build Muscle Naturally and Tips on How to Gain Weight, and top exercises for build muscles at MuscleBuildingEdge.com
tely, many people interested in getting into shape and doing something for their body fail to focus on the importance of core exercises. Simply put, core exercises focus primarily on muscle groups around the body’s pelvis and torso, the core. By using core exercises, you can build a stronger, healthier body, particularly around the abdomen, lower back, pelvis, and hips. These are the very parts of the body that carry the weight and do a lot of work. Therefore, it is important that they be maintained.
What you will quickly discover is that once you incorporate core exercises into your daily regimen, doing everyday things will become so much easier. Everyday movements that require some body strength, such as lifting up kids, pushing the lawnmower, using a vacuum cleaner and bending down and back up, become less stressful. Another benefit of doing core exercises is that you find you can now do even more things to include playing tennis, softball, golf, and other fun sports.
Another huge benefit associated with doing core exercises is that you will notice a much better posture. As a result, experiencing muscle strain, injury, and pain subsides. It is a common misperception that pushups and crunches are the only exercises needed to have a strong core. In truth, there are distinct core exercises that do much more. The key is to add core exercises to your normal workout so these muscle groups are no longer neglected.
Now, some core exercises do include doing pushups, crunches, sit ups, and squats. However, there are additional exercises that should be added. For instance, the following are some options that you might consider.
- Bridge – With the bridge, you would begin by lying on your back, keeping your knees bent and your back completely relaxed without any kind of arching or pressing the back to the floor. Tightening the abs, slowly lift your hips off the floor, aligning them with the shoulders and knees. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then slowly move back to the starting position.
- Segmental Rotations – Another of the core exercises that is highly effective is this. This begins with you lying on the floor on your back, bending the knees and relaxing the back. Again, tighten the abs while slowly allowing your knees to move to the left of the body. Just make sure your shoulders do not come up off the floor in the process. At first, you will only be able to lower the knees so far but in time, you will find your flexibility and strength improving. Once your knees have been moved to the left, hold them for five seconds. Return the knees to the center position, slowly moving them to the right, again holding for five seconds before returning to the center. You should do three sets at first, slowly increasing.
- Quadrupeds – Start on your hands and knees, keeping your hands shoulder’s width apart. Then, make sure the neck and head is perfectly aligned with the shoulders. Tighten the abs, lift the right arm off the floor, and reach forward. Hold this position for 3 seconds. Lower the arm and do the same for the left arm.
By: Brooks Donner
About the Author:
What you will quickly discover is that once you incorporate core exercises into your daily regimen, doing everyday things will become so much easier. Everyday movements that require some body strength, such as lifting up kids, pushing the lawnmower, using a vacuum cleaner and bending down and back up, become less stressful. Another benefit of doing core exercises is that you find you can now do even more things to include playing tennis, softball, golf, and other fun sports.
Another huge benefit associated with doing core exercises is that you will notice a much better posture. As a result, experiencing muscle strain, injury, and pain subsides. It is a common misperception that pushups and crunches are the only exercises needed to have a strong core. In truth, there are distinct core exercises that do much more. The key is to add core exercises to your normal workout so these muscle groups are no longer neglected.
Now, some core exercises do include doing pushups, crunches, sit ups, and squats. However, there are additional exercises that should be added. For instance, the following are some options that you might consider.
- Bridge – With the bridge, you would begin by lying on your back, keeping your knees bent and your back completely relaxed without any kind of arching or pressing the back to the floor. Tightening the abs, slowly lift your hips off the floor, aligning them with the shoulders and knees. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then slowly move back to the starting position.
- Segmental Rotations – Another of the core exercises that is highly effective is this. This begins with you lying on the floor on your back, bending the knees and relaxing the back. Again, tighten the abs while slowly allowing your knees to move to the left of the body. Just make sure your shoulders do not come up off the floor in the process. At first, you will only be able to lower the knees so far but in time, you will find your flexibility and strength improving. Once your knees have been moved to the left, hold them for five seconds. Return the knees to the center position, slowly moving them to the right, again holding for five seconds before returning to the center. You should do three sets at first, slowly increasing.
- Quadrupeds – Start on your hands and knees, keeping your hands shoulder’s width apart. Then, make sure the neck and head is perfectly aligned with the shoulders. Tighten the abs, lift the right arm off the floor, and reach forward. Hold this position for 3 seconds. Lower the arm and do the same for the left arm.
By: Brooks Donner
About the Author:
For expert information on exercising, including the best core exercises and more, visit Exercise-Expert.com at http://exercise-expert.com
If you want to create the best core workout, you need both ab and back exercises. When most people think about the core, their first thought is ab exercises, but ab exercises by themselves won’t make a complete core workout. When you include lower back exercises and ab exercises in your workout, you will have a well rounded and balanced core.
Ab exercises help you to generate power moving forwards and prevent the spine from moving too far backwards. Some of the best ab exercises are planks, crunches on a ball, side planks, sit ups, and leg raises.
Planks are an isometric ab exercise in which you simply balance on your elbow and toes and hold that position. Side planks are also an isometric ab exercise in which you are balanced on one elbow and your feet. Crunches on a stability ball offer increased range of motion when compared to the floor and can help to improve balance. Sit ups are a classic ab exercise and they are great for athletes, but they can put more pressure on the lower back than crunches on a ball. Lastly, leg raises are also tough on the lower back, but they are great for improving core stability and pelvic control.
Lower back exercises help you to generate power moving backwards and while lifting and prevent the spine from moving too far forwards. Lower back exercises are just as important as ab exercises for preventing lower back pain.
Some of the best lower back exercises are back extensions on a ball, back extensions on the floor, and back extensions on a slant board. You can add a rotational movement to all of the previous exercises to add a more challenging element. In addition to the back extension movement, you can also do the stiff leg dead lift or the conventional dead lift.
The dead lift position and motion is important for a well rounded core workout, because many lower back injuries occur when you are lifting. So, it makes sense to practice the lifting motion and position during your core workouts.
The abdominal muscles and lower back muscles help to rotate and side bend the spine, and they both help to stabilize the lumbar spine and lower back. Rotational exercises are very important to any core workout. Functional activities and athletic activities happen in multiple directions and multiple planes. Generally, our bodies are weakest in rotational directions, so it is important to include rotational movements in your core workout. Some of the best rotational exercises are the Russian twist, standing cable lifts or chops, and standing cable rotations.
Both the abs and lower back are important for core workouts. So, if you really want well-rounded core workouts, think abs and back.
By: Charles A. Inniss, Jr. DPT
About the Author:
Ab exercises help you to generate power moving forwards and prevent the spine from moving too far backwards. Some of the best ab exercises are planks, crunches on a ball, side planks, sit ups, and leg raises.
Planks are an isometric ab exercise in which you simply balance on your elbow and toes and hold that position. Side planks are also an isometric ab exercise in which you are balanced on one elbow and your feet. Crunches on a stability ball offer increased range of motion when compared to the floor and can help to improve balance. Sit ups are a classic ab exercise and they are great for athletes, but they can put more pressure on the lower back than crunches on a ball. Lastly, leg raises are also tough on the lower back, but they are great for improving core stability and pelvic control.
Lower back exercises help you to generate power moving backwards and while lifting and prevent the spine from moving too far forwards. Lower back exercises are just as important as ab exercises for preventing lower back pain.
Some of the best lower back exercises are back extensions on a ball, back extensions on the floor, and back extensions on a slant board. You can add a rotational movement to all of the previous exercises to add a more challenging element. In addition to the back extension movement, you can also do the stiff leg dead lift or the conventional dead lift.
The dead lift position and motion is important for a well rounded core workout, because many lower back injuries occur when you are lifting. So, it makes sense to practice the lifting motion and position during your core workouts.
The abdominal muscles and lower back muscles help to rotate and side bend the spine, and they both help to stabilize the lumbar spine and lower back. Rotational exercises are very important to any core workout. Functional activities and athletic activities happen in multiple directions and multiple planes. Generally, our bodies are weakest in rotational directions, so it is important to include rotational movements in your core workout. Some of the best rotational exercises are the Russian twist, standing cable lifts or chops, and standing cable rotations.
Both the abs and lower back are important for core workouts. So, if you really want well-rounded core workouts, think abs and back.
By: Charles A. Inniss, Jr. DPT
About the Author:
Charles A. Inniss, Jr. has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He is dedicated to helping people to live healthier happier lives.
Visit his website to learn the best core exercises and the best lower back exercises
This can be explained by a person who is engaged in bodybuilding, the process of building and sculpting muscle is one that requires intense focus and commitment. A dedicated diet and exercise regime is absolutely imperative to achieving bodybuilding goals. And as important as diet is, bodybuilding exercise is even more important.
Exercise helps bodybuilders trim body fat, build muscle, and sculpt and chisel the body in order to achieve ultimate bodybuilding goals – including participation in competition. Bodybuilding exercise – like any kind of fitness routine – should include a combination of cardiovascular exercise, core work, and weight training in order to be most effective. But for bodybuilders, exercise of this kind is taken to the next level with a focus and intensity that helps them achieve their significant physical goals.
In order to embark on effective exercise, it is first necessary to set out a schedule that will help you meet your goals. This is where a reputable gym can come into play. Not only do gyms offer a bevy of equipment necessary to bodybuilding exercise, but they give customers access to personal trainers who can help you set and implement your fitness goals.
For instance, a personal trainer can help you to determine how best to structure your workout week; this may include weight training on one or two particular muscle groups one day and other muscle groups the next; as well as the implementation of cardiovascular work and programs such as Pilates and yoga to improve flexibility and strengthen the body’s core. Exercise helps a lot for a person to remain fit.
But most importantly, personal trainers and the gyms in which they work can provide guidance in performing exercise in the safest way possible. Exercise – especially weight training – will get you nowhere if you have poor technique. In order to maximize your results and avoid injury, bodybuilding exercise must be performed with the proper technique.
Bodybuilding exercise can transform your physical appearance and elevate your competitive performance to the next level. But be sure to approach these exercises with proper education and attention to safety in order to best meet your fitness goals
Here are some useful tips for exercise:
Body Building is usually affiliated with Big Muscles. Body building will change one’s body and mind if approached in a reasonable way.
1: Set Your Sets
Rests between sets should be minimized to around 60-90 seconds for cardiovascular purposes and better muscle voluminizing effect. Sets should be 6-15 cycles for each exercise.
2: How Much Rest?
Sleep is a health necessity that is too often ignored. Our society pushes us to sleep less and accomplish more, but there is a point when all of that hard work and no rest can become counterproductive. Sometimes rest is what is required in order to become better. one part of the whole, the rest will also tend to move towards a more healthy and fit state as well.
3: Work Your Workout
There are two types of muscle building workouts that will either allow you to gain muscle mass or tone your existing muscle. The goal of a low rep, high weight muscle building workout is to increase muscle mass, or plump up the muscle to its greatest volume.
By: John Howard
About the Author:
Exercise helps bodybuilders trim body fat, build muscle, and sculpt and chisel the body in order to achieve ultimate bodybuilding goals – including participation in competition. Bodybuilding exercise – like any kind of fitness routine – should include a combination of cardiovascular exercise, core work, and weight training in order to be most effective. But for bodybuilders, exercise of this kind is taken to the next level with a focus and intensity that helps them achieve their significant physical goals.
In order to embark on effective exercise, it is first necessary to set out a schedule that will help you meet your goals. This is where a reputable gym can come into play. Not only do gyms offer a bevy of equipment necessary to bodybuilding exercise, but they give customers access to personal trainers who can help you set and implement your fitness goals.
For instance, a personal trainer can help you to determine how best to structure your workout week; this may include weight training on one or two particular muscle groups one day and other muscle groups the next; as well as the implementation of cardiovascular work and programs such as Pilates and yoga to improve flexibility and strengthen the body’s core. Exercise helps a lot for a person to remain fit.
But most importantly, personal trainers and the gyms in which they work can provide guidance in performing exercise in the safest way possible. Exercise – especially weight training – will get you nowhere if you have poor technique. In order to maximize your results and avoid injury, bodybuilding exercise must be performed with the proper technique.
Bodybuilding exercise can transform your physical appearance and elevate your competitive performance to the next level. But be sure to approach these exercises with proper education and attention to safety in order to best meet your fitness goals
Here are some useful tips for exercise:
Body Building is usually affiliated with Big Muscles. Body building will change one’s body and mind if approached in a reasonable way.
1: Set Your Sets
Rests between sets should be minimized to around 60-90 seconds for cardiovascular purposes and better muscle voluminizing effect. Sets should be 6-15 cycles for each exercise.
2: How Much Rest?
Sleep is a health necessity that is too often ignored. Our society pushes us to sleep less and accomplish more, but there is a point when all of that hard work and no rest can become counterproductive. Sometimes rest is what is required in order to become better. one part of the whole, the rest will also tend to move towards a more healthy and fit state as well.
3: Work Your Workout
There are two types of muscle building workouts that will either allow you to gain muscle mass or tone your existing muscle. The goal of a low rep, high weight muscle building workout is to increase muscle mass, or plump up the muscle to its greatest volume.
By: John Howard
About the Author:
For your free course teaching you exactly how to succeed with bodybuilding using simple and effective bodybuilding nutrition and workout simply go to http://bodybuilding-guru.com
Core Training is a very popular philosophy sweeping over fitness programs. At a quick glance core training appears to be simply abdominal exercises and lower back exercises, but core training is so much more. Core training is all about good alignment, joint stability, and efficient movement, and your core includes your entire spine, shoulder girdle, and hip girdle.
When you perform core exercises you can focus on 3 things: stability, strength, or power. Although stability, strength, and power are all related you can emphasize a certain benefit by choosing specific exercises and performing them in a specific way. Stability refers to the ability of your muscles to maintain a joint’s position, posture, and alignment. Strength refers to the ability of your muscles to move a certain amount of resistance through the full range of motion. And power refers to the ability of your muscles to move your body with speed.
In this article, I want to focus on developing core stability. One possible cause of lower back pain is a lack of stability in the pelvis and lower back. When your back is unstable, there is more pressure on the joints of your back. In addition, when your back is unstable your sports performance is decreased. So, developing core stability is important for everyone from people with desk jobs to elite athletes.
Let me ask you a question that speaks to the importance of core stability. Is it easier to run on sand or grass? Most people will say that it is easier to run on grass. Since the grass is more stable than the sand it’s easier for your muscles to push you forward as you run. Because the sand in unstable, your muscles have a harder time pushing your forward as you run.
You should think of your spine in the same way that you think about your running surface. When your spine is stable, your muscles work more efficiently. When your muscles work more efficiently, you have a lower risk of injury and perform at a higher level.
Well, you may be asking which type of exercises is best for core stabilization. Some of the best core exercises for stabilization are isometric exercises. Isometric simply means same length or no movement, so during isometric exercises the position of your spine does not change. Two of the first core stabilization exercises that I teach my clients are the drawing in maneuver and the plank.
The drawing in maneuver is the best exercise for the transversus abdominus. In movement studies, physiotherapists found that the transversus abdominus is the first abdominal muscle to fire when you move your arms are legs. They also found that it lags behind in people with lower back pain. To re-educate your transverse abdominus (your natural girdle) you must practice pulling your belly button in towards your spine.
You can practice the drawing in maneuver from many positions, but the key is to keep your spine in a neutral or balanced position when you pull in. You can perform the drawing in maneuver while lying on your back, so gravity can assist you. Then, you can progress to seated or standing where gravity is more neutral, and the most challenging position is lying face down or on your hands and knees where gravity pulls down against you. No matter which position you choose, pull in your belly button and hold for 5-10 seconds and repeat for 10 repetitions. When personal trainers or physical therapists say pull in your abs, they are referring to the drawing in maneuver.
Another great core exercise for stabilization is the plank. The plank is a popular yoga pose that has crossed over into many other areas of fitness. It involves balancing face down on your elbows and your toes. There are two main keys when performing the plank. First, you should keep good alignment through your spine and entire body. And, second, you should pull in your belly button and use the drawing in maneuver throughout the entire set.
Attempt to hold the plank for 10 seconds to 60 seconds. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times. If you shake when you first try the plank, don’t worry about it. As your coordination and strength improve you will shake less. Also, if the full plank from your toes and elbows is too challenging, you can build up your strength using the half plank which is done from the knees and the elbows.
Once you have increased your core stabilization, move on to focus more on core strength. Core strength is best improved by using exercises that move your spine through a large range of motion against resistance, but that is a topic for another article.
Check below for links to my website to learn more core training tips and view pictures of core exercises.
By: Charles A. Inniss, Jr. DPT
About the Author:
When you perform core exercises you can focus on 3 things: stability, strength, or power. Although stability, strength, and power are all related you can emphasize a certain benefit by choosing specific exercises and performing them in a specific way. Stability refers to the ability of your muscles to maintain a joint’s position, posture, and alignment. Strength refers to the ability of your muscles to move a certain amount of resistance through the full range of motion. And power refers to the ability of your muscles to move your body with speed.
In this article, I want to focus on developing core stability. One possible cause of lower back pain is a lack of stability in the pelvis and lower back. When your back is unstable, there is more pressure on the joints of your back. In addition, when your back is unstable your sports performance is decreased. So, developing core stability is important for everyone from people with desk jobs to elite athletes.
Let me ask you a question that speaks to the importance of core stability. Is it easier to run on sand or grass? Most people will say that it is easier to run on grass. Since the grass is more stable than the sand it’s easier for your muscles to push you forward as you run. Because the sand in unstable, your muscles have a harder time pushing your forward as you run.
You should think of your spine in the same way that you think about your running surface. When your spine is stable, your muscles work more efficiently. When your muscles work more efficiently, you have a lower risk of injury and perform at a higher level.
Well, you may be asking which type of exercises is best for core stabilization. Some of the best core exercises for stabilization are isometric exercises. Isometric simply means same length or no movement, so during isometric exercises the position of your spine does not change. Two of the first core stabilization exercises that I teach my clients are the drawing in maneuver and the plank.
The drawing in maneuver is the best exercise for the transversus abdominus. In movement studies, physiotherapists found that the transversus abdominus is the first abdominal muscle to fire when you move your arms are legs. They also found that it lags behind in people with lower back pain. To re-educate your transverse abdominus (your natural girdle) you must practice pulling your belly button in towards your spine.
You can practice the drawing in maneuver from many positions, but the key is to keep your spine in a neutral or balanced position when you pull in. You can perform the drawing in maneuver while lying on your back, so gravity can assist you. Then, you can progress to seated or standing where gravity is more neutral, and the most challenging position is lying face down or on your hands and knees where gravity pulls down against you. No matter which position you choose, pull in your belly button and hold for 5-10 seconds and repeat for 10 repetitions. When personal trainers or physical therapists say pull in your abs, they are referring to the drawing in maneuver.
Another great core exercise for stabilization is the plank. The plank is a popular yoga pose that has crossed over into many other areas of fitness. It involves balancing face down on your elbows and your toes. There are two main keys when performing the plank. First, you should keep good alignment through your spine and entire body. And, second, you should pull in your belly button and use the drawing in maneuver throughout the entire set.
Attempt to hold the plank for 10 seconds to 60 seconds. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times. If you shake when you first try the plank, don’t worry about it. As your coordination and strength improve you will shake less. Also, if the full plank from your toes and elbows is too challenging, you can build up your strength using the half plank which is done from the knees and the elbows.
Once you have increased your core stabilization, move on to focus more on core strength. Core strength is best improved by using exercises that move your spine through a large range of motion against resistance, but that is a topic for another article.
Check below for links to my website to learn more core training tips and view pictures of core exercises.
By: Charles A. Inniss, Jr. DPT
About the Author:
Charles A. Inniss, Jr. has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He is dedicated to helping people to live healthier happier lives.
Visit his website for Free Pictures of 100 Core Exercises and Free Core Workout Tips
Most women who become pregnant let themselves go only to regret the consequences later on. You can be active and fit with a good understanding of how to go about exercise but when it comes to pregnancy, your current workouts won’t suffice. That’s why you need to become better educated to avoid stacking on the pounds in all the wrong places and to pave the way for an easy labour.
Firstly, you need to understand your body type. There are four basic body types and designing a suitable exercise program requires an understanding of your body structure. What may be appropriate for one person may not be appropriate for another. Proper body diagnosis is essential to understand and consider when designing a pregnancy fitness program.
Pregnant or not, exercise helps keep the heart, bones, and mind healthy. Staying active also seems to give some special added paybacks for pregnant women.
Here are some exercises that you can do during pregnancy?
Do some light sit ups. Nothing too strenuous here, but perhaps rest your legs on a chair and try bringing your head up off the floor a few inches.
Yoga is a fantastic form of exercise that is very low impact and helps in stretching muscles.
Another good exercise is swimming. The water gives you the ability to move around and work nearly all of your muscle groups, while at the same time it helps in keeping you balanced.
Walking is another good pregnancy exercise for more than one reason. Sure, it gives you some much needed exercise, but it also gets you out of the house and clears your head so to speak.
Do consider your diet during pregnancy. It is important to eat enough of the right foods, however it is all to easy to over-eat!
Lastly, you need to know which specific core exercises to make your labour easier and proven ways to prevent sagging *******. Take a preventative attitude will not only make you look and feel better it will also help you avoid the common pitfalls that befall most women during pregnancy.
Pregnant women who exercise seem to have better self-esteem and a lower risk of depression and anxiety.
By: herbalremedies
About the Author:
Firstly, you need to understand your body type. There are four basic body types and designing a suitable exercise program requires an understanding of your body structure. What may be appropriate for one person may not be appropriate for another. Proper body diagnosis is essential to understand and consider when designing a pregnancy fitness program.
Pregnant or not, exercise helps keep the heart, bones, and mind healthy. Staying active also seems to give some special added paybacks for pregnant women.
Here are some exercises that you can do during pregnancy?
Do some light sit ups. Nothing too strenuous here, but perhaps rest your legs on a chair and try bringing your head up off the floor a few inches.
Yoga is a fantastic form of exercise that is very low impact and helps in stretching muscles.
Another good exercise is swimming. The water gives you the ability to move around and work nearly all of your muscle groups, while at the same time it helps in keeping you balanced.
Walking is another good pregnancy exercise for more than one reason. Sure, it gives you some much needed exercise, but it also gets you out of the house and clears your head so to speak.
Do consider your diet during pregnancy. It is important to eat enough of the right foods, however it is all to easy to over-eat!
Lastly, you need to know which specific core exercises to make your labour easier and proven ways to prevent sagging *******. Take a preventative attitude will not only make you look and feel better it will also help you avoid the common pitfalls that befall most women during pregnancy.
Pregnant women who exercise seem to have better self-esteem and a lower risk of depression and anxiety.
By: herbalremedies
About the Author:
Visit Goherbalremedies Herbal Remedies, Natural Remedies Also Read About Garcinia Cambogia, Weight Loss Supplements and Digestive Problems, Treatment for Indigestion
Those of you that train with weights know the importance of doing the proper lifts to hit the muscles and make them grow. This is equally true for beginners, although many beginners may not be aware of the lifts they need to be doing to make the fastest progress. These are the core lifts that stimulate your entire body to get stronger and grow and they should be part of every lifters routine.
To build strength and size the core exercises you need to be doing are squats, presses, rows and deadlifts. These are the lifts that will help you pack on muscle and boost your strength as quickly as possible.
For overall muscular development, squats are the undisputed king of lifts. Yes, they are primarily a leg exercise and they will increase your leg power amazingly, but what many people don’t realize is that squats build your entire body and will also boost your testosterone levels. When you squat all of the other muscles in your torso come into play as stabilizers and since you can handle your largest weights when doing squats, even the stabilizers get hit hard. In fact, squats could do more for your abdominal strength than even crunches.
Pressing movements will also work more than just the target muscles. Most people think of the bench press when pressing is mentioned, but the military press is just as valuable. Military presses should be done standing and you’ll soon see how this power movement incorporates all of the torso muscles and builds your upper body strength and power.
Rowing movements such as the T-bar row and barbell rows are the mainstay for adding power, thickness and strength across your back. While pulldowns and pull-ups will help widen your back, there is nothing that builds thickness like rowing movements with heavy weights.
The final power movement you want to include in your routine is deadlifts. These are great for your legs, lower and upper back and even your abs and shoulders. It’s another full body movement that will help you strengthen and bulk up all over.
You’ll probably notice that no mention has been made about movements for the biceps and triceps. You can do some direct work for these muscles, but honestly they won’t get near the amount of work that they receive from the compound exercises. Presses will destroy your triceps and rows will crush your biceps and you won’t really need much more.
As long as you keep these exercises as the core of your workout routine you should continue to increase in strength for a very long time. Use these at the beginning of a workout, after a proper warm up and save the isolation stuff for later. Isolation work is good for creating details in your muscles, but if you want to get big and strong you’ll need to stick with these basics.
By: Steven Walters
About the Author:
To build strength and size the core exercises you need to be doing are squats, presses, rows and deadlifts. These are the lifts that will help you pack on muscle and boost your strength as quickly as possible.
For overall muscular development, squats are the undisputed king of lifts. Yes, they are primarily a leg exercise and they will increase your leg power amazingly, but what many people don’t realize is that squats build your entire body and will also boost your testosterone levels. When you squat all of the other muscles in your torso come into play as stabilizers and since you can handle your largest weights when doing squats, even the stabilizers get hit hard. In fact, squats could do more for your abdominal strength than even crunches.
Pressing movements will also work more than just the target muscles. Most people think of the bench press when pressing is mentioned, but the military press is just as valuable. Military presses should be done standing and you’ll soon see how this power movement incorporates all of the torso muscles and builds your upper body strength and power.
Rowing movements such as the T-bar row and barbell rows are the mainstay for adding power, thickness and strength across your back. While pulldowns and pull-ups will help widen your back, there is nothing that builds thickness like rowing movements with heavy weights.
The final power movement you want to include in your routine is deadlifts. These are great for your legs, lower and upper back and even your abs and shoulders. It’s another full body movement that will help you strengthen and bulk up all over.
You’ll probably notice that no mention has been made about movements for the biceps and triceps. You can do some direct work for these muscles, but honestly they won’t get near the amount of work that they receive from the compound exercises. Presses will destroy your triceps and rows will crush your biceps and you won’t really need much more.
As long as you keep these exercises as the core of your workout routine you should continue to increase in strength for a very long time. Use these at the beginning of a workout, after a proper warm up and save the isolation stuff for later. Isolation work is good for creating details in your muscles, but if you want to get big and strong you’ll need to stick with these basics.
By: Steven Walters
About the Author:
To learn more about basic training lifting and how to best use anabolic supplements please visit the authors website.
Golf fitness exercises focused on the core can improve your golf swing. Learn how core exercises and golf exercises are a key to increasing club head speed. Some of us may have an idea about what core training entails. Swing coaches and golf fitness trainers talk about it in relation to the swing, but what actually is the core?
When the question is asked, “What is the core?” The most common answer is, “Your abdominals.” The core can be defined as the region of the body that incorporates the hips, abdominals, obliques, and lower back.
The definition of the core indicates that it is an anatomical region of the body. The top of your chest to your hips is the easiest way to think about the core region. This part of the body includes numerous muscles in each of these defined regions. Think about all those little back muscles that your doctor speaks about when you are injured. Those muscles are part of the core. When you see those infomercials for the “latest and greatest” abdominal machine, those machines are supposedly going to give you that “six pack.” The muscles of the “six pack” are part of your core. These two regions of the body are the easy parts of the core to understand, but what about the other parts?
The general definition of the core indicates that it encompasses ALL the muscles between your chest and lower body. Keeping this definition in mind, what other muscles would be incorporated in the core region? Probably the easiest way to do this is to create a mental image of the body and then look at what muscles are in this region of the body.
The hips are part of the core, and all the muscles in this region of the body are part of the core. The muscles within the hips contain the hip flexors, hip extensors, adductor complex, abductor complex, gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, origin of the hamstrings, and origin of the quads. Quite a few muscles, wouldn’t you say?
Currently, we have the muscles of the hips, low back, and the “six pack,” but there are more. We can essentially factor two more muscle groups into the core region. Probably the most under recognized muscles in the core region are termed the “deep stabilizing muscles” of the spine.
The easiest way to think of these muscles is the following: Think about “peeling away the top layer of your abdominals (the “six pack”) and the top layer of your lower back muscles. Underneath these muscles would be another group of muscles that function to stabilize the spine. The number of muscles in this region of the body is numerous. The names of a few are: transverse abdominus, erector spinae, and spinaleus. Again, these are just a few of the muscles in this region. If we were to name all of them, it could easily fill this whole page.
We have one final group of muscles that comprise the core region, and they are on the sides of the body (the place where we quite often develop those “love handles”). You now know where these muscles are, and we anatomically describe these muscles as your obliques. The two major muscles in this region are the external and internal obliques. In addition, you will find other muscles within this region such as the serratus.
At this point you should have a good understanding of the core region, the muscles groups of the core, and the specific muscles contained within this region. Now we move on to the functioning of the core in regards to golf.
First question, why are these muscles so important to golf? Before we answer that question, let’s look at this region of the body in a little more detail.
A vast number of muscles comprise this region of the body as we know at this point in time. Some of you probably have some first hand experience with the muscles of the core. If you have ever had a lower back injury, you know what I am talking about.
What we need to understand at this point, before entertaining the question of the core’s involvement in the golf swing, is the following:
Realize that all of the core muscles function as a unit, meaning they work together to essentially stabilize and move the body. The movements that this region of the body is involved in are vast. Any movement other than probably lying on your back utilizes the core the cores in some way, shape, or form. Let me explain this thought. We know that the core region is involved in stabilizing the spine, right? Well with that thought in mind, your spine needs to be stabilized in any upright posture you place your body. For example, as I am writing this article, I am sitting at my computer. For my body to maintain this “seated, upright position” my spine must be stabilized. The muscles of the core region perform this activity.
When we begin to talk about the body moving is where we can really see the core becoming active. Just think of some simple activities like walking, bending over to pick up a newspaper, etc. All of these activities are utilizing the core to stabilize the spine, bend, turn, rotate the body, and transfer energy from your feet to the upper body. The core is integrated as a unit and involved in almost every movement that you perform in your daily lives. I hope by this time you can see the importance of the core when it comes to human movement. Now let us move on to a topic of more interest to all of us, and that is the golf swing.
Looking at the golf swing, the core region of the body is considered “the engine of the body.” It is responsible for the balance, stability, and rotation required to swing a golf club. From address to follow through, this section of the body plays a large part in the execution of the swing.
If you have an understanding of what muscles comprise the core region and their importance when it comes to human movement, then you will undoubtedly see the importance of the core as it pertains to the golf swing. This little discussion has probably provided you with the understanding that there is more than “meets the eye” when discussing the core region. The next step in this process is the implementation of core exercises within a golf fitness program. These types of golf exercises will benefit your golf swing in many ways.
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com
By: Sean Cochran
About the Author:
When the question is asked, “What is the core?” The most common answer is, “Your abdominals.” The core can be defined as the region of the body that incorporates the hips, abdominals, obliques, and lower back.
The definition of the core indicates that it is an anatomical region of the body. The top of your chest to your hips is the easiest way to think about the core region. This part of the body includes numerous muscles in each of these defined regions. Think about all those little back muscles that your doctor speaks about when you are injured. Those muscles are part of the core. When you see those infomercials for the “latest and greatest” abdominal machine, those machines are supposedly going to give you that “six pack.” The muscles of the “six pack” are part of your core. These two regions of the body are the easy parts of the core to understand, but what about the other parts?
The general definition of the core indicates that it encompasses ALL the muscles between your chest and lower body. Keeping this definition in mind, what other muscles would be incorporated in the core region? Probably the easiest way to do this is to create a mental image of the body and then look at what muscles are in this region of the body.
The hips are part of the core, and all the muscles in this region of the body are part of the core. The muscles within the hips contain the hip flexors, hip extensors, adductor complex, abductor complex, gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, origin of the hamstrings, and origin of the quads. Quite a few muscles, wouldn’t you say?
Currently, we have the muscles of the hips, low back, and the “six pack,” but there are more. We can essentially factor two more muscle groups into the core region. Probably the most under recognized muscles in the core region are termed the “deep stabilizing muscles” of the spine.
The easiest way to think of these muscles is the following: Think about “peeling away the top layer of your abdominals (the “six pack”) and the top layer of your lower back muscles. Underneath these muscles would be another group of muscles that function to stabilize the spine. The number of muscles in this region of the body is numerous. The names of a few are: transverse abdominus, erector spinae, and spinaleus. Again, these are just a few of the muscles in this region. If we were to name all of them, it could easily fill this whole page.
We have one final group of muscles that comprise the core region, and they are on the sides of the body (the place where we quite often develop those “love handles”). You now know where these muscles are, and we anatomically describe these muscles as your obliques. The two major muscles in this region are the external and internal obliques. In addition, you will find other muscles within this region such as the serratus.
At this point you should have a good understanding of the core region, the muscles groups of the core, and the specific muscles contained within this region. Now we move on to the functioning of the core in regards to golf.
First question, why are these muscles so important to golf? Before we answer that question, let’s look at this region of the body in a little more detail.
A vast number of muscles comprise this region of the body as we know at this point in time. Some of you probably have some first hand experience with the muscles of the core. If you have ever had a lower back injury, you know what I am talking about.
What we need to understand at this point, before entertaining the question of the core’s involvement in the golf swing, is the following:
Realize that all of the core muscles function as a unit, meaning they work together to essentially stabilize and move the body. The movements that this region of the body is involved in are vast. Any movement other than probably lying on your back utilizes the core the cores in some way, shape, or form. Let me explain this thought. We know that the core region is involved in stabilizing the spine, right? Well with that thought in mind, your spine needs to be stabilized in any upright posture you place your body. For example, as I am writing this article, I am sitting at my computer. For my body to maintain this “seated, upright position” my spine must be stabilized. The muscles of the core region perform this activity.
When we begin to talk about the body moving is where we can really see the core becoming active. Just think of some simple activities like walking, bending over to pick up a newspaper, etc. All of these activities are utilizing the core to stabilize the spine, bend, turn, rotate the body, and transfer energy from your feet to the upper body. The core is integrated as a unit and involved in almost every movement that you perform in your daily lives. I hope by this time you can see the importance of the core when it comes to human movement. Now let us move on to a topic of more interest to all of us, and that is the golf swing.
Looking at the golf swing, the core region of the body is considered “the engine of the body.” It is responsible for the balance, stability, and rotation required to swing a golf club. From address to follow through, this section of the body plays a large part in the execution of the swing.
If you have an understanding of what muscles comprise the core region and their importance when it comes to human movement, then you will undoubtedly see the importance of the core as it pertains to the golf swing. This little discussion has probably provided you with the understanding that there is more than “meets the eye” when discussing the core region. The next step in this process is the implementation of core exercises within a golf fitness program. These types of golf exercises will benefit your golf swing in many ways.
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com
By: Sean Cochran
About the Author:
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com
“Stomach exercises” are among the most frequently asked about and searched on (via internet) yet misunderstood subjects in the entire field of health, fitness and exercise. Regardless of age, experience or gender, everyone wants a flat “stomach” because the abdominal region is the true showcase of your physique. Since the abs are usually the last place to “shape up” and “lean out,” then most people would say that if you’ve got abs, you’ve got it all.
Well, in my way of thinking, this is only partially true. There’s more to a complete physique than “abdominal exercises” and “six pack abs” and most people are completely wrong about “stomach exercises” and “”stomach muscles.” (you’ll find out why in just a moment)…
The Difference Between “6-Pack Abs” And Truly “Fit Abs”
Having a great looking set of abs is very much a matter of low body fat. But make no mistake, just being lean and seeing a “six-pack” doesn’t mean you are strong, fit or conditioned. Real fitness means more than visible muscle development, it means strength, endurance, and stability, and this type of true functional fitness does not come from merely eating the right foods or reducing your body fat.
Nutrition is so important that you could even say that “abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym” and you would not be telling a lie. But this clever maxim is not telling the whole truth either. Great abs come from nutrition AND training, not one or the other. The training develops them. The nutrition uncovers them.
Don Juan Ponce de Leon arrived in America in 1493 looking for a fountain of youth and today in the “stomach exercise” marketplace, it seems that far too many people are looking for a “magic fountain” in order to flatten their waistlines.
Ponce never found the fountain of youth and you will never find a magical solution for flat abs. There are no short cuts. It takes a change in lifestyle to get a change in health, physique and performance. That includes nutrition AND training. There’s No Such Thing As “Stomach Exercises”
THIS is your stomach! Proper choice of exercise is a critical factor in your quest for a firm and flat waistline. But you will never get a great “stomach” from ANY “stomach exercise” because your stomach is a part of your digestive tract, not your skeletal muscular system! So let’s get the terminology straight, shall we? The area of you body you really want to improve is called your “core region.” Many people refer to it as the “abdominal region.”
However, training only with “ab exercise” is NOT the optimal approach. The abdominals only include the front (anterior) side of your body and if the only type of training you do is abdominal training, you may be unwittingly setting yourself up for lower back problems. If you don’t think this is serious, then consider this statistic: According to the
American Chiropractic Association, more than 31 million Americans are suffering from low back pain at any given time. So would you like to trade great abs for a bad back? I didn’t think so. The good news is that you can kill two birds with one stone. You can develop great abdominal muscles, great core muscles and a strong, pain-free back by using exercises that focus not on the “stomach,” (which is not a muscle you train at all), not on the “abdominals,” (which is only part of the muscles you need to target), but on the entire core.
The core is the key to your success. The core is the entire complex of muscles around your hip and waist region from your lower rib cage to the bottom of your pelvis. If you just focus on “abdominal exercises” alone (or “stomach” exercises, LOL), you will develop what I refer to as a “one dimensional body.” I focus on training the body as a whole, or “multi-dimensional training” to develop a complete person and to develop effective and powerful athletes.
What every program I write has in common is that I do not attempt to “isolate” the abdominals (or train the “stomach muscles!”) It’s all about the core and about integrating your body as a unit so you function better in daily life. As you do core-focused exercise programs you are improving not only your muscular system but also the systems that drives your muscular system – that is, the nervous system.
This may very well be the most important secret for getting better results in your workout programs. The more efficiently your nervous system works, the better your results will be. Core workouts that improve both muscular strength and conditioning while also improving neural drive and develop stronger neural control of the associated muscles.
This type of training for your core may very well be the most important secret for getting better results in your workout programs.
* THIS is why my “brand” of core training gets results in women who have had C-sections, or other abdominal surgeries when nothing else worked
* THIS is why the core exercises I recommend will flatten out a “pooching” belly, which is a result of deep muscular weakness and lack of neuromuscular control (It’s NOT just a body fat problem!)
* THIS is why my clients have overcome lower back when all else failed
* THIS is why my workout program have helped men and women recover from embarrassing incontinence
* THIS is how I have helped hundreds of new moms regain their flat and firm midsections after having their babies
* THIS is why my clients remain injury free, while so many other training programs are actually the CAUSE of injuries * And THIS is why my type of training – PROGRESSIVE CORE TRAINING – develops amazing athletes – top wrestlers, PGA golfers, and pro boxers with powerful punches and abs of steel. I’ve written an entire book about core training (“Firm And Flatten Your Abs), which you learn more about on the Flatten Your Abs home page, as well as dozens of articles which you can read elsewhere on this site (or you can subscribe to my biweekly newsletter).
The purpose of this article was not to give more workout routines (there are plenty of core training workouts to be found on this site and in my book and lots more to come in upcoming issues of my newsletter). The purpose of this article was to “install” 3 incredibly important lessons into your brain:
* You can’t train your “stomach” because your stomach is an internal organ of digestion not a skeletal muscle!
* You can’t totally “isolate” your abdominals because your abdominals do not work in isolation, they work in conjunction with the rest of your body (and “isolation” as with only doing crunches, is not the optimal approach anyway).
* You get more by training your core! You become a better athlete, you help prevent injuries, you get stronger and you get that coveted 6-pack abs look. I hope the “morals” of these lessons have already sunk in and will become a part of your own fitness philosophy… and the next time you hear someone talk about “stomach exercises”, you’ll now be able to get a good chuckle out of that.
By: David Grisaffi
About the Author:
Well, in my way of thinking, this is only partially true. There’s more to a complete physique than “abdominal exercises” and “six pack abs” and most people are completely wrong about “stomach exercises” and “”stomach muscles.” (you’ll find out why in just a moment)…
The Difference Between “6-Pack Abs” And Truly “Fit Abs”
Having a great looking set of abs is very much a matter of low body fat. But make no mistake, just being lean and seeing a “six-pack” doesn’t mean you are strong, fit or conditioned. Real fitness means more than visible muscle development, it means strength, endurance, and stability, and this type of true functional fitness does not come from merely eating the right foods or reducing your body fat.
Nutrition is so important that you could even say that “abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym” and you would not be telling a lie. But this clever maxim is not telling the whole truth either. Great abs come from nutrition AND training, not one or the other. The training develops them. The nutrition uncovers them.
Don Juan Ponce de Leon arrived in America in 1493 looking for a fountain of youth and today in the “stomach exercise” marketplace, it seems that far too many people are looking for a “magic fountain” in order to flatten their waistlines.
Ponce never found the fountain of youth and you will never find a magical solution for flat abs. There are no short cuts. It takes a change in lifestyle to get a change in health, physique and performance. That includes nutrition AND training. There’s No Such Thing As “Stomach Exercises”
THIS is your stomach! Proper choice of exercise is a critical factor in your quest for a firm and flat waistline. But you will never get a great “stomach” from ANY “stomach exercise” because your stomach is a part of your digestive tract, not your skeletal muscular system! So let’s get the terminology straight, shall we? The area of you body you really want to improve is called your “core region.” Many people refer to it as the “abdominal region.”
However, training only with “ab exercise” is NOT the optimal approach. The abdominals only include the front (anterior) side of your body and if the only type of training you do is abdominal training, you may be unwittingly setting yourself up for lower back problems. If you don’t think this is serious, then consider this statistic: According to the
American Chiropractic Association, more than 31 million Americans are suffering from low back pain at any given time. So would you like to trade great abs for a bad back? I didn’t think so. The good news is that you can kill two birds with one stone. You can develop great abdominal muscles, great core muscles and a strong, pain-free back by using exercises that focus not on the “stomach,” (which is not a muscle you train at all), not on the “abdominals,” (which is only part of the muscles you need to target), but on the entire core.
The core is the key to your success. The core is the entire complex of muscles around your hip and waist region from your lower rib cage to the bottom of your pelvis. If you just focus on “abdominal exercises” alone (or “stomach” exercises, LOL), you will develop what I refer to as a “one dimensional body.” I focus on training the body as a whole, or “multi-dimensional training” to develop a complete person and to develop effective and powerful athletes.
What every program I write has in common is that I do not attempt to “isolate” the abdominals (or train the “stomach muscles!”) It’s all about the core and about integrating your body as a unit so you function better in daily life. As you do core-focused exercise programs you are improving not only your muscular system but also the systems that drives your muscular system – that is, the nervous system.
This may very well be the most important secret for getting better results in your workout programs. The more efficiently your nervous system works, the better your results will be. Core workouts that improve both muscular strength and conditioning while also improving neural drive and develop stronger neural control of the associated muscles.
This type of training for your core may very well be the most important secret for getting better results in your workout programs.
* THIS is why my “brand” of core training gets results in women who have had C-sections, or other abdominal surgeries when nothing else worked
* THIS is why the core exercises I recommend will flatten out a “pooching” belly, which is a result of deep muscular weakness and lack of neuromuscular control (It’s NOT just a body fat problem!)
* THIS is why my clients have overcome lower back when all else failed
* THIS is why my workout program have helped men and women recover from embarrassing incontinence
* THIS is how I have helped hundreds of new moms regain their flat and firm midsections after having their babies
* THIS is why my clients remain injury free, while so many other training programs are actually the CAUSE of injuries * And THIS is why my type of training – PROGRESSIVE CORE TRAINING – develops amazing athletes – top wrestlers, PGA golfers, and pro boxers with powerful punches and abs of steel. I’ve written an entire book about core training (“Firm And Flatten Your Abs), which you learn more about on the Flatten Your Abs home page, as well as dozens of articles which you can read elsewhere on this site (or you can subscribe to my biweekly newsletter).
The purpose of this article was not to give more workout routines (there are plenty of core training workouts to be found on this site and in my book and lots more to come in upcoming issues of my newsletter). The purpose of this article was to “install” 3 incredibly important lessons into your brain:
* You can’t train your “stomach” because your stomach is an internal organ of digestion not a skeletal muscle!
* You can’t totally “isolate” your abdominals because your abdominals do not work in isolation, they work in conjunction with the rest of your body (and “isolation” as with only doing crunches, is not the optimal approach anyway).
* You get more by training your core! You become a better athlete, you help prevent injuries, you get stronger and you get that coveted 6-pack abs look. I hope the “morals” of these lessons have already sunk in and will become a part of your own fitness philosophy… and the next time you hear someone talk about “stomach exercises”, you’ll now be able to get a good chuckle out of that.
By: David Grisaffi
About the Author:
David Grisaffi is a Sports Conditining Coach and holds multiple certifications including three from the prestigious CHEK Institute: Level II Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiologist, Golf Biomechanic, and Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach. Plus he is also the author of the popular selling e book, “Firm and Flatten Your Abs,” which teaches you how to develop a ripped abdominal region. Lean how to shed bodyfat and eliminate low back pain and receive his free newsletter by visiting: http://www.flattenyourabs.net
