Why do you need to train the core, what is the core, and how to train it?

Mondo Health Updated on 2024-03-01

When you go to exercise for the sake of the body, you will often hear the word "core", in the field of fitness, the training of core muscles has always been highly valued, when you don't understand it, you will simply understand the core as the abdomen, with the accumulation of relevant knowledge will have a deeper understanding, so, why do you want to practice the core of fitness? What is the core? How to practice better? That's what we're going to talk about.

To put it simply, a strong core is the foundation for improving athletic performance, and a strong core means a strong athletic ability, which not only improves the efficiency of training but also reduces the risk of injury, so, specifically, what's good about training your core muscles?

1.Maintain balance and stability

Core muscles are the central areas of the body, and they play a vital role in maintaining the body's balance and stability. By strengthening your core, you can improve your body's postural control and balance during exercise, thereby reducing the risk of sports injuries.

2.Improves athletic performance

A strong core provides stable support to other motor muscles, improving coordination and athletic performance. In strength training, running, swimming, and more, a strong core can provide a more efficient power delivery to help you perform better.

3.Protects the spine

Exercises in the core muscles help strengthen the abdominal and back muscles, providing better support and protection for the spine. A strong core can reduce the pressure on the spine from sitting or standing for long periods of time, preventing problems such as spinal curvature or scoliosis.

Exercises on the core muscles help to shape the lines of the body and improve posture. By strengthening your core, you can create a flat abdomen and a beautiful back line, making your body more upright and confident.

Core muscles, abbreviated as core, refer to the muscle groups located around the abdomen and spine, mainly including abdominal muscles, back muscles, buttock muscles, etc. These muscles play an important role in maintaining body posture, performing sports, and maintaining body stability. Core muscles are the central areas of the body that work in coordination to maintain balance and stability.

Core competence refers to the ability to complete movements with a certain amplitude, while core stability refers to the ability to maintain physical stability.

As mentioned above, core competence consists of two parts, so in the training process, it is necessary not only to improve core stability, but also to improve one's core strength, from the specific movement point of view, it is mainly divided into two categories:

Static support movements mainly train core stability (e.g., planks, side supports, etc.).

Dynamic support movements focus on core strength.

So, let's share a set of training movements for the core, this set of movements is mainly for the core strength, of course, you can add one or two static support movements according to your own situation during the training process, so as to make the training more comprehensive.

Action 1: Alternately touch the shoulders with support.

Lean over with your arms under your shoulders to support your body, your elbows slightly bent, your back straight, your core tightened, your legs slightly apart and your back straight, and your toes on the ground.

Keep your body steady, keep your core tight, keep your back straight, keep one hand on the ground, lift your other hand to touch the opposite shoulder, then slowly return and finish the other side of the movement.

Movement 2: Raise your hips with side support.

Side support, the lower arm is bent at the elbow to support the ground, the chest is raised and the abdomen is tucked, the upper hand is crossed at the waist, the legs are straight together, and the lower foot is on the ground, so that the body looks in a straight line from the side.

Keep your body stable and don't shake, and your abdominal muscles drive your hips up and down, keeping your hips in the same plane as your torso.

Action 3: Support diagonal extension.

Lean over with your arms under your shoulders to support your body, your elbows slightly bent, your back straight, your core tightened, and your legs slightly apart and straightened back so that your body is in a straight line from head to toe.

Keep your body steady without shaking, and at the same time lift the opposite arm and leg upwards to the extent you can do it, stop at the top of the movement for a while, and then slowly restore and complete the other side of the movement.

Action 4: Support the rotation.

Lean over with your arms under your shoulders to support your body, your back straight, your core tightened, and your legs straight back.

Keep the body stable, keep the core tight, the abdominal muscles force the upper body to turn to the side, the arms follow the body movements and swing upwards until the arms are in the same straight line, the apex of the action stops for a while, and then slowly restores, and completes the other side of the body rotation.

Movement 5: Support the hips and hands to touch the feet.

Lean over with your arms under your shoulders to support your body, your back straight, your core tightened, your legs straight back, and your feet about shoulder-width apart.

Keep your body steady, keep your core tight, lean your center of gravity back, push your hips back and up, and at the same time lift one arm off the ground to touch the opposite toe, stop at the top of the movement, then slowly restore and complete the other side of the movement.

Action Six: Russian Turn.

Sit, with your legs bent and knees together and raised upward, your upper body leaning back, and your hands in fists in front of you.

Keep your body steady and don't shake, and use your abdominal muscles to turn your shoulders to one side while your arms swing sideways with your body movements.

Pause at the apex of the movement to feel the contraction of the abdominal muscles, then slowly restore and complete the movement on the other side.

Exercise 7: Supine leg press.

Lie on your back with your upper body close to the ground, your arms at your sides, your legs straight forward and your feet off the ground.

Keep your body steady, and your abdominal muscles push your arms up and bend your knees up, and lift your hips up from the ground, so that your abdominal muscles can be fully squeezed.

Stop at the apex of the action, actively feel the contraction of the abdominal muscles, and then control the speed to slowly restore.

Action 8: Ride a bicycle on your back.

Lie on your back with your upper back on the ground, shoulders and head off the ground, hands next to your ears, legs straight forward, feet off the ground.

Keep the body stable, keep the lower back not off the ground, the abdominal muscles drive one leg to the front knee to lift, and at the same time turn the shoulders to the side of the active leg to make the flank muscles be fully squeezed, and then slowly reduce, and then complete the other side of the action.

Start with the movements you can do, slowly improve and expand, pay attention to the details of the movements, and complete each movement on the premise of ensuring the standard of the movements, 15-20 times for each movement, and rest for about 30 seconds between movements, 3-4 sets each time. Sticking to training on the basis of fat loss can not only improve your core ability, but also make your waistline firmer and more conlined.

In conclusion, core training is essential for fitness. With proper core training, you can improve your body's balance, stability, athletic performance, and posture. Core training can strengthen the core muscles in a variety of ways, including planks, sit-ups, Russian twists, and more. When doing core training, it's important to pay attention to proper posture and technique to avoid overexertion or injury.

Author: October Zhixing.

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