Core Work

[vespa]

hey at least your getting back out you,ll be back in no time ill be doing 20 in morning anything like this morning 4am start for me

[anthonykay]

I've been thinking for years that I should do some core exercises (partly because of posts on this forum emphasising its importance), but never done anything about it. Then on Friday the weekly email from Cycling UK had an item on core work being good for cyclists, and I decided it was time to start.

I've only been doing planks and squats so far. A full plank for a minute is just about the limit of what I can do at the moment, although I find elbow-supported planks somewhat easier. 3 x 10 squats is OK, but by the end of that I certainly know that I have been working.

[Travs]

Anthony i would recommend planks above everything else for core work.

I simply do Planks and Ab-Rollouts, and won't ever go near a traditional situp.

[Mossdog]

Anthony i would recommend planks above everything else for core work.

I simply do Planks and Ab-Rollouts, and won't ever go near a traditional situp.

I used to think of myself as the sit-up king. I started doing them when I was 15 years old, having been taught them at school (wrongly) and together with press-ups they were my key core exercises. I found sit-ups easy and could do 100s at a time, trying lots of fancy variations like elevated press-ups to reduce the number of reps before exhaustion and thereby avoiding the boredom and time, often with weights on my chest or behind my head. And then! Getting lower back pain in my early 50s led me to do some actual research and I realised that several military training programmes now eschew sit-ups because of later life back problems! Bugger!

Since I've stopped sit-ups (and do less office work/driving) my back has been considerably better. But I'd not ever considered Ab-rollouts!

I'm not sure of the relative merits of press-ups vs plank, perhaps one is a bit more dynamic?

Oh have I ever mentioned indoor rowing as a great core ex!

[Travs]

I used to think of myself as the sit-up king. I started doing them when I was 15 years old, having been taught them at school (wrongly) and together with press-ups they were my key core exercises. I found sit-ups easy and could do 100s at a time, trying lots of fancy variations like elevated press-ups to reduce the number of reps before exhaustion and thereby avoiding the boredom and time, often with weights on my chest or behind my head. And then! Getting lower back pain in my early 50s led me to do some actual research and I realised that several military training programmes now eschew sit-ups because of later life back problems! Bugger!

Since I've stopped sit-ups (and do less office work/driving) my back has been considerably better. But I'd not ever considered Ab-rollouts!

I'm not sure of the relative merits of press-ups vs plank, perhaps one is a bit more dynamic?

Oh have I ever mentioned indoor rowing as a great core ex!

Well a pressup, although undoubtedly engaging the core, is primarily an upper body exercise. The plank is a core-focused exercise.

I'd say an ab-rollout was a more dynamic version of a plank, the aim being to keep the core engaged whilst going forward and back. But with all more advanced movements it is more difficult to remain disciplined and with good technique, so often becomes less effective than a good old standard plank.

I will often do ab-rollouts using a Swiss/Yoga Ball, rather than an ab-wheel... it makes it slightly easier than using a wheel, but provides variety from a normal plank.

We used to do situps in their hundreds at kickboxing, but i was never a fan.

[noel]

I think I've recounted on another thread my recent experience with sit-ups. I'd recently re-added them to my training and started getting lower back issues that were so severe I couldn't walk any distance - let alone run. I saw a physio and he correctly diagnosed me via a Zoom call (it was during the first lock-down). He gave me some exercises to do - Bulgarian lunges (AKA Bulgarian split squats) and I was sorted within a week!!

Apparently it's a hip flexor issue. Runners have strong hip flexors so use these to do sit ups rather than using the abdominal muscles. And this inflames them, leading to pain where they connect to the lower spine.

[Mossdog]

He gave me some exercises to do - Bulgarian lunges

I adore the names of some of these exercises Bulgarian lunges sounds like some now defunct 1950s Soviet Bloc Olympic event!

Reminds me of the Turkish Get-Up. Also a great whole body exercise, best performed without kettle weights IMO.

[Llani Boy]

I adore the names of some of these exercises Bulgarian lunges sounds like some now defunct 1950s Soviet Bloc Olympic event!

Reminds me of the Turkish Get-Up. Also a great whole body exercise, best performed without kettle weights IMO.

All eclipsed by a good Hungarian Goulash!

[ba-ba]

Planks and glute-targetting exercises for me. Little but often when I'm in the mood - better than doing a big hit every few weeks.
The main thing to to make sure you're doing things with the correct technique. For me, mostly bodyweight seems sufficient (I'm trying to be a runner, not a gym bunny) but add a theraband/kettlebell to add resistance when required.

Got a bit of lower-back ache shortly before my BG last year. A few sets of reverse hyperextensions over the sofa arm sorted it right out - AthleanX on youtube is a ripped brash yank, but his videos seem to have nipped any small issues I have had in the bud.

[noel]

A few sets of reverse hyperextensions over the sofa arm sorted it right out

That sounds exactly like my Bulgarian lunges. I wonder how many other names they go by.