Middle Ground

Core training can give you a boost in everything from your running performance to daily activities, while toning your midsection

You regularly knock out a few hundred ab crunches, no sweat. It’s all in the name of core training, a buzzword in fitness clubs these days that’s often associated with a swimsuit-ready figure and the term “six pack.” But there’s a whole lot more to core training than doing crunches until you’re blue in the face. If you want to train your core correctly, you’ve got to incorporate the entire core — not just the abs.

“The core is made up of all of the muscles that form the center of your body and cross along your spine and pelvis,” says Michele Olson, a professor of exercise science at Auburn University in Montgomery, Ala. That includes the muscles in your hips and lower back, as well as your gluteals and abdominals.

While it might be obvious that the core demands attention, simply because it occupies such a central position in your body, there’s good reason — beyond aesthetics — to include a well-planned core training program in your weekly regimen. “The core is responsible for stabilizing your body, which will help you run more efficiently, fatigue less quickly, and use better form,” says Stefan Aschan, president and founder of Strength 123, which provides nutrition and exercise programs in New York City and online. Having a strong core also helps safeguard against injuries, especially in the lower back and hips.

Moves You Can Use

The core is also essential to the activities of everyday life. For instance, maintaining an upright position while sitting at your desk, lifting a suitcase into an overhead bin on a plane, and carrying groceries from the car to your house all engage the core. Without a strong core, these common activities may wind up causing aches and pains, especially in the neck, back, and hips, Olson says.

It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that the key to getting the most benefit from core training is incorporating functional moves — motions that mimic the way you move during everyday life — into your exercise plan. That’s one reason abdominal crunches aren’t the best way to train the core. “Does anybody move like that during the day?” Aschan asks. Crunches might help you tone up, especially if you’re eating a healthy diet and doing cardio exercises, but they won’t aid you in normal functioning and posture. More effective exercises for building core strength and stability include plank, side plank, back extensions, lunges, and lat pulls (see sidebar).

The Central Challenge

Remember that if you want to optimize the benefits from these core moves, you’ve got to use enough load to challenge those muscles, Olson says.  In other words, if you can knock out 15 or 20 repetitions without feeling any fatigue in the muscles, you need to add more weight. Even if you’re using body weight, there are ways to make the exercise more challenging. For instance, you could do isometric holds, where you hold the move in place for several seconds.

Exercises that challenge balance can also be beneficial for core training. For example, you could try standing on one leg and doing shoulder presses with dumbbells. Your back, abdominal, and hip girdle muscles will have to work more actively to prevent you from falling. “This balance challenge works your core in that functional way,” Olson says, adding that yoga and Pilates often challenge the core both directly, with core-specific moves, and indirectly, by incorporating moves that require balance.

You can also work the core just by using proper posture when you’re sitting and standing. “Consider it a mini-challenge for the core,” Olson says, adding that sitting on a stability ball in the office may also help you adjust your posture more than just sitting in a chair. The bonus? You can then use the stability ball to do specific exercises for the core.

But how often can you — or should you — do core training? “Because the core is such a vital part of everyday life, you can do various types of core work every day,” Olson says. For instance, one day you could focus on balance exercises. The next day, you do strength exercises for your back and hips. The third day, you do yoga moves. “By varying the moves, you’re not overworking the muscles,” she adds. “Plus, by changing the way you train each day, you’re constantly giving that core a challenge.”

Here are some exercises that will build core strength.

Plank: Lie face down on floor. Push your body up so you’re supported only by your forearms (elbows under shoulders) and toes. Contract abs to prevent back from sagging. Keeping body in one long line, hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds.

Side plank: Lie on your right side, legs extended, feet stacked, and right elbow under right shoulder. Lift hips off the floor and hold this position 30 to 60 seconds, keeping abs contracted and chest lifted. Switch sides and repeat.

Back extensions: Lie face-down on floor, feet shoulder-width apart and hands under forehead. Keeping your feet on the floor, lift your shoulders and chest off floor. Lower and repeat.

Lat pulls: Sit on a bench under a straight bar that’s attached to a lat pull-down machine. Hold bar with hands shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Maintaining a slight backward tilt with your upper body, pull the bar down until it touches the top of your chest. Using control, release your arms to the starting point and repeat.

Lunges: Stand with your feet together. Step your right foot forward a foot or two and lower your body toward the floor so your right upper leg is parallel to the floor and your left knee is almost touching the floor. Keep your right knee over your right ankle; if your knee is jutting forward, separate feet more. Step right foot back and repeat. After one set, switch sides and repeat.

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Irresistible. With a four-pound OmniBall strapped to each hand, there’s no limit to how creative your next core workout can be. The added resistance from these directional balls lets you bend and stretch your way to a smaller waist while increasing flexibility and strength. $129.95 (includes carry bag and video); shapeupshop.com

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On the Ball. Find your inner balance, both mentally and physically, with the BOSU Balance Trainer. With a round rubber surface and a flat base, the Balance Trainer helps you work on your abs, lower back, and other core muscles. $99.95; bosu.com

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It’s a Twister. Tighten those abs and brace yourself for a core workout full of twists and turns with the Reebok Coreboard. The board’s adjustable instability forces challenge your reflexes and condition stomach muscles while promoting balance and coordination. $169.95; power-systems.com

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Fire Up the Kettle. Core connoisseurs can create an individualized routine with adjustable-weight kettlebells. The patented plate technology behind US Kettlebells adds some versatility to the tried-and-true Russian bodybuilders’ workout. $149.99; uskettlebells.com

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Back It Up. True fitness buffs know that you need a strong back to stabilize a set of rock-hard abs. The BodyCraft Roman Chair adjusts from flat to 45 degrees and puts gravity on your side, supporting a hyper-extending motion that whittles the waistlines and balances back muscles. $249; dynamicfitness.com