Core Question

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Core Question
17
Wed, 11-30-2005 - 11:58am

This is from Millcreek:


Can I substitute my ab exercises for core exercises?






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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Wed, 11-30-2005 - 12:12pm

As my resist-a-ball teacher put it, if you take off your head, your arms and your legs, the muscles you have left are your "core". So, doing abs crunches is working your core.






iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Wed, 11-30-2005 - 12:52pm

If you add an element of instability to any exercise you do, you are also working your core. IMO, ab work is a waste of time because core work is tremendously more functional.

Try a forward reach. Stand on one leg and reach forward to touch the ground. Come back up without letting your foot touch the ground. Repeat 12 times and switch to the other side.

Try single leg squats or deadlifts. Same idea.

Try doing a pike with a stability ball or do a BOSU tilt. Turn the flat side up and get yourself into a plank position with hands spread far apart on the flat side. Using your core, tilt the BOSU so it goes in a circle.

Avatar for tkd_jo
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Wed, 11-30-2005 - 12:59pm

From the classes that I am taking to strengthen the core, I would say that the first thing you have to remember is that core is not synonomous with abs. So when you are working your core while working other muscles you are not always working your abs as much as if you were doing targeted ab work. So if you looking to have nice rock hard abs you really can't stop doing targeted ab work. In my class some of the exercises that we do are going to work your abs a lot and then some work your back a lot and then some are a combo. There are a lot of different things you can do to work your abs besides crunches, such as plank work. There are side planks, plank pose with your elbows on the floor and regular plank. Also, boat pose is a good one (yoga).

Jody

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Wed, 11-30-2005 - 1:00pm

How far do you reach when you tuoch the floor in front?






iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Wed, 11-30-2005 - 1:04pm

That's exactly what I meant in my long winded way!






iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Wed, 11-30-2005 - 2:18pm
You don't really need to reach very far. Just reach down and touch the floor like you're picking up something. When this gets easy, I'll put post-its down on the floor in a clock configuration (post-its go on 9, 12, and 3) and have them touch them in a particular order. When that gets easy, I'll use 6 post-its and make a random configuration.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Wed, 11-30-2005 - 2:34pm
Sounds good!





iVillage Member
Registered: 05-01-2003
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Wed, 11-30-2005 - 4:55pm
Thanks, guys.
Avatar for tkd_jo
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Thu, 12-01-2005 - 9:17am

It is a yoga pose in which you make sure you are sitting on your sit bones with bent knees and lift your feet off the floor with your knees and toes touching. Your heels are not touching. You lean back but not so much so that you are no longer on your sit bones. Keeping your back straight you release your arms putting them straight out in front at the sides of your legs. You can straighten your legs as long as you keep upright and not collapse in your back. We hold it for five breaths and usually do five of them. It is definitely challenging.

Jody

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
In reply to: cl_jeanwl
Thu, 12-01-2005 - 11:31am

It sounds like a slow V sit?

Jean,






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