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Registered User
Respect: 1
Posts: 4
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Seattle
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Core Exercises -
01-15-2004, 12:22 AM
Hi everybody.
I've noticed a bit of a trend that I'd like to correct here - there's a lot of arm and upper body exercises (which is great), but I'd like to do a quick section on some good core-strengthening.
In case you didn't know, your core is your whole trunk / abdominal area. It is important in all sports due to it's stabilization utility, as well as its ability to make you fairly solid against upper body impact. The application in bboying is extremely important both for injury prevention and to make your power moves better. Or to allow you do do power moves at all.
First off:
You must be controlled while doing all of these exercises, or you will injure yourself (especially during lower back exercises). If you feel a sudden twinge of pain, stop exercise immediately, ice the affected area, and rest it. If you are not used to doing exercise of this type, go light on the exercise the first day, and gauge a good level of future activity by how sore you are the next day.
Now (Make up your own number of sets and reps):
1. Upper Abs: Primary exercise: Situps
You all know sit-ups, but unless you are doing a complete sit-up (not a crunch), you are mainly only exercising your upper abdominal muscles (the top two in a six pack). And if you are doing a complete sit-up, I'd discontinue that; it's hard on your lower back. It's not bad that you're only doing the upper back, just accept that and emphasize your work on those muscles.
A) Use an incline board at the highest incline
B) If you don't have an incline board, at least do situps with a chair; your feet and calves should be on the chair, your knees at 90 degrees. This helps isolate your muscles.
C) Hold a weight to your chest while you do either of these - it could even just be a gallon jug of water. Whatever you have.
2. Upper Abs: Secondary exercise: Raised planks
A plank is basically the pushup position, except you're on your elbows, and you hold that position for at least a minute. With this variation, put your feet up on a chair before doing this.
3. Lower Abs: Primary exercise: Upright Leg raises
If you have access to a Roman Chair, use it. Otherwise, you can do these leg raises hanging from a bar. Just lift your legs as high as you can while hanging, and slowly lower. If you want to get a greater range of motion, feel free to kick your legs upward in a fast motion (keep your legs straight), but try to hold them at the top, and lower them slowly. If you're using a bar, try to remain as perpendicular to the ground as possible by using your shoulders to keep you straight. If you have ankle weights, use them.
4. Lower Abs: Secondary exercise: Happylegs
Lie on your back, and lift your legs about 3 inches off the ground. Hold them there for at least 45 second, if you need to, you can place your hands under your tailbone to make it more comfortable. At the 45 second mark, start slowly kicking your legs up and down (flutter kick, and don't touch the ground). Do this for 15 seconds.
5. Lower Back: Primary exercise: Reverse situps
Lie on your stomach on a raised surface with your legs braced in the upward direction against something. A couple of chairs will work for this, with your heels under the edge of a table (Make sure the table is heavy enough). Have your whole upper body hanging off of the raised surface (your head should be pointed straight down). Straighten your body to full extension with your hands crossed on your chest. Hold for one second, then lower your upper body. Repeat. You can use weight for this one, but don't use too much. It's easy to injure your lower back, and it sucks when you do.
6. Lower back: Secondary Exercise: Supermans
Lie on your stomach on the ground with your arms stretched forward. Lift your feet and arms off the ground at the same time, and hold for 3 seconds. Your only contact with the ground should be a bit higher than your navel. Repeat.
Note: This next one is really good for a lot of power moves. It's my favorite exercise, but it's really really hard for a lot of people to do.
7. Obliques: Primary Exercise: Windshield wipers
Find some parallel bars (off the ground, about shoulder-width apart). Grab one in each hand, and lift your body so your back is parallel to the ground. Your elbows should be locked at 90 degrees, held tight in to your sides, with your upper arms parallel to the ground. Your waist should be bent at a 90 degree angle as should you knees. It should look like you're sitting in a chair, with your arms on armrests, except you're on your back in the air.
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O-=|---| Oh well, the picture probably just confuses you.
Once you're in this position, slowly twist your lower body CCW, keeping your upper body still, until your left knee touches your right elbow. Then reverse the movement. Repeat. You can also do this with straight legs (which is harder to hold) if you want. Don't twist too far - stay in control.
8. Obliques: Secondary Exercise: Sideplanks
It's just a plank on your side, with only your forearm and foot touching the ground. Hold for a minute, and make sure to do both sides.
9. Obliques: Tertiary Exercise: Twist Crunches
You know these. If you want, you can do bicycles instead.
10. Obliques: Quaternary Exercise: Sideup
If you have weights, hold one in your right hand, place your left hand behind your head (while standing), and keep your knees soft. Lean your upper body to the right side and come back up. Repeat (on both sides). Do these slow; it helps to have a heavy dumbell for this one.
Non-targeted Core Exercises:
11. Frontal abs: Primary exercise: Toe touches
Lie on your back, with you arms stretched above your head. Simultaneously slowly lift your legs and arms off the ground, and touch your fingers to your ankles. You should only be touching the ground with your pelvis, around your tailbone. Lower your arms and legs in a controlled motion, but stop at about 3 inches above the ground. Repeat. If you have one of those balance-bulb things you can do this on it to work on overall core balance. Or you can just put some extremely springy pillows under your tailbone. Stay controlled during this exercise - don't lunge for your ankles.
12. Frontal abs: Secondary exercise: Planks
I already explained this one, but don't forget about it. It's good for strengthening as well as looking sexy.
13. Back and Hips: Primary Exercise: Thrusts
Sit on the ground, with your legs straight out, lean back onto your elbows. Raise your hips as high as you can and bring them back down. Yeah, this one is the air-humping exercise. You can also hold the up position and turn this into a reverse plank if you want.
14. Inner Core: Primary Exercise: Tighttummies
This one is good for injury prevention, and not extremely hard. Lie on your back, you hands on you stomach. Suck your stomach in as far as you can and hold it there (not with your hands). Keep breathing - the diaphram expansion helps work the muscles. Hold it for a bit longer than feels comfortable, then release and repeat.
Final Words:
I purposefully left some exercises off - there are a lot of bad abdominal workouts that have high injury potential. Just make sure you don't hurt yourself. And don't overwork, especially by putting too much weight on while doing one of these exercises. I'd recommend doing at least two strength workouts (Generally primary exercises) and one endurance (generally secondary exercises) per week (and not all on the same day). Have fun, and don't injure yourself because it sucks to be injured.
Let me know what you think (if this is written well), and if these exercises help you along your bboying adventures...
...I hope I didn't forget anything... No I don't think I did...
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Core Exercises
a thing to add,concentrate more on triceps and sholuders.do push ups with fingers poiting to each other or inwwards.
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