You hear it said all the time: "engage your core", at which point you might think about sucking your tummy in but are likely to forget again after a few mins - it's natural, every one does, especially when it's a really tough workout and all you're concentrating on is not dying!!
However, your core is actually more than your stomach it is also your glutes (bum) and back - all the muscles which support your trunk and allow movement of your limbs. This means that when you're building your core you need to focus on all of these areas.
I had someone say to me once "I love lifting heavy" and then in almost the same breath "oh my core is terrible!", this horrified me and if you take nothing else from this blog take this: your core is by far THE MOST important thing to ensure is strong. It is the point from which all movement is supported. If you don't strengthen your core and engage it whenever you're working then you leave yourself open to risk of injury and lower back pain.
When looking at your tummy: there are 3 layers of muscles to train, which must be recruited in the right order. You begin waking up the deepest layer and work your way out. I like to include a short plank of 15 - 30 seconds at the start of a workout (depending on clients ability) in order to wake these muscles up as well as turning on the glutes. If a plank isn't quite right, then the alternative would be to lie on your back, squeeze your tummy and bum, then slowly march your legs. To be clear, this is purely to 'wake up' the muscles, NOT to train them to fatigue, it's best to smash this out at the very end of a workout, otherwise they won't be working to support you during your session, leaving you open to injury.
For your back, I like to do extensions at the beginning of a workout and then train it for strength during.
I've had a think about which are my top moves for training your core and here are my top 5:
(I will also film an instructional video of them for my IG page)
Plank - there are loads of options with a plank but the most straight forward is to just hold it. These are great because you need to engage your glutes as well and it targets those deep core muscles that support your spine.
Back extension/ superman - this is a lovely one, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting over a desk or slumping forward.
Glute bridge - I bang on about these all the time. I think it's fairly safe to say that I'm pretty obsessed! But I absolutely love how they make your glutes burrrrrn!
Mountain climbers - so so good for recruiting those deep muscles but also for getting into the more superficial area too and working those abs! Especially if you do these slooow. Make sure to keep those shoulders down away from your ears though.
Renegade rows - like climbers and glute bridges, I'm slightly obsessed by these too, as not only do they challenge your core as you're holding yourself in a plank but they also work your back! The challenge is to move as little as possible when you're bringing your elbow up
Tip - perform these moves slowly (except of course a static plank because you're not moving!), it's much harder but means you can really focus on correct technique and building endurance.
Remember to keep your tummy button to your spine and squeeze your bum cheeks together as though you're trying to keep a pencil there the whole time :).
One last point because I feel it is an important one. I haven't mentioned them above but sit-ups/ crunches are very popular. I see so many people performing them by curling their head up, which puts pressure on your neck. When you're performing them, try to think of the movement being initiated from your chest. Your hands are held either side of your head with finger tips just touching your ears (at no point are you holding your head), then imagine being pulled up from the centre of your chest, keeping your head in the same position as it was when you were lying on the floor. Don't forget to pull that belly button to your spine of course!
I hope this is helpful. If you have any questions at all, just ping me an email. I'd be happy to help.
Claire x
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