Strengthen your core muscles at home. Core muscles: exercises to strengthen it

The core muscles are a collection of different muscles located in the waist and pelvis area. These muscles stabilize the spine, pelvis, hips and form the abdominal muscle corset. Word core comes from the English “core” - core, core, center. The core muscles are the center of muscle activity in our body.

I'm sure you've heard this phrase more than once - core muscles, but you have no idea what it is. Meanwhile, the core is the most important part of the muscular system, the transmission of the body, technically speaking.

What muscles belong to the core muscles?

The core muscles are the most important muscles in the middle of the body: obliques, rectus abdominis, gluteal muscles, back extensors, hamstrings, and many other muscles adjacent to the pelvic bones and hips (see).

The main function of the core muscles is to stabilize the spine, pelvis, hips, maintain an upright body position, transfer force from the legs to the body and arms (impacts, lifting heavy objects, carrying loads). In addition, the muscles that are part of the core system also perform their individual functions: lifting the legs forward and to the sides, bending the body, moving the legs back, straightening the spine, twisting the body forward and to the sides, breathing movements, etc.

Look at the picture below. It shows only the outer layer of muscles belonging to the core. But this is enough to understand that the core is by no means just the abdominal muscles. This is a much larger array of muscles that are interconnected anatomically and functionally. That is, they help each other when moving the body. And only their coordinated work makes you truly strong, fit, and beautiful.

Here are just a few body parameters that directly depend on the condition of your core muscles:

• Presence of a belly (the weaker the core muscles, the more likely it is to have a belly)
• Posture and chest shape
• Condition of the spine, absence of pain and curvature
• Hip Health
• Condition of the genitourinary system and all related problems (especially in women)
• Health of the digestive and excretory (kidney) systems
• Ability to exhibit explosive power and sheer strength throughout the body
• The ability to quickly move the body (important in martial arts and many team sports)
• Balance (core muscles perform an important stabilizing function)
• Displacement of internal organs

How do the core muscles work?

If you have even a passing knowledge of how a car works, you know that there are a number of ingenious mechanical devices to transfer rotational force from the engine to the wheels - shafts, clutch discs, gearbox, more shafts, driveshafts, differential gears, and so on.

Our body works in a similar way when it is necessary to transfer force from the legs to the arms and body, and vice versa. We need a controlled, strong and flexible transmission, which is exactly what our core muscles are.

By the way, when do we need this transfer of force from the legs to the arms and vice versa? Yes, almost all the time! This is the most natural process in human life. Maintaining balance, walking, applying effort to objects, carrying heavy objects (including your loved one in your arms), and so on. And if you are involved in team sports or martial arts, core muscle training is the core of your entire physical training.

The core is the center of muscular activity throughout the body. And its well-developed and coordinated components are a guarantee of overall strength, endurance, mobility and agility. And, of course, good health.

Core Balance

I must say that what is important is not only and not so much the strength of individual core muscles, but the balance in the strength of different components, as well as their flexibility and the ability to use them in combination (and not in isolation from each other, as other “abs gurus” teach you). Regarding flexibility, I would like to clarify that for some muscles flexibility is important, while for others, on the contrary, shortening is important in order to maintain stability in the joints. This circumstance should always be taken into account in flexibility programs. By the way, if you stretch your abdominal muscles too hard, you risk getting a nice bulging belly. Did not know?

Now look what happens in the body if you train only the abs, as some would-be trainers often recommend.

Frequent and intense training of the rectus abdominis muscle, especially in the form of crunches or twists (with plates on the chest) will quickly lead to hypertrophy and, accordingly, shortening of this muscle. The consequence will be the emergence of an imbalance in the entire core system. If all other components of the core system do not develop accordingly, the following will appear: pain in the back and hip joints, loss of coordination, loss of dexterity, displacement of internal organs, digestive problems, impaired technique in global strength exercises (squats, deadlifts, bench press). Enough?

I have personally seen how clumsy and awkward people become from over-specialized ab training. They are constantly beaten in the ring, and they are the ones who go to the doctor more often than others for back pain...

What to do?

Train your core, not your abs! There are a lot of special exercises and complexes for this (at the end of the article I give a link to the exercises). And, hand on heart, I can say that If your training program does not include training the core muscles (and not just the abs), it is incomplete. Whatever goals you pursue.

By the way, if you train your core, and not your abs, the notorious six-pack will not go away from you. Only they will be real (not decorative) and will last a long time.

Your exercise program should consist of at least 20% core exercises.

Core exercises

The exercises below are specifically aimed at developing various core muscles. This, of course, is not a complete list, but I tried to select the most characteristic and useful exercises.

ANTERIOR CORE MUSCLES

These muscles are located on the front of the body and hips: hip flexors, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, gluteus minimus. The anterior core muscles are somehow associated with bending the body and lifting the legs.

Lying straight leg raises

This is a very special exercise for the core muscles, as I give it to people with insufficient lumbar lordosis and problems with posture (slouching). Please note that during the exercise your head should be raised above the floor. This is an important element of training the neck muscles, helping to cope with slouching.

The leg raise exercise will be performed while lying on a sports mat. Your arms should be placed at your sides and used as counterweights to your legs. You can hold your head with them or hold on to a support. If it is difficult to lift your legs, bend them slightly at the knees. If you feel tension in your lower back, this exercise is not for you.

Sitap

Sitap is one of the best exercises for beginners. It usually happens even in people who are not very athletic. Especially if you fasten your legs.

Perform the exercise on a thick sports mat. From a lying position on your back with your legs bent and your arms extended towards your head, sharply raise your body to a sitting position. Then slowly return to the lying position. Perform 15-20 repetitions.

LATERAL CORE MUSCLES

These muscles provide sideways twisting and lateral bending of the body. They also stabilize the body when walking and running, help raise your leg to the side and stand on one leg.

Oblique crunches

The oblique crunch exercise develops the abdominal muscles and oblique abdominal muscles. And they are a very good stretch for the spine. Beginners often have difficulty performing this exercise precisely because they lack flexibility. But as you master the exercise, your flexibility will definitely improve! So are your core muscles!

Oblique twists are performed while lying on the floor with your legs bent to the side. First you need to perform 15-20 twists in this position, and then change the position of your legs and do the same number of twists on the other half of the body.

Side plank

This is one of the best exercises for the core muscles, as it develops not only the side muscles (obliques), but also strengthens the back muscles along the entire spine.

The side plank is performed on the mat, standing on the elbow of one hand. It is necessary to hold in this position for at least 30-60 seconds. And then change position, standing on the elbow of the other hand and holding on for the same amount of time.

BACK MUSCLES CORE

The posterior core extends the body and pulls the legs back, keeps the back straight, helps lift heavy objects off the floor, and protects our spine.

This exercise perfectly develops the gluteal muscles and the back of the thighs, which are precisely the muscles of the posterior core. Strengthens the lower back.

To perform a glute bridge, you need to lie on your back and bend one leg at the knee. Perform lifts first on one leg and then on the other.

Exercise boat

This exercise perfectly trains the back muscles along the spine. The muscles of the buttocks also develop well.

The boat is performed lying face down. Your arms can be stretched along the body, spread to the sides or extended forward towards the head. Do smooth lifts of the body and straight legs.

How to pump up your core muscles?

One way or another, your workouts should include exercises for all three parts of the core muscles: front, side and back. 1-2 exercises for each part are enough. Exercises should be performed in 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions. And hold the side plank for at least 30 seconds per approach.

You should train your core muscles no more than 3 times a week, every other day.

So, you have learned what the core muscles are. And now you know why they are so important and how to pump them up. I wish you successful training! And I recommend reading the articles via the links. They have a lot of additional useful information about the core muscles.

Are some exercises too hard?! Strengthen your core muscles and the results will improve.

For many, the first thing that comes to mind is that the core muscles are a flat stomach and a 6-pack, in reality the core muscles are a large number of muscle fibers that literally encircle the entire torso of the body. Therefore, the idea of ​​how to strengthen your core muscles will be useful from ordinary amateurs in everyday life to professional fighters.

Training the muscles surrounding the core is usually relegated to the background and is performed at the end of the workout, when the body's strength is almost gone, if it is done at all.

Based on the fact that the core muscles are useful in performing flexion and extension for ordinary household chores, their weakened condition entails the risk of injury to the spine and lower back, especially under load, making the issue of strengthening the core muscles a priority and important.

CORE MUSCLES- consist of muscle fibers that cover the spine and abdominal region, partially covering the hip region, transverse, internal and external muscles, reaching the thoracic region and diaphragm.

The core muscles stabilize the body during physical activity, reducing the risk of injury.

Why are core muscles needed?

The benefits of core muscles in daily life are as follows:

1.IMPROVE BALANCE AND COORDINATION– the core muscles support the body and improve the body’s mobility, increasing performance and reducing the risk of injury.

2.SUPPORTING THE SPINE AND REDUCING BACK PAIN– people with a sedentary lifestyle, especially office workers, often violate their posture, rounding their backs and becoming slouched, this causes pain, turning it into chronic pain. Strong core muscles support a straight back, ensuring correct posture and reducing pain.

3.CORRECT POSTURE– excellent physical shape of the core muscles, ensures the maintenance of correct posture, while preventing back and neck pain.

4. RESISTANCE TO INJURY– when the spine is entwined with strong muscles, the possibility of injuring it is sharply reduced, the same applies to a fall at a more mature age, in this case there is less chance of injury to the main core of the body.

Core muscles exercises

Set aside 1 separate day for strengthening or use the exercises below, between the main sets of exercises, using a set. The set of exercises is as follows:

The core muscles include all the muscles in the midsection, including the front and side abdominal muscles, back muscles and thigh muscles. Strengthening your core muscles is one of the best ways to get in shape. These muscles will make walking more efficient and will also improve performance in many other sports. Whether you're recovering from an injury or trying to take your athletic performance to the next level, improving your balance and core strength will help you stay flexible and strong.

Steps

Work on the core muscles in a lying position

During each workout, try to engage the transverse abdominis muscle. To get the most out of your chosen muscle strengthening regimen, try to target that transverse muscle (the deepest muscle in your core). Once you find it, keep the muscle contracted and tense throughout the workout.

1. Stretching with segmental rotation. Segmental rotations (rotating the core along the spine) can help develop different core muscle groups with relatively little strain. Start by lying on your back, then bend your knees and bring your legs as close to your buttocks as possible so that you can easily reach them. Keep your shoulders pressed to the floor and focus only on lower body movements.

   • Tighten your abdominal muscles and slowly lower both knees toward the floor on one side. Lower your knees only to the extent that is comfortable for you - you should feel a strong stretch, but it should not cause pain.
   • Hold this position for three breaths, then return to the starting position. Move your knees to the other side, hold the position for three breaths and repeat.

2. Try balancing on one leg. It will reinforce the weight shifting exercise and will further help develop your balance and strength. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and distribute your weight evenly across both feet.

   • Place your hands on your hips and lift one leg up, then bend your knee and extend that leg behind you.
   • Hold this position for 30 seconds or as long as you can comfortably maintain your balance. Then return to the starting position and switch sides.

3. Take a balance and core strengthening class. There are many activities that can help you work on both. Tai Chi works on balance and movement control. Yoga combines breathing, balance, meditation and stretching to work a wide range of muscle groups, including the core.

   • You can find out about classes like this at your local gym, yoga studio, community center or university.
   • Try a few different types of activities and find out which ones you like best.

4. Use a balancing platform. There are several different types of these platforms (also called wobble boards) that can help you work your abdominal muscles. The most common of these are platforms that move forward and backward, as well as spherical platforms that move evenly in all directions. You can use the balance platform while sitting on your knees or even standing. The most common exercises on the board:

   • Side to Side Swing - Keep your feet firmly on the board and move your body from side to side while maintaining balance.
   • Forward Backward Swing - Sit, kneel, or simply stand on a board and slowly swing back and forth while maintaining your balance.
   • Circles - Sit, kneel, or simply stand on a board and make slow, controlled circles.

   Muscle Strengthening Equipment

   Train your abdominal muscles with a fitball. These balls can help you practice muscle-strengthening poses that might otherwise be awkward or difficult. Choose a ball large enough that you can sit on it but still keep your feet firmly planted on the floor. With each exercise, tighten your abdominal muscles and do five repetitions, gradually increasing the number as you build strength. The most common abdominal exercises with a fitball:

   • Backbends - sitting on the ball, keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight; Cross your arms, lean back as comfortably as possible until you feel your abs tense, then hold this position for three breaths.
   • Ball Lift - Lie on your back with your feet on either side of the ball; lift the ball, squeezing it between your shins and pulling your navel toward your spine, and hold the exercise ball above you for three breaths.

The core muscles are a whole group on which the stabilization of the spinal and hip regions depends on a certain set of muscles called the core muscles.

These include the following muscles:

• Transverse, oblique and rectus abdominis muscles;
• Coracobrachialis muscle;
• Adductor muscle;
• Gluteus medius and minimus;
• infraspinatus muscle;
• Muscles of the back of the thigh.

Some interesting facts about the core muscles:

1. A special feature of the muscles of this group is that they are strengthened even when a person does not move. This happens because they, despite the rest of the skeletal muscles, do not move the bones. The job of the core muscles is to keep the spine, pelvis and hips in a stable position. Therefore, exercises that help strengthen your core muscles will cause some discomfort.
2. The improvement of the spinal region and the formation of healthy posture entirely depends on strengthening the core. Therefore, to keep your back straight and your abs pumped, you need to work on your posture. When working at a computer, be sure to maintain control over your position:

• lower your shoulders and move them back a little;
• do not cross one leg over the other;
• Tighten your stomach;
• Do not tilt your body forward.

1. As a result of various complex movements, core contraction occurs. When they work, the force flows through the arms and legs to the base of the blow, to the dumbbells or barbell. The consequence of a weakened center is weak teams. During bench presses or squats, there is a possibility of a decrease in performance, so it is very important to focus on the core itself.

Core training strengthens the core area of ​​the body and forms a secure foundation around the spine. Once upon a time, such training was taken as exercises intended for the transverse abdominal muscle, because this muscle is the muscular layer of the abdominal wall, stabilizing the internal organs, forming a beautiful waist, and regulating the lumbar region.

Exercise technique

Core muscle training is a good way to strengthen many of the regulatory muscles (mostly strengthening the transverse abdominal muscle), which perform micro-movements when performing exercises where you need to balance all the time.

Most of the exercises are performed in a stationary position. It is important that attention is focused on the lower abdominals, as well as supporting the lumbar spine.

Want more? Try the most effective ones.

Core muscle training: theoretical foundations and set of exercises

The second part with more complex exercises for the core muscles

The more important point is the execution of the exercises than the repetitions and approaches themselves. You need to achieve absolute muscle fatigue.

The technique of execution is of great importance: it makes it possible to reduce the risk of injury and gradually increase results.

Core strengthening exercises

To strengthen your core muscles, use the following exercises.

Bridge

IP: take a position lying on your back, bend your legs at the knees, place them on the floor closer to your buttocks. Place your hands behind your head, along your body or on the floor.

Raise your hips to the maximum height, and never bend your lower back. The buttocks and core should be tense. Start with pelvic lifts, then slowly increase the duration of holding the body at maximum height.

Plank

I. p.: in a position lying on your stomach, place your elbows and forearms on the floor. The elbows should be placed clearly under the shoulders, and the elbow joint should form an angle of 90 degrees.

Raise your body until it is parallel to the floor. The support will be your toes, forearms and fists. To avoid injury, do not bend your lower back, tighten the muscles of your buttocks and abdominals, and tighten your stomach (this will give the pelvis the opportunity to be in the correct position, and keep the body parallel to the floor and tuck the tailbone inward). If the technique is violated, you should stop for a few minutes and then continue again.

Side bends with dumbbells

I. p.: you need to stand straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart, take a dumbbell in your left hand so that your palm faces inward towards your body. Fix your right hand on your belt.

Inhale, tilt to the right as low as possible. Keep your back straight while performing. Stay in this position, count to 3, and then take the starting position. It is important to perform the movement only from the waist.

Taking the dumbbell in your right hand, repeat this exercise on the left side.

The following exercises will help build a stronger core in women.

One leg bridge

I. p.: take a position lying on your back, legs shoulder-width apart, located as close to the buttocks as possible, arms along the body or behind the head.

Raise your hips to their maximum height, without bending your lower back. Be sure to tense your core and buttocks. Raise your right leg, aligning it at the knee. The raised leg together with the body should create a straight line. Do the same exercise for your left leg.

Side plank

I. p.: take a position lying on your side, leave your legs together, rest your forearm on the floor, and place your elbow under the shoulder joint. Bend your other arm and rest it on your side.

Raise the pelvis until the shoulders, center of the body and legs create a straight line. In this position, fix your body and strain your buttocks and abdominals. Do the same for the other side.

The training should be conducted twice a week with an interval of 3 days. The core program should last from 4 to 10-12 weeks, then it needs to be replaced by another. This program is designed to pump up your core muscles.

The core muscles are muscle group that provides spine stabilization, as well as the pelvic part of the skeleton and hips and forms a kind of corset covering the lower half of the body.

Formative muscles and functions

The word “core” came into Russian from English (core), and is translated as center, core. It transfers force between the upper and lower body. The core is not only the abs, but also the area around the spine, in the groin. This group includes the following muscles:

• - oblique, transverse, straight;
• buttocks - small and medium;
• back of the thigh;
• infraspinatus;
• coracobrachial;
• leading.

The condition of these muscles depends on:

• presence and size of the abdomen;
• posture;
• chest shape;
• spine and hip health;
• the functioning of various body systems - genitourinary, especially in women, digestive, excretory;
• strength - body, explosive;
• ability to maintain balance;
• movement speed;
• correct position of internal organs.

Back and stomach suffer

Athletes who engage in bodybuilding and powerlifting believe that their back needs to be constantly strengthened.

When this part of the muscle corset is weakened, posture and the spine suffer, which loses support, and the likelihood of injury increases.

The transverse abdominis muscle is the deepest muscle in the abdominal wall and is responsible for holding the internal organs, and also makes the waist slimmer and stabilizes the lower back. In addition, training has a beneficial effect on the outflow of venous blood from internal organs.

Any complex movement begins with the core, which at the next stage is transferred to the hands. That's why poor development of the area is the cause of low performance when performing compound exercises- presses, squats, pull-ups. This last statement often makes me smile. But one of the confirmations of the correctness of these words is the peculiarity of pregnant women: they cannot do pull-ups on the horizontal bar because the abdominal area is relaxed.

How to strengthen your core?

Initially, it was believed that to strengthen the core it was enough to tone the transverse abdominal muscle. But this is not true. So, when training only this area, an imbalance occurs in the entire muscle area. Then pain appears in the back and hip joints, dexterity and coordination are lost, internal organs are displaced, etc. Therefore it is necessary to work the entire muscle group.

The core can be strengthened without a single movement. The phenomenon is explained by the fact that these structures do not control the bones. They have a different task - to stabilize the pelvis, spine, and hips in a safe position.

For this reason, core strengthening exercises are difficult to perform due to postural instability. And for the training to be successful, you need to remember a few rules in accordance with which the exercises should be performed.

• attention is focused on the lower abs and stabilization of the lumbar spine;
• It is not the number of approaches and repetitions that is important, but the feeling of muscle fatigue;
• Before you begin intensive training, you should master the technique of performing each movement - this will avoid injury.

The frequency of training is twice a week. The program is effective for 4-10 weeks, after which it is gradually changed by introducing new exercises. Number of repetitions - 8-15, 2-4 sets.

How to pump up your core?

“Pumping up” a zone requires the following rules:

• You should alternate between strength, strengthening, cardio and stretching exercises;
• the technique must periodically change and become more complex;
• it is important to change the speed, number of repetitions, reduce pauses between approaches;
• The program is updated twice a month, adding new exercises.

Exercises

One of the most powerful is the front plank, which was borrowed from yogis and is suitable for men and women. To perform this you do not need special equipment or special training conditions.

Starting position (IP): on the floor, resting your forearms and toes on the floor, placing your limbs shoulder-width apart. The back is kept straight, the pelvis is in line with the shoulders and heels. It’s easier to control your body position if you place a gymnastic stick on top, which should touch the head, upper back and pelvis. In this position, you need to feel the tension.

When performing the front plank, not only the core works, but also the muscles of the lower extremities, chest, and shoulders. To complicate the task, the straight leg is pulled up - then the body rests on three points, and the load increases.

The basic version of this exercise is an extended arms stand. The position is the same, but with the difference that they rest their palms on the floor, pull in their stomach, trying to pull the abdominal muscles towards the spine.

To obtain a stable result, regularity is important. Therefore, you need to make yourself a schedule and stick to it.

You can develop an entire program with variations of the plank - this is already an excellent workout at home.

Its one universal option, which is suitable for both men and women, is a boat. To do this, lie face down and lift your arms and legs off the floor at the same time. Stay for a few seconds in the upper amplitude and then lower the limbs.

Complex for women

The following exercises are suggested to strengthen the core.

There are several types of hyperextension, and they are all equally beneficial. They can be gradually included in the program, increasing the complexity. For example, to get a greater load, the legs are taken out from behind the roller one by one.

Watch the video complex.

Complex for men

Representatives of the stronger half of humanity usually benefit from the same exercises as women, but in a more complicated version.

• Front plank with raised arm. We have already discussed above the version of the stand with a raised leg. Here the starting position is the same, but the straight arm is raised. This version is even more difficult.

  Gymnastic wheel. I.P. - kneeling, hands with a wheel in front of him, resting on the floor. Holding the projectile, pump it into a lying position, without moving your knees, and touch your chest to the floor. Then they move in the opposite direction, rolling the wheel to their feet.

Hyperextension with weights is effective in the gym. The exercise is performed in the same way as in the “female” version, only you take a barbell plate (start with the smallest weight) or dumbbells in your hands.

Before using any weights, you need to clearly master the technique in its simplest form, otherwise back injuries are possible.




If you have problems with the spine, they suggest trying reverse hyperextension. To do this, the athlete lies with his stomach on the bench and raises his lower limbs. This also relieves stress on the knee joints.

Leg abduction is also performed on the simulator. Exercise useful for men because it prevents inflammation of the prostate. This not only works the inner surface of the thigh, but also improves blood supply to the pelvic organs. The task is to smoothly, without jerking, bring and spread the legs bent at the knees, trying to achieve maximum amplitude.

Training video.


As you can see, core exercises often do not require special equipment and can be performed even at home. With regular exercise, pleasant metamorphoses can be noticed after 2-3 months.