Top 10 Core Workouts For Any Athlete

Written by admin on April 17, 2017. Posted in Coaching From Jack

No way around it… if you want a strong core and body you will have to work for it in more ways than one. Try these top 10 core workouts to get a jump start into your training routine and get back in the game with your training regime.

Take healthy back and strengthen your core to support the rest of your body to avoid injury and be a better all around athlete. You can add these various core exercises into your fitness routine 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes after you are done with your cardio training. You will be sore if you are not use to these exercises so make sure to be patient and stay with the process as you will eventually find it easier and gain strength and confidence to implement these exercises everyday.

1. Sit Up Rowers

Sit tall on the mat with your knees bent by your chest and your hands at your sides. Lie down with your knees bent and your palms facing down. Exhale and raise your head and shoulders off the mat. Vigorously pump your arms 6 inches up and down, reaching with your fingertips. Inhale for 5 pumps, then exhale for 5 pumps.

Be sure to curl your chin in toward your chest. Do 100 pumps, or 10 full breaths. Try to keep your lower back pressed in toward the floor and keep y

our lower abs pulled in toward your spine. You should keep your abs engaged this way

throughout the workout.

2. Core With Alternating Ball / Weight

Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent like you’re about to do a sit up. Hold a weight plate straight out in front of your chest and lean back so your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Brace your core as if you’re about to be punched in the gut. Without moving your torso, rotate your arms to the left as far as you can. Pause for three seconds before doing the same on the right.

3. Standard Plank / Side Plank

Lie on your elbows with head facing down and hold your body straight / core strong engaging your abs while the hips are level and butt is down and hold for 30 seconds to a

minute. Plank on your side with your lower arm bent at the elbow. Place lower elbow beneath shoulder and upper hand on hip.

With ankles, hips, shoulders, and head in line, push body toward the ceiling, balancing on edge of bottom foot with feet stacked. Hold for 30 for seconds to one minute. Repeat on opposite side

4. Dynamic Squat With Twist

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms in front of you at shoulder height. Begin by squatting down, bending your knees 90 degrees, and twisting your upper body to the left. Now come up and repeat the exercise to the right.

Keep your weight in your heels and don’t allow your knees to push forward away from your toes. Keep your knees facing forward as your chest and shoulders move side to side. For the best results, bend your knees as close to 90 degrees as possible

5. Mountain Climbers

Start in high plank. Bring right knee to tap right elbow, then return to start. Repeat on opposite side.

6. Leg Lifts / Flutter Kick

Lie face-up with your arms by your side and legs extended away from the body. Raise arms, legs, and torso six inches off floor and begin to flutter legs,

alternating your feet up and down a few inches above the floor. Continue for 30 seconds

7. Bicycle Crunches

Extend your legs into t

he air, like your pedaling a bicycle. You will perform this exercise as a variation on ab crunches. The difference is that you always have both feet off the ground during these bicycle crunches.

This makes bicycle crunches a bit harder, than standard ab crunches. Also, it tends to work the lower abs more. Typically, keeping your legs off the ground works the lower abs. Keeping your legs flat, on the other hand, works the middle abs.

8. Hallow Body Rocks

Lie face-up with legs together, toes pointed, arms extended overhead on floor, palms facing in. Engage core and lift shoulders and feet off floor, creating a banana-like shape with your body. Rock back and forth

9. Bird Dog

Start in tabletop position and simultaneously lift right leg and left arm, kicking straight back through right leg and reaching forward with left arm.

Hold, slowly return to start. Repeat on opposite side.

10. Barbell Roll Out

Start on your knees with a barbell in front of you loaded with 10-pound plates. With a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, push hips forward, keep your arms straight, and push as low as you can without letting your ribs touch the ground. Brace through your core and squeeze your glutes to return to start.