“Too much of a good thing” is an old trope for a reason — it happens all the time in life. A slice of birthday cake? Good. Blowing through a whole sheet cake by yourself while fretting over . . . well, everything going off the rails in the world today? Bad. Very bad.
So it goes with abdominal training, too — more is not always better.
“The most common error I see is people focusing on an extremely high number of reps of classic crunches instead of looking at their core as a whole,” says Aimee Nicotera, MS, health coach and virtual fitness studio owner. “Instead of only focusing on movements that result in ‘feeling the burn,’ I’d suggest a more basic and functional approach to developing and shaping your entire core.”
What does she mean?
“When people think about working their ‘core,’ they often focus only on the abdominals,” Nicotera explains. “But the core also includes the shoulder girdle, the trunk and the pelvic girdle, so movements that require stabilization from all these areas are fantastic for core strengthening.”
The following five moves are a great “clean slate” start to accomplish that feat. This basic core workout, designed by Nicotera for Oxygen, should be done in place of your current routine once or twice per week on nonconsecutive days. You’ll just need a clear open space, a small selection of dumbbells and kettlebells, and a mat, if desired. You’ll run through each movement three times, 10 reps per set.
“Improving your core strength is so important, and not just for aesthetics,” Nicotera adds. “It provides stability for the spine. It connects our upper and lower body and allows for the transfer of force between the two. It really is our power center and is involved in everything we do.”
The Back-to-Basics Core Workout
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