How many times today did you reach, twist, turn, bend or lunge? I bet you performed these movements more times than you think you did. We don’t often consider the muscles involved in everyday movements, such as reaching for a box on a high shelf, or stooping to pick up a small child, but both of these examples require a strong core, which involves the muscles surrounding and supporting your spine and connecting limbs to your torso. Whether these muscles are strong or weak can mean the difference between picking the child up with ease, or sustaining an injury.

To properly work the core, take your abdominal routine off the floor. Isolated contraction of the abdominal muscles, such as when performing crunches while lying on the floor, are helpful for strengthening and toning abdominal muscles, but crunches really don’t mimic real-life movement all that well.

Engaging all of the muscles that surround and support the spine (the spinal erectors, obliques, and abdominal muscles) by performing exercises in all of the planes of motion and with a variety of equipment will improve posture, help you move more efficiently, and make everyday activity much easier.

The following conditioning workout hits the core from all directions and with a variety of equipment. Try integrating a few of these moves into your regular strength training program, or do them all for a more synergistic routine.

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Intermediate Core Galore


* Note: Blue Sky Gym and the author disclaim any liability for any injury, physical or emotional, suffered during or as a result of exercise or activities recommended. As always, you should use common sense and consult your health professional before beginning any exercise routine or program.

Remember hooking your feet under the couch and cranking out 20 full sit-ups, thinking this was the route to six-pack abs? Exercise physiologists realized sit-ups worked the hip flexors more than the abs, and put you at risk for lower back injury. This “new” information piloted the ab crunch movement, which promised a safer, more effective route to strong, flat abs. And five million crunches later, you might be wondering if and when those six-pack abs will emerge.

The core is the “power house” of body, and training it properly makes daily living much easier, as well as certain activities (running, golf, tennis, and other recreational sports). The latest research in core conditioning indicates that the most direct route to a strong, fit, flexible mid-section combines a wide-variety of exercises that work not only the rectus abdominis, but all of the musles that act like a girdle around your mid-section: the transversus abdominis, internal and external obliques, spinal erectors, intercostals, iliopsoas and quadratus lumborum. All of these muscles have specific roles in flexing and extending the spine.

A strong core enables you to move through life with easy and stay injury free, and enhances sport performance (think golf, running, tennis…). Begin your conditioning program with 2-3 days of training per week, utilizing 6-7 core exercises, 12-15 reps each.

This Intermediate Core Conditioning program is a good place to start if you are currently fit and would like to improve core strength.

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Intermediate Core Galore
(Click on image to view this workout…)

Here are a few helpful resources for getting started, and remember, if you are new to exercise – get your physician’s “all clear” first.

• Core Power DVD, by Peter Twist

• Athletic Abs, book by Scott Cole and Tom Seabourne

• Ace Fitness Exercise Library
This health/fitness website’s exercise library has specific, easy to learn exercises that target the abs and back.