What are advanced core strength training exercises?

The advanced core strength training exercise is a terrific, though somewhat challenging, exercise for your back and entire body:

Kneel on all fours with your back straight. Simultaneously extend your left arm and right leg out straight so that your arm reaches forward as far as possible and your leg extends back. Some people call this the quadruped exercise. Hold the pose for 10 - 15 seconds. Repeat using the opposite leg and arm. Repeat the entire exercise 3 times. If lifting the leg and opposite arm at the same time is too difficult at first, an alternative is to lift one arm, return to neutral, and then lift the opposite leg. Then repeat with the other limbs.

Another good exercise is to lie on your stomach, keeping your back straight and abdominal muscles contracted. Support yourself on your elbows (with your palms face down) and toes. This is commonly called a modified plank position. Hold the position for 15 - 20 seconds. Rest for a few seconds. Repeat 3 times.

A more advanced exercise is to lie on your side and lift yourself up on your elbow. Keep your body straight. While lying on your left side, lift your right hip up into the air. Hold the position and raise your right arm into the air, extending it up to the ceiling. Some people like to look up at their extended hand as they perform this modified side plank exercise. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Repeat the entire exercise 3 times.

The most effective way to engage and strengthen the core is by moving your hands and legs simultaneously. This thought process goes against what many view core exercises to be. When thinking of core exercises, people tend to envision crunches, plank-work, and moves on a stability ball. These exercises do involve challenging the core, but lack many aspects to add efficiency and effectiveness to core training. 

It should be noted that the above mentioned exercises can be utilized in a systematic progressive core training program. On ground training movements build a tremendous foundation due to the muscles relationship to gravity. One could take those exercises and change body position (prone, side-lying, supine), alter the driver (the arms could be reaching, 1 leg at a time, hips moving), or utilize different equipment if progressed properly.

So how do we get the arms and legs to move simultaneously? The individual needs to stand up of course. As always, exercise selection is based on the individual/goals/tasks and when progression is needed. A sample progressive core training program in the upright position could be as follows:

• Lunge w/reaches: The individual can lunge forwards-backwards/side to side/and rotate left & right, while reaching the arms from ground to overhead and anywhere in between. Example - Lunge with your right foot forward while rotating both hand to the right overhead position. 
• Balance with arm/leg drivers: The individual stands on one foot and reaches their opposite leg in any direction desired, while reaching the arms in another direction overhead. Example - Stand on your right foot while reaching your left foot straight forward hovering the ground, and take your arms and reach them overhead at the same time.
• Jumping Jacks w/arms driving in different direction then your feet: Take the standard jumping jack with feet moving away from each other, but instead of the arms reaching overhead and coming together - take both arms at chest height and swing them from left to right. This one will really turn the core on!

The above examples are all designed to get your entire body moving with your extremities moving in different directions all the time. The bodies core has no choice but to turn on and help stabilize the body. The exercises can be progressed or regressed for any individual. A professional coach will be able to modify your core training program for you.

Some great core strengthening exercises are the plank, side plank, and leg lowers.

The plank, positioned face down on your elbows and toes with your body in a straight line, can be advanced by holding the position and extending an arm out, keeping 3 points of your body supporting you. Hold this position as long as you can with the goal of holding the position up to 2 minutes. Another version is to get into plank position and then lift a leg off the floor, once again you will have 3 points of your body in contact with the floor.

Side Planks, on your side on your forearm with feet stacked, press your hip up off the floor, can be advanced by lifting your top leg up towards the ceiling and hold for as long as you can.

Leg lowers are great, if possible use a bench that can be positioned at a downward angle. Lay back on the bench, hands holding on behind your head, both legs are straight up to start, slowly lower one leg down as low as you are able to while maintaining your body position. Bring the leg back to start and repeat on the other side. Go slow and move smoothly.

The key to all three exercises is to maintain a contracted abdominal position, keeping your belly button pulled in towards your spine without changing your lowback position.

Listed below are some advanced core exercises. You need to be sure to work your way up to these exercises so as to protect your spine and your core stabilizers.

• Active Straight Leg Raise
•  Lying Windscreen Wipers
•  Reverse Hypers
• The Plank/Prone Iso-Ab
• Side Iso-Ab with Hip Abduction
• Prone Iso-Ab with Hip Extension

Core strength training involves more than your abs. This training involves developing and integrating the muscles of your trunk, spine, pelvis, and shoulder girdle. Doing exercises unilaterally, standing, or on one leg will vary the involvement of and the effect on your core. Here are three of my favorite advanced core exercises:

Stability Ball Alphabet Planks—this is your standard iso abs/plank with your elbows on a stability ball. Instead of counting, time passes as you trace the letters of the alphabet with your elbows.

Renegade Rows—start in push-up position with your hands gripping a pair of dumbbells or kettle bells. Do a push-up and at the top lift the weight as doing a row. Do these all on one side at a time or alternating based upon your needs or training.

Russian Twists—from a sit-up position with knees bent swing a medicine ball or a dumbbell between your left and right side. Keep the ball or dumbbell low near your legs and hips still as you swing it from you left and right side.

There are a vast amount of different things you can do. It depends on what you have available to you. I think suspension training is great for advanced core strength. This is done through the use of  a TRX or a Jungle Gym or a similar type suspension strap device. These two are the most popular.

You can also use Gliding discs as a source of advanced core strength. These work beautifully! I use this as well as the TRX and I love it.

If all you have is your body weight then you can do something like decline planks. Push up plank with opposite arm and leg extended. Side plank with hip raises are good as well. You can do cross body mountain climbers where you bring your knee up to your opposite elbow. These really target the obliques.

Advanced core strength training exercises should require a greater demand on the stabilization systems and movement systems of the core. These movements typically require the exerciser to have mastered stabilization of the spinal column and lumbar-pelvic-hip complex prior to engaging in more challenging core movements.

If you have been currently performing or have already mastered exercises such as Prone & Side Iso-abs (i.e. - Planks and Side Planks), Bridges, or Quadruped Opposite Arm/Leg Extensions...you might be ready for some of these more advanced progressions.

Please let me know if you need more information on performing these new exercises:

• Standing Cable Chop & Rotation Lift: Primary action of this exercise is rotation, which will help strengthen your obliques, shoulders, and hips.

• Reverse Crunch: Primary action is torso flexion, which will help engage the abdominals in a way that is more intense than doing crunches and without the added neck strain.

• Back Extension w/ Rotation: Primary actions are spine extension and posterior rotation, which will help strengthen the spine and low back as well as the obliques and can be performed either on a ball or back extension bench.

• Medicine Ball Chop: Primary actions are hip extension, hip rotation, and torso rotation. A complex, sport specific move that will actually work your whole body!

If you need more of a visual guide, I will be happy to help modify your coaching section and point you to the necessary videos.

 

There are a lot of great core strength training exercises.  Some of my favorites are the TRX prone roll-out, the TRX hip dip, and the twisting plank.

To perform the TRX prone roll-out, utilizing the suspension system, kneel facing anchor point; hold both handles at hip height; the closer the handles are to the ground the harder the resistance will be.  Press down on handles; roll forward on knees, extending arms straight in front as far as comfortable while keeping shoulders and hips stable; return to start positions by pressing down on handles and engaging core muscles; perform 12 to 16 repetitions.

To perform the TRX Hip Drop stand sideways to anchor point; hold handles overhead; step forward with inside leg and align feet; lean away from the anchor point placing tension on the cables.  Drop outside hip down and away from the anchor point; move through a comfortable, slow & controled range of motion; return to starting position by contracting your core muscles.  Perform 12 to 16 repetitions on each side.

To perform the twisting plank, start in a full pushup position; bend and bring your right knee in towards your chest rotating your torso to bring your right knee towards your left shoulder; bring your right knee back to starting position and while keeping it bent  rotate your leg opening up your hip so your right inner thigh is parallel with the ground while performing a pushup; return to starting position and repeat on left side.  Perform 10 to 12 repetitions total.

 

If you are advanced then you surely know about planks, side planks, and bridges.  A great way to advance these already challenging exercises will be to do the following:

• Planks – While in the plank position, lift one leg and hold.  This will require additional balance and stability which will make your abdominals work just a little harder, be sure to switch legs.  Want more?  Take your feet and have them wider then shoulder width, take on arm and extend it, lining it up with your ear!  If you find this to be easy then please contact me so I can make it even harder!
• Side planks – While in the side plank position, lift your top leg up in the air.  Want more?  Not only lift your top leg but extend your body so you are now on your hand as compared to balancing your weight between your wrist and elbow.
• Bridge – Do a single-leg bridge.  Take one leg and hug it tight into your chest.  Complete the bridge and feel the difference.  Want more?  Put that single leg on a bosu ball and have fun!