Core training
CORE TRAINING
First, I’d like to thank Beng Beng for having me as one of his guest bloggers. For this post I’d like to touch on one of the basics of training. I was introduced to weight training 17 years ago by my husband. I was very lucky to have him to show me the basics as that was the foundation I use to build my knowledge on. The world of fitness and nutrition are evolving all the time with techniques and information constantly being updated. So, even after all these years, I am still learning.
One of the basics is core training. Core is the underlying muscles that wrap around your torso from abs to back like a built in corset. They keep everything in and tight. Keep you upright and stable. When your core is weak, it puts stress on your lower back which can cause back pain. Postures and techniques are important to the core too. One thing to keep in mind when strength training is quality not quantity. Performing an exercise in proper form is more important than how many reps or how heavy you can go. It helps prevent injuries and putting unnecessary stress on your joints.
Core training has been getting a lot of attention lately due to I think the rising popularity of the sport of mix martial arts. There is quite a number of new equipment out in recent years, too. To train your core you don’t necessary need special equipment. Below are some exercises you can do almost anywhere. Pick any one to incorporate into your regular abs training. (We took these pics in our home gym. First time posing for an exercise. Hope to get better at it.)
The Plank
This is one of the most popular exercises. Start with holding this move for 10 seconds and work your way up to 1 minute. Make sure your hips do not sag or it will put stress on your lower spine. Keep your abs tight throughout. When it gets easy to do the 1 minute you can kick it up a notch by placing your feet on a bench. The higher the bench the harder it will be.
The move below is more advanced which involves using the Swiss ball.
Start by placing your feet on the ball and tighten your abs for stability. Keep your abs tight throughout the move. Slowly pull your feet toward your head. Hold for 1 second and slowly go back to the start position and here is the fun part, you get to repeat the whole thing over!
Happy Training!
Bengbeng | Guest blogger, gym, jellina
it looks fun n manageable. i will start with the plank. i went around town n saw some balls though the ones i saw were a little smaller. might consider buying one. will start with the plank first. there r lots of this type of balls in Class A gym in Kampung Datu.
Wow…You have really slim tummy. My beer belly almost look like Chai Shen (Chinese’s God of Prosperity) liau lor. He he..
You must have worked lots of efforts and time to achieve that. Great work out!
wow.. you have really great figure but all the steps looks so hard xpecially for someone who has not done any exercise for the past decade.. What is the bestt exercise to start with for beginners?
Beng: Hope u can find a suitable size swiss ball for your height. Good luck.
Willchua: Ya, i work out 6 days a wk. My workout is more advanced as my body adjust easily so i have to change things up a lot. For my 41 b-day, i wanted my abs to show and it took me WEEKS of hard work and clean eating to get them. The hard part it keeping them though. Oh well….
Dandelion: u can start with the plank the first pic on the left. hold it for as long as u can even if it is just a few seconds. I will try to come up with a beginners program for my next post. Got to learn how to pose better.
Hey sis,
It’s great to see you blog 
*hugs Have a great weekend
Great advice, I tried the plank before and 10 sec seems a long time when I was doing it lol My gosh I really need to kick my butt at starting to work out again. Damn it! AGAIN! Yeah I know always the word again. Oh well, I hope to get some work out buddies, hmm who knows… Well, I like to do the plank while I was reading on the floor hehehe… Just read right and well, I try to do a few since I’m on the floor already. Hope better news for me for the work out. I hope to lose a few pounds at least before new year
I strongly believe that core training, should preferably be done standing. Tell me when the heck is a plank position, EVER applicable in real life? In MMA, fighters require a strong core to transfer power from the floor, legs right to the opponent. In grappling, the core’s important for coming out and handling sticky positions.
And honestly speaking, an isometric position for over 10 seconds, with no extra weight. What in the world’s the point of that? The concept of progressive overloading, doesn’t require too much of endurance based activities for the core. A much better way if the question of strengthening it comes, is via weights, and a mix of dynamic isometric exercises.
A man that squats 600LBS, has no purpose of doing 3×20 of sit-ups and back extensions. They’ll be much better off with 5×5 of leg raises with weights. Core training, is not much different from the other compound training, where progressive overloading is key to improvement.
Hmm…..I notice the cocky tone to my reply after re-reading it. No such intention though.
Also many people mistake, CNS adaptation and strength gains. It’s HUGELY different. As your CNS learns to fire more effectively, your body learns to do a particular movement more efficiently. This in no means, mean that your muscles have gotten stronger. IT takes more training and reconstruction for your muscles to get stronger. A lot of people mistake, a more efficient CNS and stronger muscles. Also, sometimes, it can also be the other way around. The muscles are strong enough, but the CNS isn’t that effective at doing it yet.
IT does go hand-in-hand, but there are differences, in which even I can’t tell on paper how to explain it.
TOok me months to figure it out.
No offence taken
I am learning a lot from u and yr blog.