Thread: Best core exercise

Visible abs are a function of having a low body fat percentage, not a strong core. In order to achieve a low body fat percentage, one needs to control their diet.

In terms of strengthening the core, though, planks are are pretty good movement. However, the major lifts can build a pretty strong core without any core-isolation movements.

Deadlifts are a great core movement. Planks are a decent body weight core exercise. But abs are already there you need to loose body fat they are already there.

not trying to get on ya, but you are worried about the wrong things as an athlete. i try to respond to your posts b/c i was in your shoes as a 15 yr old , and we all naturally want to look good. but core stregnth is important. and you will get that with the excersises discussed previously. a six pack is of no importance. do some crunches and planks in b/w sets. concentrate on overall body strength. pretty dont get u td's lil brother

6 packs=low body fat , now if u have a strong core they will be more visible at high bf% but that's only really for people that have many many years under ther belt with powerful core lifts. As for exercises to build strength planks and side planks are awesome. I use wieghted planks all the time for two minute sets. Dead lifts and zercher squats are insane. Especially zercher for the abdonminals. I believe t nation just had an article on the site about core exercises.

thanks alot everyone!

abs = made in the kitchen not the gym.

Originally Posted by shortstop

not trying to get on ya, but you are worried about the wrong things as an athlete. i try to respond to your posts b/c i was in your shoes as a 15 yr old , and we all naturally want to look good. but core stregnth is important. and you will get that with the excersises discussed previously. a six pack is of no importance. do some crunches and planks in b/w sets. concentrate on overall body strength. pretty dont get u td's lil brother

Core strength isn't important to athletes?

To the OP: planks are good and so are hanging leg raises. You can add weight to them once you get good at them.

Yea pretty much everyone hit the nail on the head do the key lift squats, deadlifts etc and you will build a strong core. What the general public doesn't get is that doing 1000000 crunches will not get you a 6 pack.... your diet will.

In terms of core strength i found Front Squat Holds the best by a country mile.

Core strength is so multi-faceted that it's tough to pick one exercise and say, "That's good enough."

Generally people pick the wrong exercises and/or over-emphasize volume with regards to core strength.

As a football player, you can probably develop a lot of core strength through practicing your sport. Sure squats and deadlifts will help develop general strength, but the sport itself involves heavy collisions and will be very demanding on the trunk muscles.

My suggestion. Stop using the word core. It's gotten to be a marketing word. Because what do you really mean? A roundabout way to "getting six pack abs" ...another great marketing phrase. The true "core" would involve alot of muscles you don't see, and would involve the posterior chain. But anyways...I digress...

Intercourse is the best core exercise for a man.

Originally Posted by gtbmed

Core strength isn't important to athletes?

To the OP: planks are good and so are hanging leg raises. You can add weight to them once you get good at them.

who is that question intended for? i think my post is simple and easy to understand. obviously you are a horrible reader or never been an athelete.
anyway, he's a high school fb player

so here it is jr......core stregnth - important
six pack - not important

Originally Posted by shortstop

who is that question intended for? i think my post is simple and easy to understand. obviously you are a horrible reader or never been an athelete.
anyway, he's a high school fb player

so here it is jr......core stregnth - important
six pack - not important

You said he was worried about the wrong things as an athlete.

I don't think core exercises are something athletes need to be neglecting. I agree that a six pack is generally unnecessary for an athlete.

But your recommendation of crunches isn't necessary at all for an athlete - in fact spinal flexion is one of the worst things you could do as an athlete.

In general I agree with what you were trying to say, but not necessarily with what the tone of your post conveyed.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

In terms of core strength i found Front Squat Holds the best by a country mile.

Seconded!

Originally Posted by Gazhole

In terms of core strength i found Front Squat Holds the best by a country mile.

You just reminded me of overhead squats. Hurts just thinking about them...

as mentioned above, lots of these exercises will help you get the look you're after, but ginetics plays a very big role in how you're 6 pack shows. look at boyer coe. i imagine he has done his share of heavy lifting and tons of ab trainingover the years leading up to his hey days, but compared to some other mr worlds and mr universes, his abs were fair at best. ginetics plays a big part in your look.

Squats and deads all the way!

As already stated, there is not a best exercise for the core because it's a multi-plane group. That being said, I use incline sit-ups, hypers, planks, hanging leg raises, and halos in my core training.

Originally Posted by Rodja

As already stated, there is not a best exercise for the core because it's a multi-plane group. That being said, I use incline sit-ups, hypers, planks, hanging leg raises, and halos in my core training.

agreed, needs to be approached from different angles

you need a good core to have good speed, is this true or rumor?

Yes, it's true. It helps with posture and force transfer to the ground.

Decline situps, decline twisting situps, Hanging leg raises, leg raises in a dipstand...that's all I do. One exercise per day for 3-5 sets after I finish my workout.

i get the diet thing for abs. i can feel them below my fat !
i do plank every gym session and lots of squats.
are there any kettle bell exercises for abs?

Originally Posted by vortrit

abs = made in the kitchen not the gym.

Bingo. Good assesment.

Originally Posted by Herb77

are there any kettle bell exercises for abs?

Whats a kettle bell? lol

not sure what you call it on your planet

;-)

i'd show you a link but seems i'm not qualified to do that yet

Kettle bells are like little bowling balls with handles.Kettlebell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia