Thread: Core strength program

I do a mixture of Planks, Side Planks, Reverse Crunches and Prone Trunk Extensions.

Every now and again ill throw in some Russian Twists or Saxon Side Bends.

But i just pick two movements and do them before/after every workout rather than devote a whole day to them, i think thats just overkill.

Snatch grip deadlifts, front squats, dragonflies.

it really depends on your definition of core strength. Go here: CORE Performance - Celebrating the High Performance Life

As a soccer player I followed their programs for increased trunk stability, core strength, balance, speed & explosiveness. I can swear by this program and this institution. This is the real deal. Mark Verstegen is amazing. Enjoy your newly found core strength and agility.

Check out the some of DOMS's Superhero like even journal. There's some crazy ass core workout ideas in there.

Fantastic guys thanks a lot. One day of the week will be HIIT cardio + core work, and then I'll throw in some core work on one day of my split which is just shoulders cuz I feel like a bum doing just shoulder work in the gym one day.

Let me chew it down for you with some videos:

CORE Performance - Celebrating the High Performance Life

CORE Performance - Celebrating the High Performance Life

CORE Performance - Celebrating the High Performance Life

CORE Performance - Celebrating the High Performance Life

CORE Performance - Celebrating the High Performance Life

Sorry for the shameless endorsment, but this is literally a lifechanging program, I encourage all of you who are interested in the functional aspect of fitness to look into it.

Why would you want to dedicate an entire workout to training abs?
What does your program look like.
Just train them on the days that you work the rest of your body. I put my core/ stabilization after my warm up. I used to do it at the end of my workouts but I was always to beat to give them the attention they need.
If you work out 3 times a week you could do something like this.

Day 1
v- ups/ planks x 3 sets

Day 2
Wood choppers/ high and low/ supermans x 3

Day 3
crunches/ side planks/ bird dogs x 3

How much $ is it?

And when I say core I dont just mean abs - I'm talking hips, lower back, abs, glutes, all of it. And It's going to be a mixture of core work + HIIT cardio = my workout.

Dont dedicate an entire day to core training, but rather do 2-3 exercises before resistance training. Something like:

Stabilization
Strength
Rotational

Why not do a whole day of core?

Originally Posted by bigsahm21

Why not do a whole day of core?

Because there is no need to. Because if you structure your program right you can do more in less amount of time. Why not split up your core work over three or however many days you train and hit them hard. Like DD is saying- 2-3 movements each time you train instead of 6-9 movements all in one day.
Strength, rotational, stability.

I do some sort of core everyday during my warm up period. In fact, it IS my warm up.

Your core gets worked during a lot of compound free weight movements, so with a lil volume before every workout day, youd be getting more than enough.

Hell, I wonder if your core can be overtrained.

Originally Posted by AKIRA

I do some sort of core everyday during my warm up period. In fact, it IS my warm up.

Your core gets worked during a lot of compound free weight movements, so with a lil volume before every workout day, youd be getting more than enough.

Hell, I wonder if your core can be overtrained.

I dont see any reason why not, its a muscle like everything else i guess.

I know quite a few people who have injured their abdominal from doing a lot of crunches or sit ups every day, despite my advice to the contrary :P.

Originally Posted by bigsahm21

I'm looking to dedicate one day a week strictly to core strength.

Any one have any workouts they've had success with strictly specified to the core?

i have nooo idea how you think you can pull off giving your abs your undivided attention for Only one day a week and have them be friendly twd you and respong to your liking,..but if you pull it off.. please doo come back and tell us all how you did it! . Some poor other.. older slack bodies of us have do that evvery single day no matter whaatelse we're doing aany day we can manage!:/.

Blooming tianshi Lotus.

I do 3 sets of core exercises once a week, if I feel like it. And I have a sixpack and a strong core.

Conclusion: your core gets worked enough by other exercises.

There is so much more to core training then just training abs. It's a whole science of performance and injury prevention. I got my sport specific core training dvd/book for like $30 around three years, I don't know what they sell them for now. It seriously changed my knowledge of my own body, so if I can convince some of you to really look into this, I'd be extatic.


Ever done anything like this?

CORE Performance - Celebrating the High Performance Life

CORE Performance - Celebrating the High Performance Life

The first one seems to me something like a standing version of a one handed hindu side press executed as a body weight exercise...
and the second one looks to me similar to a rvs(?) hindu pushup or something.
It's funny when we talk about core that a core has a front back and sides and to gett good core health and stengthand stabilty or whathaveyou, you really need to make sure that it's all working and worked out in sympathy to each other part. i guess that's why you caan do it through other activities where it's worked as a bi-product of other movements. I don't think it always produces the same intensity of focus or form in working them, but it definately helps. good point.