Strengthening Core

[jmacknd74]

I'm a 14 year old football player/bodybuilder who was wondering just what core exercises to do. Every morning I do a set of cruches, then hip bridges, then reverse crunches. Then in the weight room I follow a program and I include deadlifts in it. What else can I do. I don't know if I'm working my obliques and I need some good exercises to work those.

 

[marshal959]

A killer for the obliques that doesnt require any machine is where you sit on the floor, bend your knees up a bit and lean back a bit, then holding a medicine ball twist from side to side, putting the ball as far behind you & on the floor, as you can.
Core lifts: Flat bench, Squat, Powerclean, Deadlift.
Semi core: Military, straight bar curls, incline.
Great to see ya findin out what it takes early on.

 

[Scotty the Body]

I find DB side bends work the obliques the best.
I'd work on Squats and Deads, build your routine around these two as your main exercises. Keep the weight light and learn the correct form.
Your young and have a good future in front of you if you lift and eat smart.

 

[w8lifter]

Use a swiss ball any time ya can instead of a bench

 

[Yanick]

Power cleans, clean and presses, hang cleans, standing military presses, bench presses, squats, front squats, deadlifts, sumo deadlifts will all help you build up explosive strength (very important in football), and will build up your core strength.

Working abs is important too, if you want to strengthen them you, you'll need to do weighted exercises. Weighted crunches, leg lifts etc will help, and don't forget about your lower back, hyperextensions (weighted) will help you build up strength in your spinal erectors (lower back).

 

[gopro]

Some keys to core training:

-strong upper, lower abdominals...various crunches and leg lifts
*best performed on swiss ball
*train lower abs before upper

-strong intercostals and obliques...various twisting crunches/sit ups, regular/reverse woodchops, side bends
*train these muscles before upper abs

-swiss ball training in general
*almost all exercises can become core strengtheners on the swiss ball

-single arm lifts without support...one arm dumbell press/bar press, one arm pully row, one arm curling, etc.

-strong lower back...deadlifts, rack deads, reverse hypers, regular hypers, good mornings