The abdominal area transfers power from the lower body to the upper body. The lumbar spine, pelvis and hip musculature are the origins and insertions of many muscles that power the arms and legs. Without a strong core, using these muscles is like an offensive lineman pushing a defensive lineman on skates. A strong core also leads to balanced and skillful movement because the body’s center of gravity is located in this area.
I recently took the Howard County Housewives, a highly motivated group of ladies, with an average age in the upper 30’s, through an abdominal workout as part of their group conditioning class. The structure of the workout was as follows: mini-band exercises, dynamic warm-up, agility ladder drills, abdominal exercises, 50 box jumps, squat ladder (1-10), and sprints on a basketball court.
I would like to have included a few more abdominal exercises but was restricted in equipment because the class was not performed in the weight room. The primary objective of this workout was to incorporate safe and effective exercises in a group setting to train the abdominal musculature.
1. V-Sit - Hold for 30 seconds
2. Static Hold - Top of push-up position for 30 seconds
3. Side Bridge (L) - Hold for 30 seconds
4. Front Bridge - Hold for 30 seconds.
5. Side Bridge (R) - Hold for 30 seconds
6. Vertical Sit-Up - Continuous for 30 seconds
7. Push-ups - 5 perfect reps
8. Horizontal Abduction w/ Tube - Hold for 30 seconds (balance the push-ups)
Repeat immediately for three rounds!
Holding a dumbell overhead stimulates the core and shoulders.
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2 comments:
Good work-out. My oblique's are sore and my lower back....but not my front abs. What am I doing wrong?
The soreness in your lower back is probably the result of exercising a muscle called the quadratus lumborum. This is a deep muscle that is a major stabilizer of the lumbar spine. The side bridge exercises that were performed challenge this muscle.
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