Good Core Exercises
by Andrew Heffernan on Oct 24, 2008 1:57 PM EDT
6 comments
Is "surf the Web" still a term people use? Or is it like "looking at photos on the stereopticon" or "listening to wax cylinders on the Victriola?" I can't tell anymore, I must be over 30.
Anyway, I was sur--er, looking at some videos on the YouTube last night and found some newish posts by a chap named Philip Snell, a chiropractor based out of Portland, Oregon. He's got some great stuff on managing back pain and three short exercise videos on exercises we all should be doing to strengthen the core: one for the back, one for the sides, and one for the front of the torso. These moves are derived from the work of Dr. Stuart McGill, with whom I spoke earlier this week, and they don't look anything like situps, leg raises or, God forbid, crunches. 
True, these exercises take a little time to learn, especially the "No-Curl-Up Curl-Up" in the third video, and they're rhythmically different from most strength-training exercises, but given that they're about the best way to strengthen the muscles that protect your back and improve your posture, they're well worth the time it takes to learn them.
When you watch the "No-Curl-Up" video, you'll think, "No problem." It less than a half crunch, after all, and most of us can crank out dozens of crunches without much problem (though if you read Wednesday's post, God knows why you'd want to). I'll just say that you never knew just how heavy your torso was or how pointless it was to add weight to any situp-type move until you've tried this subtle but demonic core-roaster.
Dr. Snell's doing some other good stuff online vis-a-vis back pain relief and I hope he keeps it up.
Give these moves a try and let me know what you think.
Have a great weekend!
A
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great blog
Love your blog! Keep up the good work!
Thanks!
…keep visiting! And commenting!
by Andrew Heffernan on Oct 25, 2008 3:56 PM EDT reply actions
Do you happen to have anything
like that for any other muscle groups?
In reference to how good the Steelers have been in their history: "No one is even close to them."- Steal Home
Core Workouts
After I read the article and went on to see the videos I immediately incorporated them into my workout. I’ll see how I do. I’m doing holds of 15-30 seconds with each one. I use them as a sort of rest between weight sets.
For example:
Front Squats
No-Curlb-AB Curl (there has to be another name for this).
Push Presses
Side Briges
Romanian DLs
Bird-Dog holds
I’ve only incorporated these in the last week. I have about five more weeks to go on my current program. We’ll see what happens.
Responses...
Playa, I don’t know what “like that” would be for other muscle groups; the puzzle of core training that everyone has been trying to solve is “how do you train the core functionally?”—ie, as it’s used in life and/or athletics? These exercises—which have been lab-tested for maximum muscle activation—seem to be the closest anyone has come. Other muscle groups are less puzzling: you can train the lats, pecs, etc. with your standard weight-room chestnuts, because their primary function involves simple lengthening and shortening.
Stuart McGill refers to the No-Curl-Up-Curl-Up as a ‘McGill curlup," though he admits that he didn’t invent it. But if anyone deserves an exercise named after him, it’s probably that guy.
Ottoa, let us know how your training goes!
A
by Andrew Heffernan on Oct 30, 2008 11:33 PM EDT reply actions
No Curl -Curls
Well I found out the hard way that doing these in the middle of super sets makes them even more difficult. My idea was to do the core routine as sort of a rest between sets. I got my derier kicked instead.
I’m moving the core workout to a separate session. :-)
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