Core Tips for Strengthening Abs

Your core assists you in many of the movements you do in your training and just in daily activities. Your core is made up of several different muscle groups that all work together, glutes, back and abdominals. If you are looking to strengthen your core, working on those three muscle groups individually is important. Today, we want to share some tips for getting the best results when training your abdominals. Let’s jump right in!

Tip # 1: Create Tension

When most people train abs, they focus on the six pack muscles. For most, ab training circuits consist of lots of crunches. This is an excellent strengthening move, but it only targets a portion of your abdominals. Try to incorporate moves that allow you to engage your entire core as a whole and then linger in that tension. One exercise that is great for this is the farmer’s walk. Grab two kettlebells in a challenging weight. Stand tall, engage your core, and walk as far as you can. And don’t forget to breathe!

Tip #2: Engage Your Glutes

As we touched on, your glutes are a part of your core muscle group. Thus, when you are mindful to incorporate your glutes while doing your ab exercises, you will notice a greater burn. There are a couple ways you can engage your glutes depending on the movements you are doing but here are a few examples. For one you can use a posterior tilt to engage your glutes. Do this by rolling your hips in a way that brings your tailbone closer to your knees. Another way you can activate your glutes is by squeezing your glutes as hard as you can during a plank hold. If you remember to activate your glutes in these ways, you are sure to feel it.

Tip #3: Focus On Mobility

Your abs, and consequently your core, are designed to stabilize you. So, while a goal for many is to have the aesthetics of abs, another ab related goal should be increased mobility and stability. If you have ever done a Pilates workout, you know just how important your core stability is in order to perform and hold certain movements. To increase stability and mobility incorporate stretches into your routine as well as static holds like planks.

Working on your core can be difficult, but the results are worth it! With a stronger core you will be able to perform better in other aspects of your training while preventing injury at the same time.

If you would like guidance in your training or would just like a well-rounded facility to work out in, stop by Junkyard Training! We have seasoned trainers, a whole suite of equipment, and recovery services. Whatever your goals are, we can help you achieve them!

Posted By Junkyard Training on 5-11-2022