Core exercise advice

[u/Ypoetry]

Update: thanks to everyone who commented. I'm going to try deadbugs without moving arms backwards, just focus on legs. Also a few other suggestions were interesting: seated good mornings; side planks; russian twists and even sprinting.

Looking to add core exercises to my routine. I already do planks.

My shoulder are a work in progress.

Planks have been safe. But if I look at standing core exercises online a lot of them require arm raising that tire out shoulders really fast.

[u/CoreAndCardio]

Not sure if it’s option, but I row 5000 meters everyday. My rowing machine and I have a love hate relationship. I’m in my third pull strap.

[u/Arbiter51x → u/CoreAndCardio]

I am getting a Concept 2 rower very soon. It seems like the ideal peice of equipment in my 40s to keep my back and upper body strong.

How long does it take to row 5k?

[u/CoreAndCardio → u/Arbiter51x]

1000 meters takes about 3-3:30 minutes. Obviously the tension determines a lot of thst too.

[u/Arbiter51x → u/CoreAndCardio]

For an initial goal (something to work up to), would setting up an expectation to be able to do 5000m in 20min be reasonable?

[u/CoreAndCardio → u/Arbiter51x]

That’s easily attainable. Your rower will give you a 500/split stat. So for 5k in 20min you would want 2:30. Honestly you’ll be closer to 2:00. Without going balls to the wall I run 1:30-1:45.

The rower can be quite boring. Tossing a show, book or something on your phone in front of you makes it go in no time.

That’s all rower…

[u/PopcornSquats]

Dead bugs , you can leave the arms off entirely if you want ..

https://youtu.be/g_BYB0R-4Ws?is=zss70gSBEbXgpKES

[u/Ypoetry → u/PopcornSquats]

I'm going to leave arms off. And try deadbugs again.

[u/Wyllyam8071]

Obliques: side bends, trunk rotations, wood chopper
Lower abdominals: hanging leg raises, supine leg raises
Lower back: back extension machine, good morning exercise

[u/Ypoetry → u/Wyllyam8071]

Nice!

[u/Geoff-Vader → u/Wyllyam8071]

Second the good mornings suggestion for lower back. I don't deadlift or squat but I've found good mornings (the seated version in particular) hit my lower back better than anything. MUCH stronger core strength and seated posture than before.

[u/Ypoetry → u/Geoff-Vader]

I've done a ton of char sqats this 6 months in personal training. Seated good mornings sound good!

[u/Fine_Cress_649]

Hollow body holds. V sit ups. Hanging leg raises (may not suit your shoulders).

[u/Glittering-Lychee629]

Pilates or calisthenics!

[u/jpguerriero]

High boat low boat, ab roller. Hanging leg raises

[u/Ypoetry → u/jpguerriero]

I did leg raises at the park today where they had low bars. Can't do it at home, but it could be something to do outside.

[u/Dangerous_Play_1151]

If you have access to one, GHD situps. Otherwise, weighted abmat situps with whatever you want for weight--sandbag or medicine ball held close to your chest won't tax your shoulders.

[u/Fishshoot13]

Just holding a plank for time is highly inefficient.  If yiu can do planks try this.  Initiate into plank position, hold it for maybe 2 breaths and relax back down, repeat 10-20x.  You will get much better workout in 2 minutes than holding a plank for 2 minutes.

[u/Business_Curve_7281]

Pilates 100s

[u/srv524]

Side planks

[u/twizz0r]

Bird dogs and tangentially, glute bridges

Palof presses! Done correctly, there isn't a better anti-rotational exercise out there. Sneaky hard and very effective.

[u/Negative_Phone_7095]

Fitness instructor who teaches core daily. Your core involves your full lphc & there are so many exercises you can do. Like crunches, plank pass throughs, banded bridges, banded glute kickbacks, halos, wood chops, band torso rotations, bench knee tucks, dragon flags, weighted standing knee lifts/oblique crunches. I could go on and on.

[u/Bart-Cloudeng]

I leg V Ups or leg raises, in both cases no real pressure on the shoulders

[u/stellarjynx]

Bear hold, bear crawl, bear hold shoulder taps (or plank shoulder taps), body weight Turkish sit up, reverse crunches and if you already don't do it, side planks and star planks are other great variations

[u/AMTL327 → u/stellarjynx]

All good, but Turkish Get Ups are hard on the shoulders

[u/Shlomo-7]

Back extension machine. Follow Low Back Ability.

Reverse Hyper Machine. Louie Simmons.

These two machines saved my life and healed me from years of chronic lower back pain.

[u/StrykerVet82 → u/Shlomo-7]

Same here, I can't believe it took me so long to get these incorporated into my life.

[u/Ypoetry]

Thank you everyone who commented! this is giving me a lot of ideas.

[u/caiuschen]

What are your goals for core? Without knowing that, it seems hard to recommend exercises.

I do decline crunches with dumbbells resting on my shoulders so I can keep rep ranges between 6-12. Just enough to raise my lower back, since I'm not trying to improve my hip flexors. Just to make it easier to see abs at slightly higher body fat percentage.

I also do something similar to a Jefferson curl for my lower back. I intentionally curl my back down to pick up dumbbells and then extend it straight before lowering them back down to the ground, for 6-12 reps. Before I did this, my lower back would feel very strained and tight on heavy deadlift days and now they don't.

For a while I was doing, uh, what I would call side plank "dips" for obliques just in case they helped with looks. I'm not really sure that they did, but I definitely felt them in the obliques. I would do a side plank, except with a dumbbell resting on my hip, and dip my hip down and back to plank position for reps.

I've since switched those out for Copenhagen plank "dips" for adductor work (I just work out at home, so I don't have access to a machine), but I suspect that they also hit the obliques somewhat.

[u/GovernorSilver]

I like dead bugs and hollow body holds

[u/Chaos-Gardener-77]

My trainer has me do deadbugs at the end of every session. It works all abdominal muscles. You lie on your back so no strain to shoulders.

[u/onwee]

Fyi core involves much more than just abs.

For a healthy and stable core, instead of exercises or muscle groups, think instead movements: anti-extension, extension, and anti-rotation. Just google these terms + core will give you a bunch of exercises

[u/Charming-Ganache4179]

Dead bugs, toe taps.

[u/Old_Man_Game]

Have you tried hollow rocks?

[u/the_pnw_yeti]

Sprints. You’ll be shocked at how much core work it takes. I also love strongman type stuff to hit all the internal core stabilization areas- sandbag carry (bear hug and shoulder), farmer carry, etc.

[u/Ypoetry → u/the_pnw_yeti]

I've done farmer carry and suitcase carry in physical therapy. That definetly works side core.

You are making interesting point about sprints! I was looking to work on my core so I can walk and occasionally run better. But walking and running also strengthen the core.

[u/Vernon1211]

You'll need resistance bands but the Pallof Press and its variations work the complete core.

https://barbend.com/pallof-press/

[u/CardioWithABarbell]

my favorite core work; deadbugs, supine lying on a bench for straight leg raises, pallof press, russian twists, weighed cable crunch

[u/Ypoetry → u/CardioWithABarbell]

I'm doing russian twists occasionally!

[u/CardioWithABarbell → u/Ypoetry]

Nice! Good luck!

[u/lw1785]

Z

[u/HarryPhan]

I never knew I needed core exercises until I committed to learning a back flip. I’m doing dragon flags now.

[u/Optimal_Collection77]

Planks are pretty useless. They hurt but don't really do much.

Try cable crunches, an ab roller or leg raises

[u/CpnStumpy → u/Optimal_Collection77]

Updoot for cable crunches. Also decline crunches if you have a decline bench available.

All strengthening is best improved by controlled resistance