CORE WORKOUTS!!

Think of what the core is designed to do...prevent motion and provide stabilization.

Exercises should focus on these two aspects.

1. Plank and multiple variations.

2. Roll-out

3. Resisted Rotation (ie: pallof press) and multiple variations.

4. Pushup variations (any movement that is dynamic and requires core stabilization like pushups, renegade rows, etc)

Alan

Meb really focused on core work the last several months. Worked for him.

PART 1

1. Prone Leg Raises----Laying on forearms and tip toes backwards leg raises.

2. Prone Hand Stand Leg Raises---Laying in a full up push up position alternating leg raises.

3. Lateral Hand Stand Leg Raises---On side with hand down and heel single leg raises.

4. Leg Lifts from Hands and knees--Donkey kicks.

5. Single Leg Lifts from stomach—laying on stomach—lift legs 6-8 inches off ground.

PART 2

1. Prisoner Squats

2. Jacknives

3. Push-Ups—with walk up on toes.

4. Reverse Hypers with Twist

6. Leg Tosses---laying down partner above you—hold their ankles while they throw your feet to the side and you bring them back to center.

7. Rocky’s—push up with clap or at least come off of ground.

8. Wrestler’s Bridge

9. Crunches

10. Decline Push-Ups—Feet on bench push ups.

PART 3

1. Standing OHT—with medicine ball throw over head against wall or to partner.

2. HIP Turn and Toss—throw med ball from hip to wall or partner.

3. MEDBALL-Jacknives

4. Soccer Push---push medball against wall or to partner on the ground.

5. Hurdle Reach---hold med ball straight out in front of you and lift knee up to ball.

6. Partner Exchange---with back to partner rotate side to side exchanging the ball.

7. Knee Toss---sitting in butterfly position put med ball on knee and fling it up in the air, catch it and repeat.

8. Prone OHT—laying on stomach in reverse hyper position throw ball to partner who throws it back towards your head.

9. Roly Poly’s with Throw---With med ball and sitting down with legs in front roll back on your back touching feet on ground—roll forward and throw ball to partner or against wall.

10. Med Ball Slams---hold med ball above your and then slam it into the ground just in front of your feet.

Yikes. No need to go crazy with core. You're not a boxer; you don't have to take punches from 180-pound bruisers. All your core has to do is stabilize your pelvis to take some of the strain off your hip muscles. Besides, most people don't have two hours to spend doing abs. Your time is better spent (surprise!) running.

Pushups, plank, side-plank, and bicycle is plenty for the abs. Add in some "back planks" or "supermans" for your back, and you're good to go.

can you explain part 2 a little more...i'm not familiar with that stuff. But it looks awesome, thanks.

This takes about 30 minutes to do and we do it once a week. Other days are traditional abs, stabilization, swiss ball exercises.

Jacknives---or v-ups, just laying on the ground with arms above your head, simultaneouse raise legs and arms together to meet in a v position.

reverse hypers with twist---laying on stomach raiseyour shoulders off of the ground and twist to the Left, right and straight back.

Wrestlers Bridge--very similar to exercises high jumpers do where they are in a backwards C position.

The search function is your friend. This was just discussed a few days ago:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=3274971&thread=3274900

Some good information in there.

Swiss ball exercises are useless, along with most of the balance crap out there.

They impart bad neuromuscular coordination as they cause co-activation of the agonist and antagonist muscles. Not something you want.

Also, the level of muscle activation is significantly less than other stabile core exercises.

Depending on what core muscle you want to strengthen a simple weighted squat will give the most strength benefits. But that's not sexy enough to sell.

PART 1

1. Squatting Chest Pass with Med-Ball.

2. Standing: Rotate and Side Handoff---with back to your partner turn to the side and your partner turns to opposite side where you face each other and hand-off the med ball. Repeat.

3. Alternating Lunges with med-ball rotating it to the side on each rep.

4. Balance Toss: with partner balancing on butts pass ball back and forth.

5. Full Sit-UP Handoff: With ankles locked with partner full situps with ball over your head hand off to partner.

PART 2

1. Swiss Ball Jacknife---with hands on the ground and legs on a swiss ball roll up into a jackknife position.

2. Swiss Ball—Roll OUTS---kneel in front of swiss ball with hands on ball in prayer position roll the ball out and then back in.

3. Side Crunches—laying on your side on a swiss ball with partner holding your feet—crunches.

4. Swiss Ball Russian Twists---with a medball or weight, keep arms straight out and move weight to the left and right.

5. Swiss Ball Glutes---laying on ground with legs on swiss ball lift hips and pull ball towards you and then back out.

PART 3

2. Push-ups

3. Fire Hydrants

4. Reverse Push-Ups—partner holds your legs and you flex to keep from falling to ground once you do fall—catch yourself in push up position and push yourself back up.

5. Roll ups to Sky---legs straight out pull to your chest and then push up towards the sky raising your hips off the ground.

6. Blast offs---on your back with knees on your chest place heavy soft medball on your feet and then explode up with legs pushing the ball in the air.

I think it's amazing that runners will do 100000 reps for a core workout but won't do one damn squat!

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

I think it's amazing that runners will do 100000 reps for a core workout but won't do one damn squat!

Alan

I'm a believer in the ol squats...

3 sets 10,8,6 increasing weight

hang from elbow sleeves with as much weight attached to your body as you can handle for 90-120 seconds

Core H routine by Coach Jay Johnson is a good one, at least for me. 10 minutes well spent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvwuTw6rjTY