Core Strength Training for Adventure Enthusiasts

From CentreDaily.com:

Have Six Pack, Will Adventure

LAST WEEK, WE introduced the importance of a strong core for the success of the adventure enthusiast. This week, we will give you the tools to achieve that rock-solid core (six pack). The adventure athlete utilizes a strong core for all activities -- mountain biking, trekking, swimming, rock climbing and our spotlight activity, paddling.

Our core consists of muscle groups in the abdominal and lower-back areas. There are three layers of muscles in the abdominal region that run in different directions. The external and internal obliques run diagonally while the rectus abdominis runs vertically. Knowing the direction of the individual muscle fibers in the abdominal area will help with the success of executing your abdominal workout. When you follow the muscle fiber track (i.e., the direction of specific muscle groups), the fibers will fire more effectively.

As with the abdominal region, the muscles of the lower back also run in different directions and need to be trained along their muscle fiber track as well. A strong abdominal region relies on a strong back.

Now let's get to the workout. There are numerous tools and machines that can add variety to your core workout. We will focus on exercises that can be performed on specific abdominal and lower back machines, the stability ball and the floor. Most gyms will have a variety of machines that target the lower back and abdominal areas, and proper use of them is critical to the safety of your workout.

A personal trainer would be able to instruct you on the use of all the machines listed above, but keep in mind machine work will help you on you journey to getting stronger, but as far as functional strength is concerned, we find that the stability ball is a fantastic tool for isolating the abdominals and lower back.

A stability ball can be purchased anywhere, and most come with instructional videos. The exercises you can do with the stability ball are endless. They range from basic crunches to stabilizing yourself for leg lifts, which target the abdominals, and if you reverse position on the ball, hyperextensions are a great exercise for the back.

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