Training Tip Tuesday: My Core Workout

Since the move late last month, my blogging has fallen to the wayside. I started posted less frequently and when I did, I had no form of a schedule (other than my weekly wrap-up/ training week recap on Sunday’s). A couple of months ago, I set up a schedule for my blogging and I want to get back to it. So here is my attempt at getting back on a regular schedule!

In my Sunday posts, I recap all of my workouts for the week. A few days a week, I list “core/ stretching” as part of my workout and a couple of you have asked me either via Twitter or E-mail what exactly I do for my core workout. For my Training Tip Tuesday, I am sharing my core workout with you all.

I recently changed my core workout in the past month and I am really liking it. While I may not have a flat stomach and 6-pack abs, I DO have a strong core underneath it all. I can truly say that my core strength has improved drastically in over the past month and I am seeing *very* small signs of definition in my midsection, something I have never had before. I think that my new core workout, along with cleaning up my diet a bit, has led to this.

My core workout may not be the best out there, but it is what is working for me at the moment. I will probably change it again in a couple of weeks to keep my body guessing (although I won’t remove planks, because I love them).

Remember, while I am currently studying to become a certified personal trainer (CPT), I am not one at the moment. I am not claiming to be a professional and knowledgeable of everything that falls into the scope of practice of a CPT. (I still have a lot to learn!) Take my workout and advice with a grain of salt!

My core workout takes me between 25-30 minutes, depending on A) how long I hold/ how many reps I do for specific exercises and B) how long my rest breaks are. Since I move from exercise to exercise in a single set without rest breaks, I keep my heart rate up and work up a pretty good sweat. The workout is as follows:

• Planks: hold for 60-90 seconds (depending on how I feel on a given day)
• Side Planks: hold for 60- 90 seconds on each side (depending on how I feel on a given day)
• Medicine Ball Crunches: 20 on each side (I use a 12# ball)
• Moving Leg Plank: 20 on each side (I do a variation slightly different from the video, but same concept)
• Air Bike: 20 on each side
• Exercise Ball Crunch: 20-25
• Pushups: 10-15 (for upper body and core!)

After I do all seven exercises all the way through, I rest for 60-90 seconds and repeat two more times.

I really like this workout because it can be as challenging as you make it. You can also mix up the exercises (as I often do) and add new ones. Other core exercises that love include leg raises, jackknife crunches, and kettlebell side bends.

I have two favorite online resources to find new exercises. They are the Exercise Guide on BodyBuilding.com and the Exercise & Muscle Directory on ExercisePrescription.com. Both websites allow you to search for exercises by the body area/ muscle you want to target and then provide you a list of different exercises to do. Most exercises either have a video (on BodyBuilding.com) or have an animated gif (on Exercise Prescription) demonstrating how to perform the move. I can’t recommend these sites enough!

I hope you enjoyed this Training Tip Tuesday! I look forward to bringing back this series. If there is anything you would like for me to discuss or if you want to guest post, send me an E-mail or leave a comment below!

What is your favorite core exercise?