In fitness communities it is quite easy to get lost in the latest gimmicks and fads. When looking for the best core exercise you might find it impossible to see around suspension trainers, kettlebells and body weight moves which most gym users find too difficult to do.
Many people are fooled into believing that the greatest moves for strengthening your core muscles involve working out in a park and doing push ups while hanging from a tree, such is the industry's obsession with new fads and passing gimmicks.
But surprisingly, the greatest exercises for strengthening your midsection is barbell front squats.
The barbell squat is the proven king of the gym, despite being the exercise most gym users overlook in favor of constantly hitting their arms and chest. Take the relatively small number of people who actively barbell squat on a regularly basis and halve that figure to get an estimate of how many gym users use this lesser known variation, where the bar sits on the shoulders in front of the neck as opposed to behind. It's a great move for strengthening the erector spinae.
A great study published by the Journal of Strength And Conditioning Research was conducted in England in 2011. The researchers compared the effects of front squats against the superman exercise, an awesome body weight move which places incredible stress on the midsection.
While both exercises have obvious benefits and should both be used regularly, the surprising winner of this mini-battle was the front squat, with a 5% increase in core strength.
Despite the fact that they had already shown a 5% strength increase, it was also noted that front squats in the study were actually performed using no weights at all. Just an empty barbell was used. By adding further resistance you would engage the erector spinae even further, making them far more effective than the superman overall.
By hitting the erector spinae muscles very hard, you will build a very strong and tight midsection without needing to do countless crunches.
Some of the fads which come and go in the fitness world cause confusion. There is a very common misconception that building core stability simply involves hitting your abs on an exercise ball instead of doing crunches on the floor. This is not the case. Ignoring these foolish trends and taking proven principles from old school methods like bodybuilding, explosive strength training and HIIT is the optimal way to build a well-rounded physique.
If you prefer lifting heavy iron in the gym then today's news will come as a welcome break from suspension trainers and shake weights. The latest research hails the front squat as the undisputed king, the best core exercise for developing overall strength and power.
Many people are fooled into believing that the greatest moves for strengthening your core muscles involve working out in a park and doing push ups while hanging from a tree, such is the industry's obsession with new fads and passing gimmicks.
But surprisingly, the greatest exercises for strengthening your midsection is barbell front squats.
The barbell squat is the proven king of the gym, despite being the exercise most gym users overlook in favor of constantly hitting their arms and chest. Take the relatively small number of people who actively barbell squat on a regularly basis and halve that figure to get an estimate of how many gym users use this lesser known variation, where the bar sits on the shoulders in front of the neck as opposed to behind. It's a great move for strengthening the erector spinae.
A great study published by the Journal of Strength And Conditioning Research was conducted in England in 2011. The researchers compared the effects of front squats against the superman exercise, an awesome body weight move which places incredible stress on the midsection.
While both exercises have obvious benefits and should both be used regularly, the surprising winner of this mini-battle was the front squat, with a 5% increase in core strength.
Despite the fact that they had already shown a 5% strength increase, it was also noted that front squats in the study were actually performed using no weights at all. Just an empty barbell was used. By adding further resistance you would engage the erector spinae even further, making them far more effective than the superman overall.
By hitting the erector spinae muscles very hard, you will build a very strong and tight midsection without needing to do countless crunches.
Some of the fads which come and go in the fitness world cause confusion. There is a very common misconception that building core stability simply involves hitting your abs on an exercise ball instead of doing crunches on the floor. This is not the case. Ignoring these foolish trends and taking proven principles from old school methods like bodybuilding, explosive strength training and HIIT is the optimal way to build a well-rounded physique.
If you prefer lifting heavy iron in the gym then today's news will come as a welcome break from suspension trainers and shake weights. The latest research hails the front squat as the undisputed king, the best core exercise for developing overall strength and power.
About the Author:
Bio: Top south shields personal trainer Russ Howe PTI provided today's post. Discover the best core exercise for strength and many weight loss tips via his fitness and nutrition website.
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