Targeting Your Posterior Core Muscles

Did you just raise an eyebrow when reading the title of today's blog?  Remember, your "core" is not just abdominal muscles.  The core is a group of muscles that encompass the trunk/torso front to back, shoulders to hips.  While it includes the abdominal muscles, the core is a fundamental muscle group to stabilize the body, assist with arm and leg movements, and assists with proper posture.  For more information, refer back to our previous blog on strengthening the core.

Now let's focus on the backside of your core, including your backside (i.e., glutes)!!  One very effective exercise is the "reverse plank" or for all of you yoginis and yogis, "upward plank".  This exercise will target the glutes and hamstrings and, when done correctly, it will engage the abs and lower back muscles.  Here's how to perform the reverse plank.  Start by sitting on the floor with your legs extended in front of you, hands on the floor next to your hips.  Turn your hands so the fingers are facing your feet.  Take a deep breath in and lift your hips up off of the floor, pressing your palms in to the floor.  Point your toes so the only points of contact with the floor are your heels and palms.  Lift your head and look at the ceiling, keeping your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your toes.  While in this position engage your abdominal muscles and draw your belly button in towards your spine.  Try to hold this position for 20-30 seconds.  If you cannot maintain a straight body, lower your hips back to the floor and take a brief 2-3 second rest.  Lift your hips and try again.

 






Not only will this exercise strengthen the posterior core muscles, it will also help strengthen the wrists, arms and shoulders and provide you with a deep stretch of the chest, shoulders, and tops of the feet.  If you have wrist problems or a previous wrist injury, proceed with caution on this exercise.  You can try to keep the wrist in a neutral position by placing your hands on dumbbells or handles instead of placing the palms on the floor. 

Add this exercise to your workout routine and start improving your core strength.  Remember, start slow and work your way up to holding the reverse plank for longer times.  If you need assistance with this exercise, check with one of our fitness professionals at PROMATx Health Club to ensure you are performing the reverse plank safely.

What Does Being "Healthy" Mean to You?

As trainers, we see people in all shapes and sizes.  Each client comes to us with different goals, different abilities, and different attitudes.  Some feel they are "healthy" but just need to lose a few pounds; others feel as if they are the furthest thing from "healthy".  Many clients define "healthy" as strictly an outward appearance (i.e., slim body, toned muscles).  What is your definition of "healthy"?  And, most importantly, how do you stack up to your definition?

If you look up the word "healthy" in the dictionary, this is one of the definitions:  possessing or enjoying good health, or a sound and vigorous mentality.  The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".  However different organizations define the word, people must begin to look at being "healthy" as more than just an outward appearance and the absence of disease.

Our mere outward appearance can be very deceiving.  Just because a person is "slim and trim" doesn't mean they are healthy.  Body fat percentages can run high in this body type.  How, you ask?  It's possible for a "slim and trim" person to have higher percentages of visceral fat (located around the organs) versus subcutaneous fat (located just below the skin).  Visceral fat is harder to see by the naked eye and contributes to "belly fat".  Therefore outward appearances neglect to show hidden dangers.

Other factors contributing to overall health are blood pressure (refer back to our blog, High Blood Pressure), high triglycerides and cholesterol, hormone imbalance, adrenal fatigue, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)...this list goes on!!  It is very important to "know your numbers".  You should know what your blood pressure is and what your lipid profile (cholesterol and triglycerides) looks like.  Those of you who exercise on a regular basis, do you know your numbers?  If not, you are neglecting an important piece to the puzzle of "health".

With a new year fast approaching, maybe it's time for you to take a step back and look at your puzzle of health.  Do all the pieces fit together?  Is the border (outward appearance) intact but still missing a few pieces?  Take control of your health and find those missing pieces.  Schedule your annual exam with your health care practitioner and look at contributing factors mentioned in this blog.  Schedule an appointment with a fitness professional and learn how you can not only improve your outward appearance but also tune up what's hiding beneath the skin.  Finally, schedule an appointment with a nutrition specialist and look at the fuel you are putting in your body.  When all of the pieces of your puzzle fit together, your body becomes a well-oiled, fine-tuned machine.  Our bodies are built to perform...it's time for you to start with a tune-up!!!

Performing The Plank - A Fundamental Core Exercise

In a previous blog, we talked about strengthening your "core".  To refresh your memory, the core muscle group stabilize the spine, pelvis, and shoulders and provides a foundation for movement in the extremities.  This muscle group essentially makes it possible to stand upright and move on two feet.  Your core includes abdominal muscles but also other muscles from the lower part of the chest down through the hips on both the front and back of the body.  Click here to refer back to our previous blog entry on strengthening your core.

If you've been hanging around the gym for a while, you probably have heard of an exercise called the "plank".  This exercise is a fundamental core exercise that can be performed anywhere and without any equipment.  The plank can be modified until the core muscle group is strengthened.  Also, there are many progressions as your core strength improves.

Now that you know the basis for performing the plank, let's take a look at how it is performed.  First lie on your belly on the floor or exercise mat.  Keep your elbows tucked into your sides and directly under your shoulders.  Place your palms flat on the ground and keep your gaze on the floor between your hands.  Tighten your abdominal muscles and contract your thighs, lifting your torso and legs off the floor/mat.  Balance yourself on your elbows and toes.  It is important to keep your abdominal muscles contracted (tight) and keep the back straight, preventing any "sagging" in the low back.  Pretend you are balancing a board on your back that runs between your shoulder blades down through your feet.  If your hips rise too much, the board will slide off towards your head; if your low back sags, the board will fall towards your feet. 

This is the basic plank exercise.  Maintain tight abdominal muscles, breathe normally, and hold the plank as long as you can.  In the beginning, it may be difficult to hold this position very long but as improve your core strength, you should be able to maintain this position for more than one minute.  Once you've mastered this basic plank you can progress to make this exercise more challenging by lifting one foot off the floor while maintaining the plank position.  Other progressions include lifting one arm at a time, balancing on the hands (instead of the elbows) and toes, alternating arm and leg lifts while in the plank position, and moving to a side plank.

Start simple with the basic plank on the elbows.  It's an effective exercise to perform anywhere and every day.  A strong core improves your performance in daily activities such as lifting, bending, and sitting; it also will improve performance in sporting activities such as running, golf, and tennis.  Need help performing this (and other) core exercises?  Stop in PROMATx Health Club and meet with one of our trainers.

Be healthy...be strong...prevent injuries.

Strengthening Your Core...Where Is It???

You hear the term "core" a lot when you are in the gym or when watching a fitness-related show, but do you really know what your core is?  Most people think your core is your abdominal muscles.  That is partially correct but there are more muscles involved in the core than just abdominals.

At a minimum, your core includes Transverse Abdominis (deep lying abdominal muscle group), Internal and External Obliques (side abdominal muscle groups), Rectus Abdominis (a.k.a. "6-pack), and Erector Spinae (muscle group running along the spine.  Core muscles actually extend lower in the hip/pelvis region to include Multifidus (deeper under the Erector Spinae group), Hip Flexors, Gluteal (buttocks) muscles and Hip Adductors.

The "core" muscles stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulders and provide a solid foundation for movement in the extremities.  Core conditioning exercise programs need to target all these muscle groups to be effective.  The muscles of the core make it possible to stand upright and move on two feet.  These muscles help to control movements, transfer energy, shift body weight, and move in any direction.  A strong core distributes the stresses of weight-bearing and protects the back.

So now you know where/what your core is...where do you go from here?  There are plenty of exercises that will work your core.  No longer will you have to get on the floor and do crunches.  Basic exercises such as squats and lunges will work the core.  Other exercises include planks, v-sits, push-ups (yes, push-ups!), hip bridges, hip lifts (reverse crunches), supermans, bird dogs...the list is long!

Need more guidance?  Check with a trainer at PROMATx Health Club to ensure you are performing sufficient exercises to strengthen your core muslces.  Once you build strength in your core, everyday activities (and sports) become much easier to perform!

Stand tall, work your core, improve your balance.