Body Blog: Core Essentials

By Jackelyn

One of the biggest misconceptions about getting fab abs is that you need to do 100,000 crunches a day. Although that is definitely a mid section burner, it’s not the most effective way to go. There are several muscles in our core, including the rectus abdominus (hello, 6-pack), transverse abdominus (deepest side muscle), as well as the internal and external obliques (love handle central). That’s why planks are known to be one of the best core stabilizing moves because it incorporates all of these muscles. If you ever get sick of staring at the carpet, then try some of these new moves!

1. Corkscrew

Level 1: Keep your legs at a table top.
Level 2: Extend your legs straight into the air.

Keep your back straight, chest up and extend your legs into the desired level position. Bring your elbows behind you so that they are aligned under your shoulders. Take your knees or feet and draw a big circle in the air. Imagine that you are bringing your toes to the big numbers on a clock. In the first position, your feet will be pointing at 3 o’clock, then 6 o’clock, then 9 o’clock and it ends back up at 12 o’clock. Squeeze your core tight!
Go for 4 reps in a clockwise direction and then 4 more in a counterclockwise direction. Repeat 3 times.

2. Seated 100s

Bring yourself into a table top position, with arms parallel to the ground, back straight, chest up and looking forward. All you’re going to do is pulse your arms – lower them and raise them quckly. Aim for 100 pulses (oh, now the title makes sense!). Repeat 3 sets of these seated 100s.