Core training

[swllce]

37 year old Here!
I have lifted for 2 years now,
Started out @ 5'11'' 210ibs
went down to 190ibs 17%bf
I am Currently 197ibs 17%bf.
My goal is to weigh 215 lean.
I need to switch up my routine to gain more muscle.
I lift weights 3 times a week 30 to 45 minutes at a time high intensity.
Are there any core exercises that can help me optain my goal without crushing my knees,please dont say squats.

[HawaiianPride.]

A lot of your "conventional" ab exercises cause your hip flexors to become tight, thus lower cross body syndrome occurs.
This process will eventually weaken the abs over time. If and when you do train abs, stick with dynamics in the big lifts, sprints, ball static supine bridges, or any plank type movement. Prone bridges, one arm one leg prone bridge, side bridges with hip abduction/hold weights, sprints ect. Dynamic movements such as dumbbell/kettle bell swings, turkish get-ups, shovel dead lifts, barbell torques, are all good core developers.

[swllce]

Ok ,Thanks for reply!!
I just googled all the exercises you posted.Youtube rocks!
How would i implement them in to a weekly routine.
Without abandoning the old Bench press and barbell curl movements?

[HawaiianPride.]

Implement them on your core training days only.

[jypoll]

I haven't been doing enough core recently, other than squats and but I just started agin this week, so your saying I should not do sit ups and crunches?

[Regular guy]

Planks when you watch TV. Handstand planks on a wall. Will tighten your core.

But IMLO core/weight alone is not going to significantly drop body fat. As someone on here told me "diet and cardio." They were right.

[Swifto]

F*ck I hate that word - core.

My PT course put some much emphasis on training it like its some holy grail (I had more than one argument with my tutor about it).

Then you get idiots standing and jumping around on swiss balls and shit, squatting, shoulder pressing whilst standing on them. Their asking to break something!

Unless your a professional athlete, you dont need a swiss ball IMHO.

Squats, deads, clean/jerks, snatches, bench presses, bent over rows, deads all hit the ab's.

[A010011000111]

A lot of your "conventional" ab exercises cause your hip flexors to become tight, thus lower cross body syndrome occurs.
This process will eventually weaken the abs over time. If and when you do train abs, stick with dynamics in the big lifts, sprints, ball static supine bridges, or any plank type movement. Prone bridges, one arm one leg prone bridge, side bridges with hip abduction/hold weights, sprints ect. Dynamic movements such as dumbbell/kettle bell swings, turkish get-ups, shovel dead lifts, barbell torques, are all good core developers.

i like this post a lot seems to jive with what prof's have been teaching me in classes... i have some very smart PhD professors who are sports encyclopedias... one such professor told me that everyone has been training core wrong for years; we shouldnt be doing crunches and situps because most muscular action in the core is reflexive and that the core is not typically a prime mover but rather a stabilizer or neutralizer group (as related to sport-movement and performance)

dynamic exercises mentioned above most closely resemble natural movements or sport-related movements, or at least much more so than crunches and situps.

F*ck I hate that word - core.

My PT course put some much emphasis on training it like its some holy grail (I had more than one argument with my tutor about it).

Then you get idiots standing and jumping around on swiss balls and shit, squatting, shoulder pressing whilst standing on them. Their asking to break something!

Unless your a professional athlete, you dont need a swiss ball IMHO.

Squats, deads, clean/jerks, snatches, bench presses, bent over rows, deads all hit the ab's.

i agree a 100% with the swiss ball deal, you dont really need one unless youre a pro athlete... and even then you dont need them i think there are better exercises out there anyways

swifto if you hate the word core how about another name for it?

one of my professors calls it the pillar, he says it really starts at the interscapular shoulder muscles, continues through the abs/obliques/lower back (and his fav the abdominus transversus), and then ends at the pelvic floor muscles... when we talk big ten and pro-level sports they are training all these muscles together (trying to target them as one group in many cases) because as i said earlier the core ahem... i mean pillar, is a reflexive, stabilizing, neutralizing muscle group, and it is meant to transfer energy from limbs instead of initiating movement and being a prime movement group

[HawaiianPride.]

i like this post a lot seems to jive with what prof's have been teaching me in classes... i have some very smart PhD professors who are sports encyclopedias... one such professor told me that everyone has been training core wrong for years; we shouldnt be doing crunches and situps because most muscular action in the core is reflexive and that the core is not typically a prime mover but rather a stabilizer or neutralizer group (as related to sport-movement and performance)

dynamic exercises mentioned above most closely resemble natural movements or sport-related movements, or at least much more so than crunches and situps.

Bingo.

[growing1]

this is a great thread. good info. I've never concentrated on the stomach specifically but I do enough compound movements that my core has to strengthen from the weight and torque. Bye Bye crunches. I'll keep my hanging leg raises though.