HARD CORE

I've been asked a lot about how to "get abs". So many people want definition in their abdominals.  My answer is always the same: If you want definition, you have to eat correctly. Abdominal definition comes from having a low body fat percentage.  BUT if you want strong abs and a strong core, then abdominal and core exercises are the way to go.  Also note that your abdominals are a muscle group, but your core includes many more muscles than just your rectus abdominis.  Your core also includes your obliques (side abs), the muscles in your back, and in some cases your hips.  There is no one definition for "core" muscles, but in this post I will be limiting the exercises to abdominals, obliques and low back.

Plank and Side Plank: Planks are my favorite core exercise EVER!  So, of course, they are first on my list.  One thing I really like about planking, is that if you have back problems you can USUALLY still do a plank with no pain, because it doesn't involve moving your spine.  PLUS when you plank, your abdominals become stronger - which means your back pain is less!  WIN-WIN.  When you plank, you place your forearms and toes on the ground, and then hold your body in the air like the pictures show below.  Try to keep your shoulders directly over your elbows to decrease the stress on your joints.  Then, you just hold the position. It may sound -imple, but trust me, it's not.  Also MAKE SURE you do not let your low back "sag" down towards the ground, as this will decrease the strength of your abdominal muscles and place stress on the low back.  I like to recommend looking down at the ground rather than craning your neck upwards, as this will allow your spine to be better aligned.  I recommend starting out around 20-30 seconds, and then as your abdominals get stronger, holding the position for longer and longer.  You should feel this working the muscles on the front of your torso (the rectus abdominis).  If you find that placing your weight on your forearms is too difficult for your current fitness level, or you are not able to maintain the proper form when you start off, you can place your hands on the mat instead of your forearms (this is called high plank).  

notice the excessive curve in the low back- avoid this!

So, once you're amazing at the plank, how do you make it harder?  Easy! Try lifting up one of your legs.  Be careful - the first time you try this, you need to make sure that your hip and back position do not change just because you lift a leg.  Is lifting a leg too easy?  Lift an arm instead. Then, when that is too easy, lift one arm and the opposite leg (I told you I'm evil, right?)

For the side plank, place your weight on your forearm and the side of your foot.  Again, make sure your shoulder is directly above your elbow.  Some people feel more comfortable placing one foot in front of the other on the mat, while others like to place one foot on top of the other foot.  Either way is fine, just figure out which works best for your balance.  When you are in the side plank position, make sure your shoulders are in a straight line up and down. Also, make sure your hips* *a-*re aligned one on top of the other, you don't want to allow gravity to pull the top hip or shoulder down to the mat.  When starting out, I recommend holding this position for about half the time you held the regular plank position.  You should feel the burning in the side (obliques) that is facing the floor.  If you have any pain with this position in your arm, try this on your hand instead of your forearm.  If full side plank is too difficult as a starting point, simply use your knees instead of your feet.

yes, you have to smile like this

Boat Pose* For this exercise, sit on your butt.  Then you want to slowly lift your legs and arms up until you reach the position in the picture below.  Then you hold the position.  Then you find me and punch me, cause this exercise sucks (in a good way).  Just know that this is a very hard exercise.  To start, I would touch your heels to the ground and use them to help balance, and keep your arms at your sides while leaning your torso backwards.  This will activate your abdominal muscles, and you'll feel it pretty much everywhere.  To advance the exercise, extend your arms first to match the picture. When you feel comfortable, slowly lift your heels.  It is a gradual process to reach full boat pose.  Don't give up, and you WILL see progress.

Leg Lifts: For this exercise, lay on your back with your legs straight and your arms at your side.  Keeping your legs straight, raise them both into the air (until they reach about 90 degrees), then lower them until they are a few inches off the ground and repeat.  You can put your arms next to you for balance, or under your low back/butt to support your low back.  You will feel this in your abdominals, mainly in the lower portion.  

Penguins: For this exercise, lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.  Raise your shoulders off the floor and alternate touching your heels (left, right, left, right, etc.).  You should feel this on your side, though. Depending on how high you raise your shoulders, you may also feel it at the top of your abs.

Sit-ups/ Crunches: Most people are pretty familiar with crunches and sit-ups already.  Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.  Using your abdominals, move your torso into a sitting position so your chest touches your knees (sit-up) or, alternatively, simply raise your shoulders off the floor (crunches).  Return to the starting position and repeat.  When you're doing crunches, you'll feel this in your upper abs. When you do a full sit-up you should feel them through your whole abdominal group - so, the entire front of your stomach.  There technically isn't a correct place to put your arms for this exercise, but most people place their hands behind their head.  If you do put your hands behind your head, make sure you use your abdominals through the movement. Don't pull with your arms, as this puts stress through your neck that you don't need.  If you want to make these movements more difficult, or just mix things up, try laying your legs flat on the ground or putting them in the butterfly position.

Just so you know if I was training you I'd make you get your chest to your knees!

Flutterkicks/ Hello Darlings: For this exercise, again lay on your back (notice the repetitive theme here). I recommend if you are new to these exercises, to place your hands under your low back and butt to give your back some extra support.  Hold you legs straight and raise them about six inches off the ground.  For flutter kicks, you will move your legs up and down in opposite directions, the same way you would kick while swimming.  For hello darlings, move your legs open and closed and make sure they cross over each other.  I love this exercise because no matter how much you do them they never seem to stop sucking.  You'll pretty much feel this everywhere including in your hips, and your hips don't lie. I had to... you're welcome.  I recommend starting out around 20 or 30 seconds for this exercise and progressing from there.

Reverse Crunches: Lay on your back with your arms at your side for balance.  Hold your legs up in the air (they can be bent or straight), then raise your hips off the ground as high as you can.  Return to the starting position and repeat.  This exercise should burn in the lower portion of your abdominals.

V-Ups: This exercise is very similar to sit-ups, but much MUCH worse.  Instead of leaving your feet planted on the ground, lay your legs out straight with your arms straight above your head.  Next, use your abdominals to simultaneously raise your torso and legs so that you can touch your toes.  If this is too difficult to start with, try bending your knees.  In the ideal "top" position, your entire weight should be on your butt.  This exercise will work pretty much every muscle in your core.

Side V-Ups: The first thing to know about this exercise is you need to make sure your weight is on the side of your butt cheek and not the side of your hip.  Lay your legs straight and then use your obliques (side abs) to pull your shoulders and legs together.  This will be noticeable in your side.  You can put your bottom arm straight out in front of you and use it to balance.  Try to keep your legs straight, but if that is too difficult in the beginning, then bend your knees to make the move easier.

Supermans: I know what you're thinking - FINALLY an exercise that starts in a different position, you can finally get off your back.  So, start this out laying on your stomach.  Put your arms straight out above your head, and your legs straight as well.  Then, lift your legs and arms as high as you can AT THE SAME TIME. I know, it's crazy.  If this is difficult, start with one arm and the opposite leg, and then progress to both as you feel more comfortable with the exercise.  You should feel this exercise in your lower back muscles, and you may also feel it in your glutes.

Bicycles: Sorry guys, we're back to laying on your backs.  Place your hands behind your head and raise both legs about 12 inches off the ground.  Bring one knee in and touch it with your opposite elbow, then switch elbows and knees.  This is another exercise that you should feel in your sides, but you'll also feel it in the top part of your abdominals as a bonus.

Toe Touches:  So remember the crunches from before?  Good. This is crunches, but with your legs straight in the air, 90 degrees with your body.   Use your abdominal muscles to raise your body until you touch your toes (hence the name).  This is quite a bit harder than the crunches, so don't get discouraged.  The benefit of raising your legs, though, is that you incorporate a larger area of your abdominals.  More work and burn, but more results, too.

Inchworms: This exercise is a bit complicated, so take your time getting the motions down.  First things first, don't lock your knees during this exercise.  You want to hold your legs as straight as possible without locking them for this entire exercise.  Depending on your flexibility, your legs may be more or less straight, and that's perfectly fine.  So keeping your legs straight as possible, place your palms on the floor and then walk your hands out until you are in the high plank position (without moving your feet).  Then, using your hands, walk yourself back all the way to standing.  You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings while doing this.  This move works your core, back, shoulders, back and hamstrings ... again, you're welcome.  Make sure while doing this you hold your hips steady, so you don't wobble back and forth, and make sure to avoid the sag in your low back we talked about before.

Jack-Knives: For this move you need a stability ball.  Place your shins on the ball and your hands on the mat, and hold yourself in the high plank position.  Use your abdominals to pull your knees as close to your chest as you can, and then push back into the starting position.  This move puts your body in a very unstable position because of the ball, so take your time in the beginning and get a feel for how the ball will move.  Again, make sure to keep you abdominals tight so that you don't get a sag in the lower back.  This move works the abdominals, obliques, low back and hip flexors (front of your hips).

Oblique Dips: For this exercise, start in the low plank position.  Make sure to hold your core tight and then lower one of your hips until it touches the floor.  You want to aim your hip for the mid-line of your body.  Return to the starting position, and then lower your other hip.  You should make sure that the only part of your body touching the mat is your hip (not your knees).

Look at the ground though not up, I can promise this won't let you smile

Bug/ Dead Bug/ Superman Planks: The name dead bugs has always confused me a bit, 
'cause dead bugs don't move... but whatever, let's move on.  Bug exercises are performed on your hands and knees.  You stabilize yourself with your core and raise one arm and simultaneously the opposite leg.  The goal is to get your legs straight out behind you and your arm straight out in front of you at the same time, without allowing your hips to rotate and without allowing your back to sag.  You then bring your arm in at the same time as you bring your knee in, and try to touch your elbow to your knee, and then repeat.  If you feel your form compromised or about to be compromised, return to the starting position.  This is complicated to do, so it may take some practice before you can achieve "perfect" form.  Just keep working at it and don't try to force range of motion that you're not ready for yet, it'll happen.

Dead bug exercises are performed while laying on your back.  Just like the bug exercises you want to alternate the straightened leg with the opposite arm.  While doing this exercise, try to hold your torso perfectly still so that your low back doesn't arch up off the mat.  I think you'll find it surprisingly difficult to maintain your position.  While you are alternating you legs and arms, you may hold the other (non-active) ones up in the air. Or, if that is too difficult to do while maintaining back position, place the non-active foot on the ground, and non-active arm by your side.

Superman planks are very similar to the bug exercises, except you are on your toes rather than your knees.  You are going to want to spread your legs a bit to give yourself better balance, and then carefully raise one leg up straight and the opposite arm up straight at the same time.  Again, make sure that you keep your abdominals tight so that you can maintain correct posture in your back.

Standing Oblique Crunch: This exercise will require a weight. The picture shows a kettlebell but any weight you can hold in one hand will work.  I recommend starting around 10 pounds for this exercise, and then progress from there.  Hold the weight in one hand and use the other arm to balance yourself.  Stand with your feel about shoulder width apart, and then lower the weight along your side.  Make sure that you  move only sideways, not to the front or leaning backwards.  You should feel this in your sides (oblique muscles).  

Wood Choppers: These can be done with a cable machine or with a med ball.  Holding the ball or the handle of the cable in your hands, extend your arms out straight and rotate up and out, away from your body and over your shoulder. Then, bring the resistance down and over so you end on the opposite side of your body with the resistance by your knee.  You can start this from the top and move to the bottom, or start at the bottom and move to the opposite top.

Sit-up to Standing: This is particularly evil (cue villainous laugh).  Basically, you just do a sit-up and then continue the motion until you're standing ... without putting your hands on the ground (that's the evil part).  This is very difficult, you're going to want to swing your arms so that you can gather momentum.  The picture shows a weight, but weights aren't necessary, especially in the beginning.  Make sure you plant your feet and use your legs, because it's just not gonna happen otherwise.

Walking Plank: To start this exercise start in the high plank with your hands directly under your shoulders and your feet together.  You're going to very carefully move one hand out to the side (doesn't matter which one, just pick) and at the same time move the leg out.  Then move the other side in, so you are back to the starting position (except not, you're about a foot to the side).  The distance you're going to travel is going to depend on how difficult you want this to be. I recommend starting with 5-10 "steps", and then moving all the way back to the point where you started.  This will work all the muscles in your torso, including your back and also your shoulders and hips.

SO... how do you put all of these together?  Let's talk about that.  Some of these exercises are going to be harder than others, and some work different muscles than others.  The difficulty of the exercises is going to depend on what your daily life is like, and how much experience you have with abdominal exercises.  I recommend starting with about 10 minutes of abdominal exercises, and then adding more time as you get stronger (if you want to, there isn't really a required length of time. It depends on what else you're doing as part of your workout).  If you are going to be adding abdominals exercises to your workouts, I recommend adding them at the end of it because fatiguing your core muscles will make the rest of your workout even harder, and could make you less stable during the workout.  I have included exercises that involved different muscles, combinations, or all of your muscles.  Some exercises involve you moving, and some exercises involve holding a position.  The best way to put together a program is to pick variety.  Make sure you target each muscle group, not just one, and start with the hardest exercises and end with the easiest ones.  Remember, different people will find different exercises difficult.

I hope this opens up a whole new realm of core exercises for you all.  Let me know in the comments section which ones are your favorites, or if I left any of your favorites off my list.  There is no end to how creative you can be with these exercises.  As always, if you have any questions or want a more elaborate explanation feel free to ask.

**NOTE: Always consult your physician before starting a fitness program.  If you experience pain during exercise stop IMMEDIATLY and see your doctor.**

REHAB FOR SHIN SPLINTS

So, a little while ago, I did a post on how to prevent shin splints.  Hopefully, you all read it so that you don't have shin splints.  BUT just in case you didn't read it, or sadly, I was too late posting it and you now are experiencing shin pain, I've put together some exercises that can help minimize the pain - or hopefully make it go away completely.

First things first, if you're experiencing shin pain, in order to help rehab it you'll need to rest.  It's annoying, I know, but if you don't rest it becomes very difficult to recover.  Not impossible, but if you're not training for something, I recommend rest.  Doing these exercises, you should start to feel better (as long as you rest) in about a week, and the pain should decrease to nothing from there.  Keep in mind that the more severe the pain, the longer the recovery is going to be.

Toe Walking: This is super simple, all you have to do is pretend like you're wearing stilettos and walk around on only your toes.  Told you: super simple.  This exercise is meant to help strengthen all the little tiny muscles in your foot.  There is no set amount of time to do this exercise. My rule of thumb is to go until you feel fatigue, and then stop.  Remember, all of this is meant to be like rehab - so you want to reach fatigue, not exhaustion.  Make sure you give your injury plenty of rest between sets.  This is meant to strengthen muscles and increase stability. To get the most out of the exercise you should do this barefoot, so that your muscles are working to stabilize your foot, not your shoe.  However, in the beginning, you may be in too much pain to do this barefoot.  Start with shoes if you need to, and then progress to barefoot.

Heel Walking: Similar to the toe walking, but you use only your heels (duh).  WARNING: This may make you look like a penguin.  Same rules apply here as with toe walking, work only until fatigue, take rests when you need to, and work until you can do this barefoot (then keep working at it).

She makes it look cool

Toe Towel Crunches: Lay a small towel out flat on the floor (dish towels are perfect for this exercise).  Then use your toes to pull the towel towards you, without picking it up off the floor.  It'll get all scrunched up under your foot, so you'll have to readjust as you go.  When this becomes easy for you, start adding weight to the towel by placing something on the far end of it.  Keep in mind that your toes aren't the strongest muscles in your body, so start by adding only a pound at a time.

Marble Pick-up: Technically this doesn't have to be done with marbles, it can be done with anything small-ish.  All you have to do is spread the marbles out on the floor and then pick them up with your toes and place then in a cup (or bowl or whatever). Easy peas-y.  

Resisted Foot Inversion and Eversion: This one may be more difficult to do at home if you don't have a resistance band. You can also do them with the cable machines if you have access to those.  For both of these exercises, the band or cable should be placed around the ball of your foot.  For foot inversion you should pull your toes "in", so that if you're standing, your foot points towards your other foot, with the resistance pulling in the opposite direction.  For foot eversion, you should pull your toes away from your body so they point outwards.

inversion

eversion

Massages: When you have shin splints, it's very common to have stiffness in the morning and achiness in the evening.  Hopefully, as you progress with these exercises you will feel less achiness, but massages can help.  When you are feeling stiff, but have no pain, you can do a calf and foot massage.  This will help increase blood flow, which will help with the healing and to decrease the stiffness.  You can also try rolling your foot or calf on a tennis ball if massages aren't really your thing.  Massages also help to decrease pain.  When you are feeling achy, you can do an ice massage on your shins to decrease the pain.  Fill some paper cups halfway with ice and then put them in the freezer.  When they are frozen, you rip off the top part of the paper cup and rub it on your shins for about 10-15 min.  If you feel tingling in your toes, time to stop.

Toe/ Foot/ Ankle Stretches: These are meant to help more with the stiffness.  I would recommend doing these in the morning - once before the massage, and once after the massage.  Try pulling your toes towards you, and then add the foot. Also, try curling your toes under your foot.  Stretches can also help with pain, but if you are feeling achy, I recommend caution: start very light with the stretches.

So, once you're pain free and you have super strong toe muscles (you're welcome for your jacked monkey feet), it's time to go back to running (or whatever it is that gave you the pain in the first place).  So go read that other post on how to prevent shin splints, cause once you've had them once, you're prone to getting them again.  PLUS, if you just stop and go straight back to what you were doing before, are you gonna be surprised when you get exactly what you got before?

Please keep in mind that "shin splints" is a term that covers all pain in the shins. So, if you are doing these exercises, and also resting, and you don't notice a decrease in your pain within two weeks, I would recommend you see your doctor - because you may have something more serious than some over-used muscles.  If you are resting properly you should notice continual decrease in your pain levels. So if you see a decrease at first and then nothing for a while, that also would be a sign you need something extra in your treatment.

**NOTE: This post is meant to be informative and educational.  While I do think that these exercises are useful in decreasing shin pain and can be very rehabilitative (is that a word?), this post is not meant to replace care from a therapist or a doctor.**