Core Excercises Help
 

Okay....i'm sure that everyone has a core excercise that they find useful, i should explain my situation before i take some wrong advice on what i should do.

About 3 years ago, i got into a car accident (rear ender) that herniated my lower back at the 4-5 vertebrae. So after all this time, i've recovered to a good point, yet my back will never be 100%

Every time i go to the gym, i spend about 20 minutes (more or less) of my workout focussing on core excercises, which usually involves for me, just the mat, medicine balls and the big fitness ball. However, my knowledge of what to do properly is at the introductory level of excercises which were shown to me during physio.

But now, i am doing excercises that i 'think' will benefit me...but thats why i am making this thread, so i can get a lil bit more of an objective opinion.

Ideally, what i am trying to acheive is being able to play hockey at the same level i did way back when. But in order for me to do that, i gotta lose 40 more pounds :P . But for now, i am more than willing to learn some excercises that will really help strenghthen my core muscles to encase the weak part of my lower back and protect it from impact...

...and of course, taking into consideration that i don't have the best back, that i can't do EXTREME stuff for core excercises, if that actually exists.

Try doing the plank. It's intense but helps a lot with your core.

It helps to have someone spot you, motivate you, and make sure you don't sag.

http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/plank.html

Yoga Ball + Mountain Climbers is a good one.

I would recommend paying for a trainer to go over this with you. It will just take one session and you will know a bunch of different exercises and know how to properly do them.

trade in ur office chair for a yoga ball. you dont get to lean back BUT great for less intense work out even when ur not even working out...

All this is GREAT....thanks very much, and hoping to read more.

-I hear wondrous stuff about planks...i'll make sure thats in my next gym itenirary.

-I might not have to pay for a trainer...the gym that i go to has this really helpful (hot) lady that takes in questions and works one on one with many of the people that drop in.
Of course, if i find that the advice that she gives me is too basic...then i will find a personal trainer that i will pay to for a lil bit more advance stuff. But free is a good start :)

-My gym in our apartment building has a fitness ball that i threw in there...i think i am gonna take that back and replace it with my office chair. Good thing my office is in my own bedroom.


But i am not familiar with yoga ball + mountain climber..... :confused:

Anyone?

So you know what a plank is right? You know what a mountain climber is?

Do the plank on the yoga ball, with the proper form. The start doing mountain climbers, making sure that your knees touch the ball. For a little bit more of a work out, make the left knee touch the right side and vice versa.

Like this:
[youtube]4V2stE2_3yE[/youtube]

You can do it in the plank position (forearms on the ball) or like in the video, where you put your palms on the ball.

Other core exercises would include doing dumbell presses and other various exercises that would normally require your back to be on the bench, on a yoga ball instead. You'll have to play around with these ones to see where your pivot point is such that you get the most of the core work out.

If you're really good, you can do pushups with your legs up on the yoga ball. That shit is fucking hard.

Funny...u show people these excercises which look easy; you do em yourself and you're like....wtf? looked so easy :P


I'll be sure to be trying these excercises as well...thanks alphamale.

if/when you can do them, hanging leg raises and twists

Thanks....someone showed that to me at the gym, tried it...don't think my body is ready for that excercise yet. :(

laying on your back leg raises to either side. turn up the intensity by having someone standing above you catching your legs at 90* and throwing them down randomly to different sides.

and dont forget, your lower back is part of your core as well. anything like a good morning or a lower back extension either on the apparatus or the machine does wonders for your core stability also.

Do squats on a balance board. Once you are able to do balanced squats, start adding weights to it or have a buddy disrupt you (do light pushes/shoves) while you squat. These are hockey specific core training exercises.


Oh man, I break out sweating by the 4-5 rep. Ever try doing it the opposite way? Balancing your body with your arms on the ball and doing push-ups?

Actually....what i do is i actually stand on the yoga ball and do unassisted squats from there. It took me about a month to get both my feet and stand up on that ball.

After the squats, i get a buddy to toss me an 8 pound medicine ball while standing on the ball.


Yep you're right....these excercises are awesome for hockey.

Just finished a nice 2 hour session at the gym, also trying some of the new stuff that was mentioned on the thread.

The mountain climbers on the yoga ball is something though :) Its a good excercise for me because the result is very gaining, and theres like hardly any pressure on my lower back.

Its hard to 'not' cheat or slouch and be lazy though.....i guess thats the challenge with all these core excercises.

^At least you can do balanced squats on a balance board. I can't, lol.

Yeah, the thing with a lot of core exercises is that it's very easy to cheat, and cheat yourself. It take a lot of concentraion and sometimes outside help to focus and understand what msucles should be working.

I remember when I first started doing push ups and planks, I barely even felt my core at work, and I'm sure that goes for a lot of people. Now, when I do those exercises I'm able to concentrate those muscles and feel/make them work.

Nobody said i can do balanced squat on a balance board......i do balanced squats on a yoga ball.

I'm actually in the same boat you are, believe it or not....i can't do squats on a balance board worth shit!!

I can!! Haha...only cause it was part of my ACL rehab. I haven't tried with weights or someone giving me slight pushes, only cause Sport Central decided to take away the balance board which kind of annoyed me. The key is to not do full squats right away. Do 1/4 squats first to help you with concentrating with balancing, then squat farther as you go along. Took me about 2 weeks to be able to balance and do full squats.

P90X Core Synergistics DVD is great for core exercises.

yeah....i don't get it....

its supposed to be A LOT harder on a full yoga ball.....i know its a lot more dangerous balancing on a yoga ball than it is on a balance board.

Do realize that your core includes the front, sides and back of your torso. If you are training only the front and sides you are only going to set yourself up for an increased chance of injury in the future. Find a good trainer that can help you strengthen your lower back in a safe manner.

Hm. I never tried it on the full yoga ball. I've seen it done on the BOSU ball. I tried that years ago, I felt that was pretty hard, haven't tried it since

For those who made suggestions...thanks, and i have officially put in the money and time to take EVERYONE's advice here.

My wife was looking for a community centre gym, and it has a family add on membership for pretty cheap, which includes bootcamp,cardio,yoga, aerobics and strengthening group sessions....even ones specifiically for core for intermediate. So tomorow will be my first core session at South Arm.