4 exercises that strengthen your stomach muscles without wrecking your spine

To strengthen your stomach muscles and not wreck your spine means not using traditional exercises like; sit ups and crunches because your core is made in a way that these exercises ineffective. The exercises that strengthen your stomach muscles without wrecking your spine make your stomach muscles contract together.

For more detail about this please watch the tutorial above

4 of the best core exercises to get you started are;

• Plank
• Side Plank
• Shoulder Bridge
• Bird Dog

There are 3 reasons why these exercises are important;

• The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
• Hoop stress
• Muscles are divided into sections with tendons and fascia

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Many people think a strong muscles makes a strong core, but this is incorrect. Each of these exercises make multiple core muscles contract at the same time. It’s this that makes your stomach muscles stronger.

Hoop Stress

Your core is one unit and muscles are divided into separate units. Imagine a cylinder being squeezed all the way around, this is what your core muscles do when they work best. These 4 exercises squeeze your whole core rather than separate parts of it.

Muscles are divided into sections with tendons and fascia

Your core muscles are divided by connective tissues called tendons and fascia. These connective tissues create the separate units that make up your core. It’s made this way because lots of separate units are stronger than one individual unit.

How to do the 4 exercises

Plank

• Start on your knees and elbows (elbows below shoulders)
• A natural curve in your spine
• Raise one knee so your on one foot and then the other
• Hold this posture for 10’s
• Rest on your knees for 5’s
• And repeat 2-3 time each set

Side Plank

• Start led on your side, with your elbow below you shoulder
• Lift your hips from the floor
• Straight line from your ankle, hips to your shoulder
• A vertical straight line through both shoulder and hips
• Hold this posture for 10’s
• Rest on your knees for 5’s
• And repeat 2-3 time each set
• If it becomes too difficult do the same from your knees

Shoulder Bridge

• Lie on your back
• Knees bent and feet flat on the floor
• Lift your hips from the floor
• contract your buttock muscles
• Hold this posture for 10’s
• Rest on your knees for 5’s
• And repeat 2-3 time each set

Bird Dog

• Start on all 4’s
• Hands below shoulder and knees below hips
• Natural curve in your spine
• Lift your right arm and left leg
• Pause, lower and repeat on the leg and arm
• Aim to maintain balance through the whole movement
• Repeat 8 times each set

If you would like a free core strengthening 14-day micro-workout you can download one by clicking here