Core workout in the gym. Core development guide: anatomy, tests and training program. Nutrition for effective core training

All people want to have a healthy, strong body. But in an era of sedentary work and reduced physical activity, this is not so easy.

The core muscles are a group of several deep muscles that provide stabilization to the human spinal column. In essence, they are the center of gravity and activity of the muscles of the human body.

For the well-being of the human body, training and strengthening this muscle group is a very important condition.

What is a cor?

Kor translated from English core means "center", or "core".

To date, there has not yet been a clear definition of what exactly is the core, however, in an accessible language, we can say that these are the muscles that combine the movements of the lower and upper parts of the human body. Simply put, this is the muscle layer between the upper torso and legs.

Physiologically, the core is the muscle tissue that is located near the spine and serves as its fixators. These muscles include:

rectus, oblique, transverse abdominal muscles;
middle, small and large gluteal muscles;
dorsal extensors;
leg flexors;
adductor, rectus and sartorius muscles of the thigh.

That is, to train the muscles of the core means to train the central part of the body, which will ultimately lead to the creation of strong support for the spine.

Why are these muscles needed?

A strong corset of muscles around the spine plays an important role in human life support and is responsible for the following parameters:

strong press and elastic buttocks;
strength and flexibility of the body;
good posture, taut sporty look;
equilibrium;
condition and health of the spine;
harmonious work of other muscles;
health of the circulatory, excretory, genitourinary, digestive systems.

A healthy muscle corset in the belt area is the key to maintaining intra-abdominal pressure at the right level, which stimulates the outflow of venous blood from the internal organs, as well as maintaining all organs in the correct position.

Also, the development of core muscles significantly improves coordination of movements, and the likelihood of injury is significantly reduced.

By performing exercises in which you need to occupy not very comfortable postures and unstable positions, in a short period of time you can achieve significant results, significantly reduce your waist and form an excellent abdominal press.

The importance of corset muscles

To understand how important the corset muscles are, it is worth considering a few facts:

The core is the only muscle tissue that can be shaped and strengthened while practically stationary. These muscles do not move bones, unlike all other skeletal muscles. Their task is to keep the spine, pelvis and hips in a safe, stable position. That is why all the exercises that are performed to strengthen the muscles of the core are, to a greater or lesser extent, unstable and uncomfortable.
Strengthening the muscle fibers of the core allows you to maintain a healthy spine and beautiful posture, but one to two hours of training per week does not compensate for the constant work in a sitting position. The body needs help - while sitting, maintain correct posture and a straight back, do not lean forward and do not throw one leg over the other.
Any more or less complex movement of the body begins with the work of the core muscles. Only after they are included in the work, the force of the bar or dumbbell is transmitted through the arms and legs. Therefore, if an athlete began to notice that his results had stopped progressing, he should pay attention to strengthening the core muscles.

How to strengthen the muscles of the corset

In order to strengthen and maintain the muscles of the corset in good condition, you need:

Constantly monitor your posture, this is especially important for those who are engaged in sedentary work.
As often as possible, engage in outdoor activities - cycling, swimming or just walking.
Engage in the development of a training program, paying obligatory attention to the entire corset of the core, and not pumping individual muscle groups. Otherwise, these muscles will shorten, which will inevitably lead to an imbalance in the core and, as a rule, in the whole organism.
Systematically visit a doctor, listen carefully to his advice and share with him your feelings during and after the training process, as well as adjust your individual classes based on the doctor's recommendations and your own indicators.
Be sure to combine training sessions with massage, physiotherapy procedures, which will benefit and relax the working muscles.
Use stretching in training - a set of exercises specially designed to stretch the ligaments and muscles.
Systematically during the day, strain the buttocks and abdominal muscles.

Features of strengthening the muscles of the cortex in women

For women, the following tips are suitable:

Wearing the right shoes means that your feet should not have stilettos and 15 cm heels, but a medium-sized stable heel, about 5 cm high. High heels are allowed to be worn occasionally, to go out "to people" or to social events. When walking in shoes with medium heels, the shoulders straighten by themselves, the stomach is automatically drawn in, and the buttocks are selected.
In the minutes free from work, you need to engage in targeted tension of the muscles of the press (abdomen) and hips several times throughout the day. The systematic implementation of this exercise eliminates fatty loose deposits. In women, they are located close to the surface and are removed more easily than deep dense layers of fat in men. Men can remove them only with proper nutrition and active sports activities.
To avoid complications, women are not recommended to train and strengthen the core muscles during pregnancy, the passage or treatment of gynecological diseases.

How to train corset muscles

Core muscle training is performed using exercises that are aimed at working out individual muscle groups that are included in the core. Moreover, a combination of exercises in the complex is specially thought out in order to avoid overloading any one muscle. Certain exercises are applied to different muscle groups:

in order to strengthen the muscles of the press, various variations of twists are widely used;
squats are performed to train the extensors of the back, muscles of the buttocks, thighs and abdomen;
lunges are also used to train the muscles of the legs, hips and buttocks;
to pump not only the legs and hips, but also the lumbar muscles, deadlifts are used (more for men, since the muscles of the arms, shoulders and chest develop in this exercise) and pull-ups;
exercises for training spatial stabilization of the body are also important;
various options for planks, bridges are popular in use;
effective in the systematic use of body grouping on the fitball;
“running” in the supine position has proven itself well.

Core muscle training program

The secrets of a well-designed program of effective exercises for pumping core muscles:

it is necessary to alternate exercises for strengthening muscles, developing strength, stretching and cardio exercises;
in order to avoid muscle groups getting used to the load, exercises for the core muscles need to be changed so that the load changes, use complicated variations;
you also need to change over time not only the load, but also the speed of the exercises, the number of repetitions, reduce the rest time;
once every couple of months you need to add new exercises;
to get rid of excess fat deposits, you need to adjust the diet;
you need to use exercises that have a different degree of load.

Uncomfortable postures that need to be held for a while are great for developing all the muscles of the core.

How to build core muscles

You need to train twice a week with a break of three days. Perform each exercise for at least a minute.

Some popular exercises for the development of corset muscles:

These exercises will help keep the corset muscles in good shape. Consequently, both the internal organs and the spine will be located correctly and will not bother their owners.

The muscles of the cortex are muscle group that stabilizes the spine, as well as the pelvic part of the skeleton and hips and forms a kind of corset covering the lower half of the body.

Formative muscles and functions

The word "core" came into Russian from English (core), and is translated as the center, the core. It transfers force between the upper and lower body. Core is not only the press, but also the area around the spine, in the groin. This group includes the following muscles:

- oblique, transverse, straight;
buttocks - small and medium;
back of the thigh;
infraspinatus;
coraco-humeral;
leading.

The state of these muscles depends on:

the presence and size of the abdomen;
posture;
the shape of the chest;
health of the ridge, hip joint;
the functioning of various body systems - genitourinary, especially in women, digestive, excretory;
strength - bodies, explosive;
the ability to keep balance;
movement speed;
the correct position of the internal organs.

Back and stomach hurt

Athletes who are engaged in bodybuilding and powerlifting believe that the back needs to be constantly strengthened.

With the weakening of this part of the muscular corset, the posture and the spine, which loses support, suffer, and the likelihood of injury increases.

The transverse abdominis muscle is the deepest in the abdominal wall and is responsible for holding the internal organs, and also makes the waist more slender, stabilizes the lower back. In addition, training has a beneficial effect on the outflow of venous blood from the internal organs.

Any complex movement begins with the core, which at the next stage is transferred to the hands. That's why poor site development is the cause of low performance when performing compound exercises- presses, squats, pull-ups. The last statement often causes a smile. But one of the confirmations of the correctness of these words is the peculiarity of pregnant women: they cannot pull themselves up on the horizontal bar, because the abdominal area is relaxed.

How to strengthen the core?

Initially, it was believed that to strengthen the core, it was enough to tone the transverse abdominal muscle. But this is not true. So, when training only this area, an imbalance occurs in the entire muscle zone. Then there are pains in the back, hip joints, dexterity and coordination are lost, internal organs are displaced, etc. Therefore, you need to work the entire muscle group.

The bark can be strengthened without a single movement. The phenomenon is explained by the fact that these structures do not control the bones. They have a different task - to stabilize the pelvis, spine, hips in a safe position.

For this reason, core strengthening exercises are difficult to perform due to the instability of the posture. And in order for the training to be successful, you need to remember a few rules in accordance with which the exercises should be performed.

attention is focused on the lower part of the press and stabilization of the lumbar zone of the ridge;
it is not the number of sets and repetitions that matters, but the feeling of muscle fatigue;
before starting intensive training, you should master the technique of performing each movement - this will help to avoid injuries.

The frequency of training is twice a week. The program is effective for 4-10 weeks, after which it is gradually changed, introducing new exercises. The number of repetitions is 8-15.2-4 sets.

How to pump up core?

"Pumping" the zone requires the following rules:

alternate strength, strengthening, cardio and stretching exercises;
technique must periodically change, become more complicated;
it is important to change the speed, the number of repetitions, to reduce the pauses between sets;
twice a month the program is updated, supplementing with new exercises.

Exercises

One of the most potent is the front bar, which was borrowed from yogis and is suitable for men and women. You don't need any special equipment or special training conditions to do it.

Starting position (I.P.): on the floor, resting your forearms and socks on the floor, placing your limbs shoulder-width apart. The back is kept straight, the pelvis is in line with the shoulders and heels. It is easier to control the position of the body if you put a gymnastic stick on top, which should touch the head, upper back and pelvis. In this position, you need to feel tension.

When performing the front bar, not only the core works, but also the muscles of the lower extremities, chest, and shoulders. To complicate the task, the straight leg is taken up - then the body rests on three points, and the load increases.

The basic version of this exercise is a stand on outstretched arms. The position is the same, but with the difference that they rest on the floor with their palms, the stomach is pulled in, trying to pull the abdominal muscles to the spine.

Regularity is important to get consistent results. Therefore, you need to make a schedule for yourself and stick to it.

You can develop a whole program with varieties of planks - this is already a great workout at home.

Her one universal option that is suitable for both men and women is a boat. To do this, lie face down and tear off the floor at the same time arms and legs. They are held for a few seconds in the upper amplitude and then the limbs are lowered.

Complex for women

To strengthen the core, the following exercises are suggested.

There are several types of hyperextension, and they are all equally useful. They can be gradually included in the program, increasing the complexity. For example, in order to get a greater load, the legs are alternately taken out from behind the roller.

Watch the video complex.

Complex for men

Representatives of the strong half of humanity usually benefit from the same exercises as women, but in a more complicated version.

Plank frontal with a raised arm. It has already been mentioned above about the stance with a raised leg. Here the starting position is the same, but they raise a straight arm. This version is even more difficult.

Gymnastic wheel. I.P. - kneeling, hands with the wheel in front of them, rest on the floor. Holding the projectile, they are pumped with it into a prone position, without shifting their knees, and touch the floor with their chest. Then they move in the opposite direction, rolling the wheel to their feet.

In the gym, hyperextension with weighting is effective. The exercise is performed in the same way as in the “female” version, only they take a pancake from the barbell (start with the smallest weight) or dumbbells.

Before using any weighting agents, it is necessary to clearly master the technique in the simplest version, otherwise back injuries are possible.

For problems with the spine, they suggest trying reverse hyperextension. To do this, the athlete lies on his stomach on the bench, and raises his lower limbs. This relieves the knee joints.

On the simulator, the reduction of the legs is also performed. Exercise useful for men, as it is the prevention of inflammation of the prostate. So not only the inner surface of the thigh is worked out, but also the blood supply in the pelvic organs improves. The task is to smoothly, without jerks, bring and spread the legs bent at the knees, trying to achieve maximum amplitude.

Video workout.

As you can see, core exercises often do not require special equipment and can even be performed at home. With regular classes, pleasant metamorphoses can be noticed after 2-3 months.

The core muscles are a complex of muscles that are needed in order to stabilize the pelvis, hips and spine. These muscles are very important in bodybuilding, as any complex movement begins with their contraction (for example, push-ups or pull-ups). Developed core muscles allow you to constantly keep a straight posture and maintain a healthy back. Also, strength results in many depend on the development of this muscle complex. In this article, we will look at exercises for training this muscle group.
Core muscles - interesting facts
These are the only muscles that can be trained while remaining still. Most core exercises are static.

If you have problems with posture, then regular training of the core muscles is what you need. But it should be understood that one lesson a week will not be able to compensate for the constant sedentary work. We recommend doing at least 3 workouts per week - this will not bring inconvenience and will not take much time, because the core muscles can be trained at home.

As we said, any basic movement starts with the core muscles - this applies to pull-ups, deadlifts, squats, etc. If your strengths have stopped progressing, and you have never paid attention to the muscles of the core, then now is the time.

Core Exercises
The most effective exercises for working out the muscles of the core are:
Plank or elbow plank- perfectly strengthens the abdominal muscles. During execution, it is important that the lower back is straight, that is, without deflections or roundings.

- an exercise to strengthen the oblique abdominal muscles.

- another exercise for the abdominal muscles. During execution, it is important to completely tear off your knees from the fitball, and at the end point you need to rest on your toes.

- an exercise to work out the posterior chain of the core muscles. Beginners are not recommended to use large weights.

- working out the anterior chain of the core muscles, one of the most difficult exercises. For those athletes who are just starting to master this exercise, we recommend that you start rolling out from your knees; after a few workouts, you can try the option with straight legs.

Core training
Working out the core muscles for beginner athletes comes down to doing a few easy exercises:
Straight and side straps;

Glute bridge;

Fitball groups.

The bar is performed for 1-2 minutes, the time increases with the growth of fitness. The glute bridge is performed with minimal weight in the form of a barbell, dumbbell or pancakes.
If we are talking about core training for experienced athletes, then here we advise you to perform supersets:
Rolling out on a roller + reverse or straight twists (3-4 supersets with 1 minute of rest between them).

Or you can use the following scheme:
Normal straight bar - 1 minute;

Straight bar on the elbows - 1 minute;

Plank on the elbows with the rise of the right leg - 30 seconds;

Elbow plank with left leg raise - 30 seconds;

Side plank - 30 seconds on each side;

We finish with the usual straight bar - 1 minute.

All exercises are performed without interruption. Such a workout takes no more than 5 minutes, but after it all your core muscles will simply burn.
Unusual core muscle training - video

Some exercises are too hard?! Strengthen your core muscles and the results will go up.

For many, the first thing that comes to mind is that the core muscles are a flat stomach and drawing 6 cubes, in fact, the core muscles are a large number of muscle fibers that literally encircle the entire torso of the body. Therefore, the idea of how to strengthen the muscles of the core will come in handy from ordinary amateurs in everyday life to professional fighters.

Girdle training is usually relegated to the background and performed at the end of the workout, when the body's strength is almost running out, if at all.

Based on the fact that the core muscles are useful in performing flexions and extensions for ordinary household chores, their weakened state entails the risk of injury to the spine and lower back, especially under load, making the issue of strengthening the core muscles a priority and important.

MUSCLES CORA- consist of muscle fibers that cover the spine and abdominal region, partially covering the hip region, transverse, internal and external muscles, reaching the thoracic region and diaphragm.

The core muscles fix the body during physical activity, reducing the risk of injury.

Why do we need core muscles

The benefits of core muscles in daily life are as follows:

1. IMPROVE BALANCE AND COORDINATION- core muscles hold the body and improve the mobility of the body, increasing efficiency and reducing the risk of injury.

2.SUPPORTING THE SPINE AND REDUCING PAIN IN THE BACK- People with a sedentary lifestyle, especially office workers, often break their posture, rounding their backs and earning a stoop, this causes pain, turning it into a chronic one. Strong core muscles support a straight back, ensuring correct posture, reducing pain.

3. CORRECT POSTURE- excellent physical shape of the core muscles, ensures the maintenance of correct posture, while preventing the occurrence of pain in the back and neck.

4. RESISTING INJURIES- when the spine is entwined with strong muscles, the possibility of injuring it is sharply reduced, the same applies to a fall at a more mature age, in this case there is less chance of injury to the main core of the body.

Core muscles exercises

Set aside 1 separate day for strengthening, or use the exercises below, between the main sets of exercises, using the set. The set of exercises is as follows:

The relevance of exercises for the development and strengthening of the core muscles arose due to the need to maintain the spinal column and pelvic bones in a fixed, motionless state, especially when playing sports.

The importance of a strong frame, consisting of core muscles, is explained by the fact that when performing exercises (for example, push-ups), the load must be distributed evenly between the muscles being worked out.

If the core muscles are poorly developed, then the load will initially be distributed to them, and then to those for which the exercise is intended.

In this regard, the athlete will not have enough resources to fully perform the desired exercise. Many posture problems are solved with core training.

The core muscles are a set of muscles that are located deeper than all the others in the body, which fix the spinal column, pelvis, hips in a stable state and hold the organs, transmit the force coming from the legs to the body and arms.

Names of muscles

The core muscles include:

small and medium gluteal;
clavicular-shoulder;
infraspinatus;
rectus and oblique abdominal muscles;

Functions

The muscles of the cortex perform a number of functions in the body, namely:

keep the posture and shape of the chest correct;
affect the type and size of the abdomen;
maintain the health of the spine, eliminate pain and curvature;
keep the genitourinary system in the mode of normal functioning and exclude the appearance of all possible problems associated with it;
support the digestive and excretory system in a healthy state;
make it possible to possess explosive power and increase its power;
provide rapid movement of the body and maintaining balance;
keep the organs in a stable stationary position, excluding their displacement.

How to train? Exercises

Before you start training your core muscles, you need to decide at what point in your workout to add them to an existing set of exercises.

You can do a system of exercises to strengthen the core at the end of the main workout. But it is best to allocate separate days for such exercises, especially if you want to achieve the result as quickly as possible.

As for the core exercises themselves, they should be performed, taking into account the following points without fail:

Each exercise is performed in 2-3 sets.
In each next workout, add one approach (the result will be much faster).
Continue the exercise until the muscles are completely fatigued.

At the beginning of the training cycle of the core muscles, it is best to use basic exercises, and after completion, proceed to more complex combinations.

You can navigate by the time it takes to complete the basic ones, it should be at least a minute.

Bridge

Begin this exercise in a supine position. The legs are bent at the knees, and the arms are placed along the body. Performing this exercise is to lift the buttocks up so that a straight line is obtained from the knee to the floor.

At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the lower back is straight and does not bend. While holding the body in this position, all muscles should be in a tense state, and the duration of the execution should increase with each lift.

plank

You need to take the starting position by placing your arms bent at the elbows at an angle of 90 degrees under the shoulders. Legs are straight, tightly together, on toes. The body should be placed parallel to the floor.

The technical execution of this exercise consists in maintaining the straightness of the body, holding tension in the muscles involved and at the same time retracting the abdomen.

The main thing is to observe the correct technique and in no case do not focus on the execution time, if there is no strength to keep the bar correct.

side plank

This exercise should be performed in the position as in the previous one, only turned on its side. One arm along the body, one bent at the elbow and holding the body on the floor, legs together, one on one.

The exercise is performed on both sides for the maximum possible duration. The stomach is drawn in during execution, the buttocks are tense.

Complicated bridge

The position is taken similarly to the bridge from the basic set of exercises and is also performed. It is complicated by the fact that in the position of the raised buttocks, the leg is extended forward, also keeping a straight line with the body. Legs need to be changed in different approaches.

Plank with leg up

It starts and runs in the same way as a regular plank, only the leg rises up to shoulder level and is fixed in this state. The toe of the foot should be directed towards you.

Plank with legs out to the side

The beginning of the exercise is identical, as in the previous one, only the leg is not raised up, but taken to the side, raising it slightly above the floor.

At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the leg remains constantly straight, and the fingers are stretched towards you.

Side plank with weighting

You should start and perform the exercise as a basic side bar. At the same time, on the side, located at the top, put any weighting agent, starting with the minimum weight. The execution occurs by swapping sides in different approaches.

Core training allows you to increase the working weights in many exercises, which makes classes more effective.

The results improve quite quickly in the following exercises:

lying emphasis;
any squats using weights that are located above the head;
one-legged gluteal bridge;
standing dumbbell press;
all options