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Basic Core Routine October 25, 2011

Sometimes you just want to hit the abs.  Maybe you have just enough time to get something in and why not focus on that area that is usually the cause for most concern?  Perhaps you have all the time in the world but you haven’t given the old core area enough focus lately and as a runner you want to make sure you have good core stability and strength.  Well you are in luck because below you will find a good, basic routine to work your core but not take up a lot of your day.  Depending on how you decide to approach it, you might only lose about fifteen to twenty minutes of your day and you’ll still get a great workout in! 

You can do this routine a few different ways.  You can run through the exercises one at a time taking rest between each set or you can get through them as a circuit, taking your rest in between each round.  Either way you will get a great burn in the core and tighten up the waistline.

Exercise 1: Mountain Climbers.   This is a great exercise for getting the heart rate up, warming up the core muscles, and strengthening the rectus abdomius.

Exercise 2: Plank.  This exercise lets the heart rate come down while focusing on strengthening the lower back and rectus abdominus.

Exercise 3: Knee Unders with Crossover.  With you exercise you will once again get the heart rate cranking as well as hitting the hip flexors, obliques, and transverse abdominus.

Exercise 4: Leg Raises:  A basic old school exercise that will round out the routine but incorporating the lower portion of the rectus abdominus, hip flexors, and lower back.

Rest 45 seconds between each exercise unless you are doing these in a circuit, in which case you should do a set of each exercise and rest one minute between rounds.  Do each exercise for 30 seconds for beginners, 45 seconds for intermediate, and 1 minute for you crazies out there looking for an intense burn.