Core Stability

[rocky]

jase once suggested that anyone who couldnt hold it for three minutes wouuld be getting kicked out the squad..... alison o'neil has managed well over five.

be worried if you cant manage 60 seconds i think, 90 seconds is a starting point....

[Becks]

I only ever do it for 90 seconds at the end of circuit training at the moment (the git increased our interval last week!), not sure how much I could do in a straight test. Ewan and Speakey used to be able to do 4-5 mins or something crazy - any ideas Rocky?

[Jene]

uh oh.....im only jus reaching 60 before i collapse!! didnt think my muscles were that crappy....

[SJ]

I got my fit ball at Aldi for £3.99 and it's just as good at the more expensive ones (Reebok are about £25)

plank is cool though coz you don't need equipment and you can usually tell if you're doing it properly as it hurts!

[Becks]

Ohh...shall investigate Aldi then when i return back to a land that has them shortly. My posh fit ball is punctured

[FatBoy]

I have to confess age/lager is taking its toll. I just tried the plank thing now I'm out of the office and made a minute but not much more. Hurts my elbow though (left part of the bone on High Dam somewhere). The other one with the leg raises seems a lot easier to me though.

[Kitch]

The thing that bugs me is that before they invented core stability my back was fine,
since they came up with it I've been getting all kinds of gyp

[FatBoy]

OK so tried it again with a small pillow under damaged elbow(s). Still not good but closer to two minutes than one.

So can anybody explain why I find the leg lowering one easy(ish) but am relatively poor at the plank one? I'm guessing "core strength" is actually a bit like saying "leg strength" i.e. a bit general.

[SJ]

different exercises work different core muscles, eg certain crunches do only the top half, so to hazard a guess - leg raises work only some (bottom of stomach?) and plank probably works them all

[gross2004]

Another true gem of truth from Andy K.

[chrisecurtis]

You can buy a Pilates book for a couple of pounds from one of those very cheap bookshops - that will give you pictures of the plank and lots of other core relevant exercises, but you really should take a few classes if you can - our Pilates instructor is brilliant - I can do the plank for ages (several minutes - probably comes from "hiking out" in sailing) - but she makes a tiny adjustment (e.g. to foot position) and you are in real trouble as the weight comes onto a new set of muscles you did not know you had! There were similar fiendish adjustments to lots of other exercises too - you need a real expert. The best thing for a non-expert is the fitness ball - and the make does not matter.

[Guest]

The thing that bugs me is that before they invented core stability my back was fine,
since they came up with it I've been getting all kinds of gyp

Maybe it's just coincidence, but I guess you're older these days........

Fish

[Guest]

Fish has got a point Andy...

I've had a few twinges in my lower back over the past year or so, I'm sure age is a factor, but I decided to get back into climbing to butch up a bit. My back seems to be alright (touch wood). I haven't took time of running to sort it or had any treatment. Not sure if climbing helps the specific core muscles mentioned, but I feel stronger and more stable uphill.

Helen also climbs and the upper body workout seems to helped her running, although lots of training has also contributed to this.

Phil Winskill

[redkite]

when I start to feel my back it normally means I have not been doing enough excercise. Digging in the garden seems a good cure. No idea if this is pilates but it works.

[SJ]

so apart from plank does anyone know what other exercises are good for back muscles?