Top 5 Core Exercises

Is your core ready for beach season? These five core exercises will make sure your answer is “yes.”

Summer’s around the corner which means cutoffs and aviators at the BBQ are coming out. But just as you don’t wanna be the guy who’s massive up top with toothpicks for legs, nobody wants to be the guy with big arms and a spare tire. How then do you strip the fat off to make sure your definition’s where it ought to be post-Memorial Day? These 5 staples will lead you to the six pack abs promised land…

Ab Rollers:
This core exercise are deceptively hard. The wheel’s been around for a long time but after all of those ridiculous early-90’s infomercials, it seems to have gotten overlooked. Don’t hold that against the roller though, as this exercise is still legit. Keep your abs tight when rolling both out and in, and be careful not to go too far on the rollout to avoid strain or injury. Stay under control and you’ll feel these beasts the next day, even though you’re doing them at body weight. If you want to add more difficulty, kneel on a bosu ball while doing them. Start with 3 sets of 6 and gradually work your way up to sets of 15.

Hanging Leg Raises:
Strap yourself in and get to work on this beloved abs exercise. Bring your knees up past parallel as if you’re bringing them all the way to your chest. If you’re not familiar with these, you’ll feel like a kid on a swing in the playground again… but you’re not. Consider this your indoctrination to manhood. A bit of swinging back and forth is inevitable, but do your best to fight momentum and feel those lower abs burn. Too easy at just body weight? Throw a dumbbell between your feet and go to work. 4 sets of 15-20 are just what the doctor ordered here.

Cable Crunches:
I remember seeing Arnold doing these in Pumping Iron, and thinking, “man that’s gotta hurt…” and they do, but in a good way of course. You won’t pile on insane weight like Arnold did, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a go at abdominal assassination. Using the same rope you use for triceps rope pulldowns and perform the motion as if you’re going down into a fetal position. Remember your arms are just there to hold the weight, don’t use them to pull down. Your abs should do all of the work, and keep a nice controlled motion going while doing 3 sets of 8-10.

Physioball Twists:
You might fall off the ball the first time you try these, but who cares as this is a great addition to any corew workout. These are gonna shred those obliques like a cheese grater. Do them with your arms straight out and hands together at first and then when you’re comfortable hold a medicine ball or dumbbell in your hands. These aren’t only gonna make you look good, they’re also a highly functional exercise for any athlete looking to improve core strength, so long as you’re doing 3 sets of 8-10 on each side.

Planks:
Gut check time; just you against the clock and the steadily build up of lactic acid. The beauty of these is that you can do them anytime, anywhere. Keep your butt down and your back flat while keeping your abs tight. 3 sets of 60 seconds is all you need to fell the deep burn. Tick…tock…

If you’re like me, this summer couldn’t come fast enough. After winter it’s time to hit the beach and have some fun. These core exercises are exactly what you need if you want those six pack abs ready for beach body season.

To maximize your core workout, 1R would recommend the following supplements:

1. Optimum Nutrition AmiNO Energy - This preworkout supplement contains vital amino acids and beta alanine to get you ready for any workout that may come your way
2. Optimum Nutrition Fish Oil – These tasteless fish oil pills will help you burn fat, improve joint health, and reduce inflammation associated with hard training
3. Gaspari IntraPro - This post workout protein shake that's loaded with BCAAs, L-Glutamine, and Taurine, will help you recover, and build lean muscle, faster after workouts