As an athlete, you need a powerful core. Every motion, every movement, uses your core in some way. That goes for practically any sport. (Well, maybe except chess.)
But think about it:
– When a boxer throws a punch, the power starts in the hips, spreads to the core, then flows right through the arm and fist.
– When a basketball player goes to jump, the power starts with the squat, extends up through the quads, explodes up through the core, and up through the arms to make the shot.
– In soccer, a strong core lets you stabilize your body in an instant, change direction, and explode toward your opponent.
Most people in the gym don’t need their bodies to do these crazy things. They might be fine with crunches.
But regular core exercises just won’t cut it for you. Why?
Because you use your core for stabilization and balance more than anything. Regular ole crunches don’t take any balance what-so-ever. You need exercises that work your core by forcing it to balance and stabilize your body.
There are tons of awesome exercises out there – but planks are more killer than almost anything else. Especially considering the hundreds of variations you can do with them.
Check out this awesome video for 20 plank variations that build balance and a killer core:
Here’s something to pay close attention to in this video:
Technique.
Notice that he’s not going crazy fast through these exercises.
He’s going at a good pace, while placing tremendous on his technique. That’s going to give him good muscle strength for a solid range of motion.
As an athlete, you need to be flexible. Exercises are designed to enhance your movements. Make sure you’re doing them as intended.
Have questions? Got something out of this post? Leave a comment below!
Till next time!
Jim Wnek
Founder, CORE1 Inc. Your Downers Grove Speed, Strength, and Sports Training Experts.