Is there anyone ....

[MOBLEYC57]

into CORE

EXERCISES? I've been told that I SHOULD REALLY look into their benefits.

Your thoughts/experiences is

mucho appreciated.

[ManBeast]

Well, what exactly are ya

lookin to do mobs? Check out http://www.exrx.net/ and feel free to PM me with any questions, they have a

muscle map which you can click and find the muscles to work, as well as suggested exercises. A very basic free

body-weight core workout would be something like crunches, reverse crunches, back hyperextensions, and oblique

crunches. You can just get fancier from there.

MB

[Marlboro_man]

Due to my ignorance, I must

ask what is a core exercise? I always have the need to develop all aspects of life (in this case body and mind)

further.

[MOBLEYC57]

Well, what

exactly are ya lookin to do mobs? Check out http://www.exrx.net/ and feel free to

PM me with any questions, they have a muscle map which you can click and find the muscles to work, as well as

suggested exercises. A very basic free body-weight core workout would be something like crunches, reverse crunches,

back hyperextensions, and oblique crunches. You can just get fancier from there.

MB

Thanks for the

link, MB!

I was in the gym, and the fella told me to lay down on my stomach, raise up on my

forearms and elbows, and raise my butt off the floor until I felt my body had a even line ... resting on my forearms

and elbows and toes. I started trembling in less than 30 seconds, but I knew there was something to it. I guess, to

answer your question, I'm wondering about the benefits of CORE exercises for my back, and it suppose to do wonders

for the elderly. Was just wondering had anyone on the forum ventured down that road, and if they felt they

had/thought they had good benefits from certain movements.

[ManBeast]

Core exercises are THE MOST

IMPORTANT if you aren't already doing a lot of proper weight training (I.E deadlifts, squats, bent-over-rows) with

free weights and weight belts only when needed (they tend to get a good amount of work with a proper routine, and

over-training is a very possible and bad thing, even for these muscles). They are THE primary stabilizers for the

entire body, strenthening your core puts less load on your spine when you are holding your body up, it is also the

group of muscles you use to "lock" your core when doing something like a squat, w hich allows you to prevent damage

to your back that can occur with improper form and/or a very weak core. This is the reason I laugh when I see people

do major core work before or with their squats... you are wearing out the most important stabilizer muscles for that

lift ahead of time!. Where were you trembling when you did that by the way?

MB

[MOBLEYC57]

Where were you

trembling when you did that by the way?

MB

My whole body trembled! But it makes sense to build

those inner muscles, now that I think about it, and especially since I'm getting older with so many physical

problems.

[SweetBrenda]

My whole

body trembled! But it makes sense to build those inner muscles, now that I think about it, and especially

since I'm getting older with so many physical problems.

I'm going to start going to thai bo

classes in Feb. I'm looking foward to that. My boss is really into it and she really got me interested since I;ve

been wanting to learn more about it for a while now. So is going to be me and the other girl I work with and my Boss

attending the same class.
Good luck with that!

[MOBLEYC57]

I'm going to

start going to thai bo classes in Feb. I'm looking foward to that. My boss is really into it and she really got me

interested since I;ve been wanting to learn more about it for a while now. So is going to be me and the other girl I

work with and my Boss attending the same class.
Good luck with that!

A new man and thai bo, eh?

And your energy source issssss?

Heard that thai bo tis no joke! Don't hurt nobooooooooody,

SweetB!

[satyrboy]

"core strength" is a new

buzzword but actually represents an important concept. Because of bodybuilding's influence on weightlifting over

the last decades, you'll now see people in the gym doing 3 sets of 15 reps, carefully isolating this or that

muscel. This can result in an aesthetically pleasing physique, no doubt. However, your body was not meant to

function as a set of separately contracting, isolated muscles. Your body functions as a whole. There are many ways

you can train your "core." I personally believe that lower reps and compound exercises with minimal assistance from

machines will not only do the trick, but will also provide you with "functional" strenght. Don't believe me? Try

this: load up whatever you feel to be 90% of your 1 rep max in a squat and step off the rack with no belt, no

wraps, no smith machine, nothing. Squat it 3 times. If you are not flexing every abdominal and paraspinal muscle

you own, you will be happy your in the rack or cage.
I have more or less abandoned doing bodybuilding style

workouts. I vary between things like squats and deadlifts, power cleans, kettlebell work, and sometimes workout out

with a sandbag filled with 130-200 lbs of gravel/leadshot/and sand.

There is a ton of information on the

internet on old school training. Look up Tsatsouline, Kubiks, Dinosaur training to get a start.

To give you an

idea, I'm in my mid thirties. About a year ago, my back and knees hurt. I could squat maybe 200 lbs and deadlift

maybe 210. I now squat over 500 and deadlift about the same. My back pain and knee pain are completely gone.



Think of your body as a coordinated group of muscles and train it accordingly with compound exercises. You will be

pleased with the results.

(and if you really find you still need gym muscles, I guess you can do your

concentration curls with the machine after you do the important stuff)

[ManBeast]

Exactly.... I kid ya'll not I

had a guy come into my gym and check out a weight belt in order to do EVERY exercise (we're talking the big thick

one I might use when maxing out deadlifts or something....) on isolative cable machines.... When I got puzzled and

asked him why.. He said he went to his doctor and complained of lower back soreness, the doctor immediately told him

to start lifting while wearing a weight belt... the kicker in this is that the guy had been (still is?) consciously

holding his core LOOSE while doing things!!! "because then i'm only working the intended muscle" I legally wasn't

able to go any further in the convo since I'm not officially PT (personal trainer) certified... but man... where

the heck did he get that idea from?

MB

[satyrboy]

I believe it. Moreover, I can

easily see a physician suggesting such a routine. Currently, musculoskeletal stuff is not a key priority in an

allopath's (MD) med school. DO's do a bit better in this field, but still no guarantee that they'll know what

they're doing in terms of recommending physical training. Incidentally, if you're just a member of the gym,

there's no reason you can't give advice whether you're a PT or not. People are forever coming up to me offering

(usually unwanted) advice.
Anyway to sum up:
Isolation: generally bad(unless you are trying to resolve an

identified weakness- this is usually a more advanced lifter)
Belt: In general bad. Lifting without a belt does

not cause injury. Lifting incorrectly causes injury. The only time I wear a belt is if I'm trying to lift more

weight: A very tightly cinched belt will add about 50 lbs to my squat(as I can brace against it at the bottom)


Compound exercises: good
free weights: good.
"odd object lifting: good
Kettlebells: good


Anyway good

luck with your training!

[satyrboy]

I just realized that this

thread was started by a woman. Untrained women are often particularly guided to high rep light weight isolation

exercises for "tone" (my wife's trainer does this)
Again, I don't think that this is the best way to develop

long term musculature that will protect your joints. You will not get big and bulky unless you specifically train

for it. Very significant muscular hypertrophy actually requires a focus and committment to develop, it's not

something that plagues women (or men) who lift for health/crosstraining/as an adjunct for sports/etc.

[satyrboy]

BTW manbeast. That link is a

very nice site. I bookmarked it for future use. Thanks.

[ManBeast]

NP, Yah.. I'd honestly try for

WSM or something like that, but i'm only 5'7" tall and there's no way i can do something like the atlas stone...

Come stop by AM anytime.

MB

[satyrboy]

There's now a sub 175 lb class

for strongman competition(maybe it's below 170lb-I can't remember which) In any case, the competitors will no

doubt be on the shorter side...
I've got some more lbs to lose, but at 5'6" myself, I'm considering doing those

comps.