The core is a virtual powerhouse of strength located in the midsection of your body. Basically, your core includes everything between your ribs and your hips. In this chapter, I combine the best abdominal, chest, and lower back exercises to work your entire core.
I would say that the “no pain, no gain” expression applies best to this chapter. When you do the following exercises, I’m sure you’ll discover strength that you never knew you had.
To get in the right frame of mind and to prepare your muscles and joints for the following exercises, try the warm-up in Chapter 5. Not only does it encourage circulation to your heart and lungs, but it also reduces the risk of injury. Like with any new exercise program, consult your doctor before beginning. Never attempt any exercise that you’re not sure of or that causes you pain in any way.
Lengthening Your Spine
As you move throughout the day, you use the muscles along your spine called the multifidus muscles. Bending down, picking things up, and twisting are all activities that use these muscles to protect the spinal cord. If you forget to strengthen the spine and back muscles, all your other activities suffer and your body weakens.
Many chiropractors and doctors use the lower back exercises in this chapter to keep the spine long and flexible. When you’re in the prone position (lying face down) on the ball, you use all your muscles to support your body and to help build a stronger lower back.
After you complete the lower back exercises, I suggest trying the back stretch that I include in Chapter 14 or simply lying over the ball to stretch out your spine. My 3-year-old loves doing that exercise, and I hope you do, too!
Chest Workout
Many of the exercises in this section use your own body weight to build and strengthen the pecs, delts, and lats — otherwise known as the chest, shoulder, and upper back muscles.
Man from horse!
If you visualize yourself with an invisible cord running from your chest up to the sky or a tree, you’ll know why I call this section “Man from horse!” My dance teacher made this reference over and over in ballet class, and after I saw the movie starring Richard Harris, I got it. In case you haven’t seen the movie, it features Richard Harris’s character being strung up by his chest bone, or sternum, to a tree. Ouch! Of course my dance teacher referenced the movie because we were all slouching, and she was trying to make a point — the importance of good posture. Slouching is a habit that’s easy to fall into without even noticing. When I’m working at the computer, I always find myself slouching. Just recently I broke myself of this habit by replacing my chair with an exercise ball. It’s amazing how sitting on something like a ball improves your posture within seconds! Sitting on the ball instead of a chair forces you to use the stabilizer muscles of the body and helps you develop strong balance. Sitting on the ball also makes you contract your abdominal muscles to steady yourself — it’s an added benefit.
To replace your chair at work or at home with the ball, first make sure that the ball gives you the desired height and firmness you need. The desired height is when your thighs are parallel to the floor. The desired firmness is when the ball isn’t too filled with air but has a slight give to it when you sit on it. In other words, when your butt makes a small indentation on the ball when you sit on it.
The wall push-ups and floor push-ups both work the muscles in front of the chest, whereas the flies and lat pullovers concentrate on the muscles along the sides and the back of the body. In combination, the following exercises make for a complete and challenging workout.
Floor push-ups with the ball
Floor push-ups on the ball target your chest muscles along with your abdominal muscles and butt to keep you steady on the ball. Keeping your lower legs or shins on the ball helps you balance yourself during the push-up.
To do this exercise, follow these steps: 1. Lie with your belly on the ball and walk your hands forward until the ball rests under your legs (as Figure 8-1a). Make sure that you keep your hands directly below your shoulders.
2. Lower your upper body toward the floor, bending the elbows out to the sides.
3. Straighten your elbows and exhale as you press back up into starting position. Complete ten repetitions.
A couple of do’s and don’ts for this exercise:
Do keep your abdominal muscles tight to help you maintain your balance. Do use proper breathing, inhaling as you slowly lower your body down and exhaling as you press your body back up. Don’t arch your back. Keep it straight and in line with your head and the rest of your body.
Chest press with bridge
The chest press with a bridge combines two great exercises — the bridge and the chest press — to work the pectoral, hips, and butt muscles. Keep your hips pressed up toward the ceiling during this exercise. Any sagging or arching in your lower back can place strain on your back muscles. To do this exercise, follow these steps: 1. Rest your upper back on the ball with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Make sure that your knees are stacked over your ankles.
2. Holding a weight in each hand, extend your arms toward the ceiling, placing the weights directly above your chest (as Figure 8-2 shows). Your palms will face forward as you press your weights up.
3. Lower your weights back down by bending your elbows back in toward your body.
Complete two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
A couple of do’s and don’ts for this exercise: Do slowly press the weights up above your head feeling your chest muscles contract. Don’t forget to tighten your abdominal muscles to support your back.
Flys on the ball
This exercise is a lot harder than the traditional fly exercises you’re probably used to doing on a weight bench. Not only do you rest your upper back on the ball, but you also use your abs and hips to keep the ball from rolling out from under you.
To do this exercise, follow these steps: 1. Lie with your upper back on the ball and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle.
2. Holding the weights in your hands, extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling and above your chest (see Figure 8-3a).
3. With your palms facing each other, slowly lower your arms out sideways (see Figure 8-3b). Your elbows will be slightly bent when you open them out to the side.
4. Using your chest muscles, bring the weights back up toward the ceiling to the starting position.
Complete two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise: Do tighten your butt muscles to support your back and pelvis. Do keep your weights directly above your chest when you lift them overhead. Don’t open your arms so wide that you arch your back. Don’t forget to perform this exercise slowly, using controlled movements throughout.
Lat pullover on the ball
Working the lats (or latissimus dorsi) gives you a sculpted upper back and well-defined shoulders. Building up the lats also makes your waist appear smaller.
When you combine this exercise with the ball, you get the added benefits of working the butt and the hips as you press up into the classic bridge position. For this exercise, you need a 3- to 5-pound weight. To do this exercise, follow these steps:
1. Lie with your upper back on the ball and keep your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Holding the weight in your hands, extend your arms straight above your chest toward the ceiling.
3. Slowly lower the weight behind your head, slightly bending your elbows (see Figure 8-4a). Don’t let the weight drop too far below your head. To avoid this problem, keep your elbows soft and slightly bent.
4. Raise the weight and your arms back toward the ceiling and above your chest (as Figure 8-4b shows).
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