What core strength is and how to train it

What are core muscle groups?

Core refers to the significant muscles in front of and behind the abdomen surrounding the torso protecting the stability of the spine, the muscle of transverse abdominal, pelvic floor and lower back. The core muscle group is primarily composed of rectus abdominis, oblique abdominis, lower-back muscle and erector spine muscle.

What is the function of core muscle?

The core muscle group is in charge of balance control and conducting force through your body. It is the key point of power conduction for the whole body and plays a significant role in the activities and force conduction of the upper and lower body.

When our arms and legs are moving, core muscles help keep the body balanced and upright. Thus, core muscles are called "energy sources."

If we imagine the whole body function like a chain of motion, then the core will be like a bridge that connects the upper and lower body.

If there is a problem with the bridge, it may lead to problems with the upper and lower body, and even the whole chain.

When you have a strong core, it allows you to move more efficiently and improve the resistance to injury like strain, trips or even break during exercise. More importantly, if your core strength is strong enough, it will make it easier to control your balance, and improve your performance in exercise and sports.

What is core strength training?

Core strength training is part of strength training. Almost all sports have focused on core strength training because no matter how strong a person looks, if his core is not strong enough, he is just a paper tiger. Therefore, generally core provides balance and power for every move you make.

If you don't really exercise your core, you'll still look crooked and hunched no matter how much efforts you put into workouts of the rest of your body. Therefore, core training is the precondition for all types of exercises.

In addition to burning fat and losing weight, core strength training will also strengthen the endurance of core muscle group, provide better support for the upper body, and achieve the goal of improving and correcting posture.

You can work your core through many classic exercises such as pull-ups, squats, push-ups, handstands, sit-ups, leg hangers, etc. And some small workout equipment like dumbbells, resistance bands, jump ropes and so on, may help you improve your core more efficiently and effectively.

Exercise for core training

Slow barbell squat: The first movement we are going to introduce to improve core is the slow barbell squat. Move as slow as possible. In the meanwhile, try the best to control your balance.  This way it will be efficient to enhance your stability. 

push-ups: Another way to work out your core is push-ups. Push-ups is one of the most common trainings for improving cor. What the difference here is that make sure the distance between your arms are a little wider, so that stimulation to the abdominal muscle will be greater.