According to Vern Gambetta, director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems, core training is your ability to maintain posture and center of gravity while you move in different directions and speeds. It is not about training your abdominal muscles, but your entire trunk and hip region. Having a strong and stable core can prevent injury and improve your strength, endurance and flexibility.
Plank Matrix
This series of exercises trains trunk and hip stability in a prone position. You start in a basic plank position where you support your body on your elbows and toes. Place each limb about shoulder-distance apart.
Once you are in the plank, lift one arm up and reach in front one you, keep your arm in alignment with your shoulder and spine. Hold for two deep breaths, and switch to the other arm. After that, lift one leg up and hold for two deep breaths. Then switch to the other leg. This whole sequence counts as one rep. Do not rotate your torso or hip excessively.
Medicine Ball Chopper
Three exercises make up the chopper series, which was developed by Juan Carlos Santana, who is the director of the Institute of Human Performance in Boca Raton, Florida. It serves as a dynamic warm-up exercise before a workout or just a general full-body conditioning exercise. You do all three with no rest between sets.
For the overhead chop, hold the medicine ball above your head and swing it down between your legs. Squat down as you do so, but do not hunch your back.
For the horizontal rotation, hold the ball in front of your chest and twist to your right while pivoting your left hip and leg. Then twist to the left and continue the movement back and forth, gradually increasing your range of motion and momentum.
For the diagonal chop, hold the ball over your right shoulder and pivot your left leg and hip slightly. Then swing the ball down across your body your left knee, bending your lower back and right hip and leg as you do so. Repeat the pattern on both sides.
Squat Thrusts
This power exercise combines a squat, push-up, and vertical leap at the same time. Squat down as low as you can and place your hands on the ground. Hop and extend your legs behind you to get into a push-up position. Do one push-up, then hop forward so that you back in a deep squat position, keeping your hands in contact with the ground. Swing your arms up to leap straight up. When you land, repeat the pattern.
You may not be able to do more than six times consecutively, unless you are highly conditioned. Make sure that you have a strong core, hip and shoulder strength and mobility, and training before attempting this complex exercise.
Push-ups and Pull-ups
According to Dr. Jason Karp, who is an exercise physiologist and director and coach of REVO2LT Running Team, push-ups and pull-ups also trains the core by keeping your trunk and hips stable as you move your extremities. In fact, any exercise that you do---running, swimming, kicking or climbing---works the core as long as you are not sitting or have external support that does the core's job for you.
References
- "Athletic Development"; Vern Gambetta; 2006
- "Weight Training Positions"; Jason Karp; 2008
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