Why abdominal muscle training is so important for you

The statement "core is the trump card" may seem a bit placative, but it has an absolutely true core. The middle of the body or the "core" is involved in almost all movements of the body in everyday life. But even when sitting or lying down, the core, especially the lower back, is stressed. A well-trained core is therefore a basic building block for a fit and efficient body. Isolated abdominal or back training is not recommended. Instead, complex multi-joint exercises should be used.

The core muscles mainly consist of the lateral and anterior abdominal muscles and the lower back or back extensor. Dysbalances in the core area caused by a complete lack of core training or incorrect core training can have negative effects on the entire musculoskeletal system. From classic back pain to knee or hip pain to shoulder or tension headaches, many complaints are due to an untrained core. However, regular core training is not only important for amateur athletes; intensive core training is also an integral part of a training day for competitive athletes and is indispensable for any sport in the world. In order to prevent pain and reduce the load on the spine, regular core training is highly recommended for everyone (see below for corresponding exercises).

When summer is just around the corner and swimming pool visits are a possibility, sports beginners in particular tend to do excessive abdominal muscle training in anticipation of a well-toned six-pack. Without also training the autochthonous back muscles as an anatomical counterpart, which can lead to muscular imbalances and, as a consequence, often to back pain. Also the reverse case (e.g. regular deadlifting but no abdominal training) often leads to a hollow back and pain in the back. The abdominal muscles stabilize and relieve the spine, especially when lifting heavy loads. In order to avoid these problems, it is advisable to rely mainly on complex multi-joint exercises when training the trunk, as these train not only the six-pack but also the entire trunk musculature in one fell swoop and allow the entire center to be strengthened.

Although the individual muscle groups of the trunk can also be trained in isolation (e.g. abdominal muscle training, back training), the training tips here will be limited to complex multi-joint exercises or exercises from the area of functional fitness for the reasons mentioned above. You will be presented with both pure dead weight exercises, which you can comfortably do at home, as well as exercises with different training equipment.

The Plank is a wonderful exercise to strengthen your entire core.

For this exercise, lie on your stomach and position your elbows under your shoulders.

Your forearms are parallel to your body and your fingertips are pointing straight ahead. Your palms face the floor, alternatively you can clasp your hands together.

In order to keep your neck as relaxed and straight as possible, it is best to fix a point between your hands. Make sure that you do not pull your head back into your neck.

Now get into the plank position by pressing your forearms into the floor and pushing yourself upwards. Support your body only with the tips of your toes and forearms.

Tighten your abdomen and buttocks, knees should be pushed through. Do not let your abdomen sag. You should try to build tension throughout your body so that it forms a straight line. Hold the position as long as you can.

For the Mountain Climber, first get into the classic push-up position. Your feet are hip-width apart.

Now alternately pull one knee toward the center of your body, toward your elbows. Switch sides in a quick, flowing motion.

One leg should always be fully extended while the other is bent.

For this exercise, you also get into the push-up position.

Now alternately pull one knee in an outer arc as far as possible towards the arm. Then bring the leg back to the starting position and repeat the movement with the other leg.

The exercise sequence consists of four parts, which are completed in as fluid a sequence as possible. The exercise begins in a standing position.

For the first part, squat down and position your hands in front of your feet.

In the second part you support yourself with your hands and jump into the push-up position and rest your body.

(Third part) Now push yourself back into the push-up position and then jump back into the squat position (part I).

For the fourth part, jump up with a stretching jump and end in the starting position (part I).

Repeat the exercise as often as you like.

Kettlebells are a great way to work out your core muscles. For example, simply take a kettlebell in each hand and hang your arms straight down at the side of your body. Tense the entire body and stretch out the chest. The back should be straight during the entire exercise.

Now walk forward while maintaining body tension. Take as many steps as you can manage and carefully put the kettlebells down. Make sure that you squat down when picking up or setting down the kettlebells to protect your back. You can also do this exercise with dumbbells.

Another training possibility with kettlebells is the Russian Kettlebell Swing. Stand a little wider than hip width and hold a kettlebell with both arms between your legs.

Now get momentum from your hips by slightly bending your knees and letting the kettlebell swing slightly backwards. Push the knees through again, push the hips forward and swing the kettlebell upwards in this way to about shoulder height. Your arms should remain extended the entire time. You should also maintain constant tension in the core.