Having a strong core is essential for strength and overall quality of life. On the other hand, having toned abs makes life a little more fun in the sun.
You’re probably put in a lot of work to achieve the toned abs beach body look, right?
No one likes feeling like their workout is not working for their goals. In this article, we’ll cover how to get a stronger core and ten tips to be aware of during your core training.
Common Core Training Mistakes
1.) You Are Bending Too Much
If you enjoy crunches and sit-ups, you create too much flexion and bending at your core.
When performing these exercises, keeping your midsection stable and straight is beneficial. This will improve posture and help you use your core as it was intended.
Try exercises that target your core muscles instead of crunches and sit-ups. These exercises will help to tone and strengthen your midsection.
- Rollouts
- Planks
- Jackknifes
A strong core is necessary for prominent abs. Those who are thin but lack muscle definition often look skinny-fat. If you want to see progress, you should focus on building up your muscle.
2.) Too Much Twisting
While the human body can bend and twist, these movements may not be the most optimal for building core strength. The purpose of strengthening the core is to resist twisting and protect the spine.
Instead of blindly following the person on social media for guidance with building a stronger core, avoid random twisting exercises. Try exercises that brace your core while keeping your neutral posture.
- Anti-Rotational Chops
- Single-Arm Carries
- Paloff Presses
Remember that our core is designed to resist twisting. This does not mean not to do any twisting when training your core – but you are supposed to resist it, not just swivel around.
3.) You Are Over Focusing on The Six Pack
People seek to develop and display their rectus abdominis muscle when they want to achieve a six-pack appearance.
Your core is complex and comprises many different muscles, not just the rectus abdominis.
The focus should be placed on the external and internal obliques through twist-resisting movements when looking to achieve a chiseled midsection. The pelvic floor and transverse abdominus muscles are deep core muscles that require training.
Focusing on all muscles involved in your core will give you well-rounded abs. You will have the power production and strength to maintain a tight core, allowing you to lift heavy weights with great form safely.
4.) You Need To Use The Form Right
To train any muscle effectively, it is essential to perform quality exercises correctly. When working on the core muscles, positioning and posture can have a significant impact.
This allows us to target the correct muscles using the proper technique instead of relying on muscles we didn’t intend to work.
When you see someone sagging their back during a plank or sticking their ribcage out, they are not getting the full benefit of the exercise. This is because they are not engaging their core muscles and are instead putting all the emphasis on the lumbar spine.
Use proper form and posture to achieve the best results while working on your core. Keep your lower back flat, your pelvis neutral, and your rib cage down.
Try to focus on flexing your core and gaining control over your core muscles. This will help you to train your core correctly.
5.) You Need To Breathing Correctly
When performing core training exercises, it is essential to be aware of the breathing aspect, just as with heavy compound lifts.
Controlled inhales and exhales at the top of every core exercise will help you breathe through your diaphragm instead of your chest and shoulders.
To maximize the benefit of this breath, take a deep inhale through the nose, expanding your lower belly as if you were pre-loading your lifting weight belt before a squat or deadlift.
6.) You Are Training Your Abs Only One Way
Your core muscles are designed to transfer force and energy from various angles.
Planks and rollouts train your sagittal plane, while side-to-side, diagonal, and anti-rotation exercises challenge your stability in other planes of motion.
Make sure to hit your core from all angles to ensure well-rounded development.
You can start progressing towards your core goals by adding side planks and chops to your current ab training.
7.) You Need To Eat Better
The term “abs are made in the kitchen” is a saying that is often used to emphasize the importance of diet in achieving a six-pack. Diet is a significant factor in reducing body fat and revealing muscle definition. Even if someone has a strong core, they will not be able to see their abs if they have a high body fat percentage.
For example, if you see a guy deadlift 605 and squat 550 beltless, they will most likely have no issue with core strength. However, if they are overweight, the abs will not be visible.
You need to start eating better and reducing your body fat to have visible abs.
Start keeping a food diary and making slow, mindful choices to improve your nutrition.
Start your day by consuming quality lean proteins, veggies, root vegetables, and whole carbohydrates to improve your performance and burn body fat.
8.) Think Training Core When Doing Lifting
While doing ab work may be more difficult for someone carrying excess weight, it is still possible to build core strength through compound lifts.
Compounding exercises such as deadlifts, overhead presses, and squats are practical if you want to strengthen your core. These exercises train your whole body and stimulate growth hormone production, resulting in increased muscle mass.
9.) More Intensity
Diminishing return is a concept where the benefits of action become increasingly less as the action is repeated. In other words, there comes the point where doing an exercise for longer just doesn’t yield the same benefits as if you were to increase the intensity.
How long can you hold a plank? If you can hold it for more than 1 minute, it’s time to start challenging yourself instead of holding it for longer.
There are a few ways you can up the intensity of your workout routine. Adding stability balls, ab wheels, or weighted core exercises are all excellent options.
10.) You Train Your Core Too Often
Your core muscles need time to recover and get stronger.
It is not recommended to train your abs every day as they will not have sufficient time to recover. It’s essential to take a day or two off throughout the week to allow your body to recover. This will help you to avoid injuries and continue making progress.
The frequency of training sessions required to develop a strong core may vary depending on the intensity of the sessions. However, training three to four times per week is generally sufficient.
