Bellevue Personal Training | Core ~ The ‘Big Four’ Exercises
These exercises all “bulletproof” the core and protect our backs from injury.
Bird Dog (or Cat Balance)
- Start on hands and knees
- Reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back
- Align your leading arm, head, hips and leg
- Hold for 10 seconds; switch sides
- Perform minimum 3sets per side
Front Plank
- Decide whether you will plank on forearms or hands
- Bring entire body up off the floor, as if doing a pushup; either toes and hands support or toes and forearms
- Contract abdominal wall, keep buttocks tucked down; line up entire body as if to look like a ‘plank’
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, working up to 2 minutes
- Perform 2 sets
Side Plank (or Side Bridge)
- Lie on your side and place top leg over bottom leg, heel to toe
- Position elbow at a 90 degree angle to torso
- Brace core using minimal to moderate abdominal contraction; elevate torso off floor keeping a neutral spine
- Hold for 10 seconds; rest and repeat 3 times on each side.
- Another way to do this is dynamically, doing 10 – 12 repetitions on each side; switch and repeat on other side
Modified Curl Up
- Extend one leg straight and bend other to 90 degrees, hands beneath lower back
- Lift head and shoulders straight up to ceiling (but not as if doing a traditional crunch)
- Engage core while holding spine as still and stable as possible
- Perform three 10 second holds; switch legs and repeat
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