In fitness communities it is quite easy to get lost in the latest gimmicks and fads. When looking for the best core exercise you might find it impossible to see around suspension trainers, kettlebells and body weight moves which most gym users find too difficult to do.
That's right, despite the fact that most trainers will have you performing wacky exercises such as balancing on one leg while holding a tree branch and meditating, developing a stronger core has nothing to do with working out in a park.
However, the king of core exercises was recently discovered to be front squats performed with a loaded barbell.
Not only is this gym based barbell work, but it's an exercise which is consistently overlooked by gym users in favor of trendy mat-based exercises which do little to stimulate anything other than the abdominal muscles. You see, developing a strong core does not mean simply blasting your abs with thousands of crunches. The core is made up of muscles which surround the spine from front to back, therefore it would be very foolish to only focusing on the front ones, right?
A great study published by the Journal of Strength And Conditioning Research was conducted in England in 2011. The researchers compared the effects of front squats against the superman exercise, an awesome body weight move which places incredible stress on the midsection.
While both exercises have obvious benefits and should both be used regularly, the surprising winner of this mini-battle was the front squat, with a 5% increase in core strength.
Furthermore, this finding occurred using an empty bar in a bid to keep things fair against a body weight exercise. As more weight was added to the front squat the gains got greater and greater. While adding resistance to a body weight move can be tricky, with a front squat it is as simple as loading more plates on to your barbell.
While most trainers make the mistake of prescribing hundreds of crunches to build a great midsection, overlooked exercises like the front squat can yield tremendous results.
Do not be fooled by fitness fads and trends, which have seen terms like 'functional fitness' and 'core strength' conjure up images of people doing push-ups in parks, holding yoga moves like the plank or buying expensive suspension trainers to exercise while hanging from trees. Sometimes, the oldest tricks in the book are still the most effective and true success comes from learning how to marry those old principles to some of the new developments which have also stood the scientific test, such as high intensity interval training.
Overall, the best core exercise is going to change upon personal preference, of course. However, if you like to base your training on the latest scientific studies then front squats should become an integral part of your leg training program.
That's right, despite the fact that most trainers will have you performing wacky exercises such as balancing on one leg while holding a tree branch and meditating, developing a stronger core has nothing to do with working out in a park.
However, the king of core exercises was recently discovered to be front squats performed with a loaded barbell.
Not only is this gym based barbell work, but it's an exercise which is consistently overlooked by gym users in favor of trendy mat-based exercises which do little to stimulate anything other than the abdominal muscles. You see, developing a strong core does not mean simply blasting your abs with thousands of crunches. The core is made up of muscles which surround the spine from front to back, therefore it would be very foolish to only focusing on the front ones, right?
A great study published by the Journal of Strength And Conditioning Research was conducted in England in 2011. The researchers compared the effects of front squats against the superman exercise, an awesome body weight move which places incredible stress on the midsection.
While both exercises have obvious benefits and should both be used regularly, the surprising winner of this mini-battle was the front squat, with a 5% increase in core strength.
Furthermore, this finding occurred using an empty bar in a bid to keep things fair against a body weight exercise. As more weight was added to the front squat the gains got greater and greater. While adding resistance to a body weight move can be tricky, with a front squat it is as simple as loading more plates on to your barbell.
While most trainers make the mistake of prescribing hundreds of crunches to build a great midsection, overlooked exercises like the front squat can yield tremendous results.
Do not be fooled by fitness fads and trends, which have seen terms like 'functional fitness' and 'core strength' conjure up images of people doing push-ups in parks, holding yoga moves like the plank or buying expensive suspension trainers to exercise while hanging from trees. Sometimes, the oldest tricks in the book are still the most effective and true success comes from learning how to marry those old principles to some of the new developments which have also stood the scientific test, such as high intensity interval training.
Overall, the best core exercise is going to change upon personal preference, of course. However, if you like to base your training on the latest scientific studies then front squats should become an integral part of your leg training program.
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More information: Expert south shields personal trainer Russ Howe PTI wrote our article. Discover the best core exercise for strength and many fat loss tips via his fitness and nutrition website.
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