Buzz phrases like core strength and functional training can often be heard in gyms these days, however recent studies yielded a surprise champion exercise recently when they looked at the ultimate move for developing a tighter, leaner core. The best core exercise was found to be something which dates back years into the golden era of bodybuilding.
In fact, most gym users are so sure that the greatest core developmental exercise is a body weight move they would place money on it, such is the tendency for trainers to label body weight training with buzz phases like 'engage your core' and 'functional training'.
But surprisingly, the greatest exercises for strengthening your midsection is barbell front squats.
The barbell squat is the proven king of the gym, despite being the exercise most gym users overlook in favor of constantly hitting their arms and chest. Take the relatively small number of people who actively barbell squat on a regularly basis and halve that figure to get an estimate of how many gym users use this lesser known variation, where the bar sits on the shoulders in front of the neck as opposed to behind. It's a great move for strengthening the erector spinae.
A recent study in the UK, which was then published by the Journal Of Strength & Conditioning Research in 2011, directly compared barbell front squats to the superman exercise to see which returned the greatest strength improvements. The superman is among the elite core strength moves prescribed by most personal trainers and fitness instructors, so was a great fit for this particular case study.
In a shocking twist of events, front squats were found to yield a 5% increase in core strength over the superman.
It is worth noting that front squats in this study were all performed with only a barbell - no weights were actually used. Given that this resulted in a 5% increase and when you factor in that by adding further resistance you will engage the erector spinae muscles even further, it becomes clear how effective front squats are in this category.
The increase in strength was due to the fact that front squats stimulated the erector spinae muscles considerably. These are the muscles which sit around the spine and play a major role in overall core strength and ability.
Some of the fads which come and go in the fitness world cause confusion. There is a very common misconception that building core stability simply involves hitting your abs on an exercise ball instead of doing crunches on the floor. This is not the case. Ignoring these foolish trends and taking proven principles from old school methods like bodybuilding, explosive strength training and HIIT is the optimal way to build a well-rounded physique.
If you prefer lifting heavy iron in the gym then today's news will come as a welcome break from suspension trainers and shake weights. The latest research hails the front squat as the undisputed king, the best core exercise for developing overall strength and power.
In fact, most gym users are so sure that the greatest core developmental exercise is a body weight move they would place money on it, such is the tendency for trainers to label body weight training with buzz phases like 'engage your core' and 'functional training'.
But surprisingly, the greatest exercises for strengthening your midsection is barbell front squats.
The barbell squat is the proven king of the gym, despite being the exercise most gym users overlook in favor of constantly hitting their arms and chest. Take the relatively small number of people who actively barbell squat on a regularly basis and halve that figure to get an estimate of how many gym users use this lesser known variation, where the bar sits on the shoulders in front of the neck as opposed to behind. It's a great move for strengthening the erector spinae.
A recent study in the UK, which was then published by the Journal Of Strength & Conditioning Research in 2011, directly compared barbell front squats to the superman exercise to see which returned the greatest strength improvements. The superman is among the elite core strength moves prescribed by most personal trainers and fitness instructors, so was a great fit for this particular case study.
In a shocking twist of events, front squats were found to yield a 5% increase in core strength over the superman.
It is worth noting that front squats in this study were all performed with only a barbell - no weights were actually used. Given that this resulted in a 5% increase and when you factor in that by adding further resistance you will engage the erector spinae muscles even further, it becomes clear how effective front squats are in this category.
The increase in strength was due to the fact that front squats stimulated the erector spinae muscles considerably. These are the muscles which sit around the spine and play a major role in overall core strength and ability.
Some of the fads which come and go in the fitness world cause confusion. There is a very common misconception that building core stability simply involves hitting your abs on an exercise ball instead of doing crunches on the floor. This is not the case. Ignoring these foolish trends and taking proven principles from old school methods like bodybuilding, explosive strength training and HIIT is the optimal way to build a well-rounded physique.
If you prefer lifting heavy iron in the gym then today's news will come as a welcome break from suspension trainers and shake weights. The latest research hails the front squat as the undisputed king, the best core exercise for developing overall strength and power.
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More information: Top south shields personal trainer Russ Howe PTI wrote today's post. Discover the best core exercise for strength and tons of fat loss tips via his fitness and nutrition blog today.
