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How To Measure & Best Way To Increase Core Strength
- chelsie462
- 10 hours ago
- 9 min read
This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/jO-REHXTkas
Mike: Sit-ups are a classic exercise often associated with core strength and physical fitness assessments.
Brad: Yeah, and if you are one of those athletic-type people and you want to actually get a benchmark or have an idea how many sit-ups you should be able to do for your age, or at least know where you're at, this video is for you. As well as how to do them correctly. Mike, let's talk a little bit about the role of the core muscles and actually what muscles we're working with these so that we're going to improve our fitness.
Mike: So, a standard sit-up typically will target the rectus abdominis muscle. Those are their most superficial muscles, commonly known as the six pack, and they run vertically on the outer part of your abdominal wall.
Brad: Right, but there are also other core muscles really important with core strengthening. And you got the oblique muscles, which actually run obliquely. And we also have the transverse band, which is really helpful in supporting your back.
Mike: Now, the transverse abdominis is a deep muscle. It's underneath the rectus abdominis. Typically, most people associate that with the plank, but we can't forget, there are two other muscle groups associated with the core, and that is your hip flexor muscles, as well as your lumbar paraspinals.
Brad: That's right. And all these have a great deal to do with stability and your ability to actually do other activities because the core is your base and foundation. All right, so the big question is, is doing proper sit-ups, so everything is strengthened properly without hurting something like your back. Now, let's go back vintage. For example, when I was a child, this was how sit-ups were done. You were taught to touch your toes, go all the way back, and reach back for the floor. This is no good anymore.
Brad: Then it went to feet up, and a partner held your ankles, and then you could go like that.
Mike: This was much easier. I enjoyed this one.
Brad: And you could do the presidential fitness award back in the '70s by doing them this way. But we know that that's not the best way to do it. Now, anyway, we're actually going to go to Stewart McGill. He's an expert in back fitness and mechanics. He's done research about it through the yin-yang, and we're going to use his demonstration and his advice on how to do it properly and safely. Have a lot of fun doing it.
Mike: So with this exercise, it's called the Stewart McGill Curl Up, is the name of it. Typically, if you're having back pain, the way to begin is to bend one leg and straighten the other leg. You want to make sure the small of your lower back is pushed into the mat. To do this for beginners, and you're not sure, just place your hands underneath your lower back and push into it. So push your hands into the floor or whatever you're exercising on first, and then you're going to go up towards the ceiling, but notice I'm just lifting my shoulder blades off and I'm not kinking my neck or rounding my back forward straight up and back down. You're going to feel your abs engaging. Go up, down. Notice I am going up holding for a few seconds and then lowering back down. You start doing repetitions of 15 to 20 of these over time, you're going to start feeling your abs working a lot.
Mike: Now, if you're not having back symptoms, you can keep a neutral spine when doing this. You could certainly go into both knees bent like this, feet flat on the ground. Again, do the same thing. You can make it a little more challenging by putting your hands behind your head and then performing them.
Brad: Just make sure you do not pull your head forward. That's a common mistake. And it's actually one of those things that people do naturally without thinking about it. But that's hard. That's not good.
Mike: This is actually strengthening. I feel this primarily in my rectus abdominis core muscles here. I don't feel it much in my hip flexors because I'm not curling way up all the way up. So this is a way to really strengthen those abs.
Brad: Right now. Again, we mentioned, the core is not just the six-pack muscles or in the front. It's actually all the way around. And we're going to get into what Stuart McGill calls the big three. So hold on, we have to go through a couple more things, and then we're going to get into the big three that really cover everything to make you as strong and mobile, and pain-free.
Mike: So, before we get into the other exercises, we want to talk about the general guidelines for how many sit-ups you should be able to perform. Now, this list is just a generalized list. Obviously, if you're a beginner, it'll take some time to develop how many sit-ups you can actually do within a certain time limit. But if you look at the screenshot here, you can see that find your age group and you can see the norms of how many sits you should be able to perform. So again, if you're not there right away, you can slowly build up to this over time.
Brad: Right, these are general guidelines. You can see the numbers, there's quite a range of sit-ups at each age. So don't get excited if you're a little low, you might be a little higher, whatever. You have your own fitness level, and then you know where to start. And as you do more, you'll see yourself progress in the same program.
Mike: Now, we do want to mention that these numbers are based on how many sit-ups you can perform within a minute, not just overall, but with good form and consistency, so don't just go up and down as fast as you can to get the numbers in. So again, just general guidelines.
Brad: There you go. Let's go on to some exercises. Maybe we can get to the big three yet, Mike?
Mike: I think we will.
Brad: All right.
Mike: We already did one of 'em. We got two more.
Brad: So we've got the big three. We've already explained how to do the first one, which Mike already did. Now, he is going to demonstrate the sideline plank. And this is a nice one because it works some other muscles. The Quadratus Lumborum, which is deep in the back, and the obliques, which come around, we talked about those. Mike, can you demonstrate how to do this? And some variations depending on the level. Some people have never done this before. May need to break it down a little bit.
Mike: So we're going to just do beginner to more normal and advanced. So for beginners, you can actually start in a hook line position, your knees touching and bent, and try to lift your pelvis off the mat. You want to try to get in a straight line from your pelvis up to your head like this. Try not to let your hip sag down. Nice straight line.
Brad: Down a little bit, Mike. Down. There you go. That's better.
Mike: I'm too strong. So what you're actually going to do is hold this for a time. You're not going to do repetitions. You get here static hold, isometric, build up 30 seconds, 45 seconds, and a minute each time. You want to make sure to do both sides. So I'm lying on my left side. I would have to switch and go to my right side to work on both. Now, if this becomes easy, what you can do is actually straighten out your legs, and you can stagger your legs for more balance if you feel unsteady. Again, I don't want to be rotated in any direction. I want to keep this nice positioning. Hold for 30 seconds if possible.
Mike: Now, the advanced version is just stacking your feet on top of each other, really feeling my core engaging now. Specifically, you'll feel it's more on the lateral side, which is holding your body up. You can do other variations and make it more challenging, but we're just going to stick to this variation.
Brad: And it is important that you do both sides. He had his left side down. Then you need to go to the right side because it works on the side of the elbow or the arm that's down, that's the lateral side. There are two lateral sides to talk about. All right, and the third of the big three. This is the one that a lot of people neglect because it works the back muscles of the core, the posterior, we call it. It's the Bird Dog. This is a really nice one, I like it. It works in balance as well as the core. Go ahead.
Mike: So you're going to start on all four positions. For beginners, you may just want to do one arm up and one leg up at a time. I will show the standard version to begin with here. So you're going to work in the opposite hand and leg pattern. So as I lift my right shoulder up an arm, I'm going to extend my left leg back. Now you don't wanna lift too far up. This is putting too much stress, especially on my hamstring, right now. So, just a nice neutral position and then back down. Then you're going to do the opposite leg. So you're going to go one side, back down, other side. Make sure to hold it for a few seconds in the top position before lowering. Be nice and controlled. And this, if you struggle with balance, this is where you can go right arm, left leg, left arm, right leg to begin with. Once you feel more coordinated, you can try progressing to the standard version.
Brad: Now it's really important that you do not do these like we're showing them on a plinth or a bed. It's soft. It's going to be difficult to do, more challenging. So, go on the floor, carpeted floor, or a mat is the best. And one thing Stuart McGill really emphasizes is that you do these slowly and controlled, like Mike is doing them. You don't want to whip through them. Kind of swinging the arm and swinging the leg. That is not going to give you a good strengthening experience.
Mike: Now with that exercise, try to perform five to 10 repetitions on each side. So right arm, left leg up, opposite. That would be one, try to do five to 10 of those.
Brad: Right, so do all three of those exercises, put them in a set together, and do them once a day. You can build up to twice a day if you really want to be aggressive. But if you're getting sore the first time you do it, take a day off in between. So build up to your strength.
Mike: Now, if you want to check out other videos on core strengthening specifically for seniors, check out "Simple Seated Core Strengthening Workout for Seniors- At Home." And that video has to do with seated core exercises, so they'll be different than these ones.
Brad: Right. That can be a big advantage if it's difficult to get onto the floor.
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