5 Awesome Core Exercises

Got some love handles you want to trim down? Core training is now known as the most important exercise you can do. Not only is it sexy to have ripped abs, but there are so many real benefits to having a strong stomach. You use your abs more then you think.  Strong abs play a major factor in almost every sport, as well as day to day activities such as lifting, sitting and walking.  Developing your core will help prevent back injuries, which has to be on the top of the list for chronic pain for anyone 30 years and older.  If you put some time in every week working on your core, you will save yourself years of pain down the road, not to mention you will look better and feel stronger.

Here are 5 awesome core exercises you can do at home or at the gym:

Side Iso with abduction - This exercise focuses on the side of the stomach and hip abductors.  Start on your left side in the "plank" position on the ground, with your forearm on the ground and left knee on the ground.  Pull belly in and straighten right arm and leg upwards.  Do 5 to 20 reps depending on your personal ability -  then switch sides.

Arm and Leg Raise - Start on the floor on knees and hands (all fours).  Lift left arm up to body height and at the same time lift right leg up to body height, then switch.  This exercise will give you some serious ab burn.  Great core stabilizer.

Floor Prone Cobra - Even sounds cool.  To do the cobra, lay down on the floor face down, arms at your side (palms up).  From here, you will lift your legs, chest and arms off the floor, activating your stomach, lower back and hamstrings.  Great stretch and strength builder for the core.

Ball or Chair Crunch - If you don't have an exercise ball, you can do this with your back on the floor and your legs on a chair.  With exercise ball, you sit on the edge with you feet 90 degrees and feet on the floor.  Cross arms over chest, and lean back. Engaged stomach muscles and crunch forward, bringing yourself back to an upright position. Repeat, and punish those abs. If you are using a chair with your legs up, simply crunch stomach lifting your upper body towards your knees.

Crunch with Rotation - This exercise strengthens overall abdominal area, but with a focus on the transverse plane.  You’re basically doing a stomach crunch, like described above, but at the end you are twisting to the left and next time up, you twist to the right.

You can't beat a good core workout for the many benefits it offers, and for the  straight up sex appeal of ripped abs. If you want to a really good core program, try Pilates .  For pictures and descriptions on the above exercises and many more check out Netfit .