Hi sporty people,
Hope you are all coming to terms with the sad fact that the Olympics is now over and we can’t have an excuse to watch way too much tv anymore. However I hope and think that all the Olympics have inspired a lot of you to start doing some exercise and set yourself some nice goals to work towards.
As a lot of my followers already know I used to have a blog where I wrote down several different suggestions to training programs/rehab programs. I have decided to have a little look in the archive and dig up some old blog post about various topics to share with my new readers. The first one will be one which shows you how to do 5 core exercises that you can do at the convenience of your own living room. Give them a go and see what you think:)
The exercises outlined underneath are general and can therefore be performed by any athletes; however the exercises selected are aimed at beginner wanting to improve their core control.
Equipment needed: Exercise mat, medicine ball (app. 2-5 kg)
Repetitions and sets:
3 sets per exercise
10- 15 repetitions per exercise
120-180 seconds recovery between sets
NB! Please be aware that isometric exercises can lead to an increase in blood pressure and may therefore not be suitable for people with hypotension.
1. Front plank (isometric exercise
- Your toes should be placed shoulder width apart and your elbows shoulder be placed under your shoulder
- Make sure your abdominals are pulled and that hips are parallel to the floor throughout the exercise
- There is no movement during this exercise
- Hold this position between 20-40 seconds (without letting your hips drops or raise up)
- Rest on the floor for 120-180 seconds between your sets and repeat 3 sets
2. Side plank (isometric exercise)
· Start with your right forearm flat on the mat (in line with your shoulder)
· Stack your feet on top of each other
· Lift your body on to your forearm and the side of your right foot (only the right foot is in contact with the mat)
· Work to have a straight line between your head and feet
· Rest your left arm by the side or lift it straight up towards the sky
· Hold this position without letting your hips drop down between 15-40 seconds
· Turn around and repeat on the left side
· Aim to do this 2-3 times on each side, progress the time you are holding to make it harder
· Prior to starting this exercise make sure you pull your abdominals down to the floor and keep this throughout the exercise
Touch your knees with your hands by lifting your arms and legs of the floor at the same time (Pic 2)
· Make sure your head and back remains on the floor throughout the whole movement
· Prior to starting this exercise make sure you pull your abdominals towards the floor and keep this throughout the exercise (avoid arching your back)
· Lift both feet off the floor together till they vertical from the floor (Picture 1)
· If you are able to drop your legs all the way to the floor, stop the movement just before your feet touch the floor
· Bring your feet back to the starting position and repeat
5. Straight arm situps (start off with no added weight)
· Start by laying flat on the mat with straight legs on the floor and arms resting by your side
· Grab a medicine ball (2-4 kg) in your right hand
· While laying on the floor, lift your right hand with the medicine ball straight up in the air next to your head (Picture 1)
· Rest your left hand on the side of your body
· Curl yourself up by leading the movement with your chest, while keeping the right arm (with the ball) straight all the way through the exercise until you are sitting upright
(Picture 2)
· Reverse the movement and come down to the floor while still keeping your arm straight
· Focus on lifting your upper body up, rather than forward like you would do in a curl, lead the movement with your chest
· Focus on pushing your legs down to the floor throughout the exercise
· Repeat this exercise 6-10 times with each arm
This gives you 5 different ones to try out!
Lets do it!
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