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Seeing as it’s true that all males want a six pack, core exercises for men are incredibly important. And to be honest, it’s a hugely overlooked area.
Now, I’m not saying that abs or midsection exercises are overlooked, but the reality is that you’ll get a much leaner midsection by working your core than by doing exercise that isolates abdominal muscles alone. Besides this, you’ll be stronger, fitter and better looking by improving your core strength.
Core exercises for men aren’t the most advertised thing in the world. Check out the usage of the Swiss ball, or exercise ball, in any gym and I’ll bet you more often than not, it’s a woman using it. In fact, I’ll put money on the fact that most guys have never even thought about the benefits they could get from using such an innocuous piece of equipment.
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Just think about it briefly. Why balance on a ball to do some crunches?
If you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s because you need to balance while you’re doing them. And so what? Big deal, I’m good at balancing, hooray! Well, what do you think is stabilizing your body while you’re balancing in this precarious position?
That’s right, your core muscles, importantly this includes your abs. Work on your core if you want better abs.
Before I touch briefly on some core exercises for men, I would like to mention that if your six pack is not visible yet, lose some fat from your belly. Six packs are definitely affected by what you eat, and nobody can see them if they’re covered with a layer of fat. Simple carbs and junk food. The enemy of the six pack.
Right, now to some core exercises for men.
Body Weight Exercises
Hanging Leg Raises – Hang from a pull up bar and raise your legs 90 degrees, keeping your legs straight as well as your back. Don’t swing, you’ll ruin the effect.
The V Sit Hold – If you don’t know this one, you’ll understand why it’s so named in a second. Begin seated and raise your legs 45 degrees. Reach your arms forward towards your legs. Hold there and you’ll know that you are working your core. Lower your legs slowly but hold again just before they hit the ground.
Ball Exercises
These are very simple indeed, Get a ball and balance on it while doing traditional exercises.
Crunches – Ball beneath your back. Give that a try and see how many you can do. I bet it’s less than you can on the ground.
Planks – Put the ball beneath your feet, preferably a smaller one. The difference has to be felt to be believed.
Roll ins – Here you are in the push up position with the ball beneath your ankles. Bring your knees up to your chest keeping your ankles on the ball. Take your knees back. Repeat.
I would say that my favourite core exercise is the simple squat. I hold a weight above my head and squat. That’s how I like it. Simple yet effective.
Core exercises for men are so important for that all round great look, not to mention what they do for your strength. Don’t neglect your core!
