How To Engage Your CORE | Feel Your Abs, Not Your Back!
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- Опубликовано: 22 авг 2024
- This is how to correctly engage your core muscles! Activate the right muscles when doing ab exercises and don't stress your back.
Physiotherapist, Alina Kennedy, goes through her tips on how to better engage your core muscles when doing ab exercises. These little adjustments will help you get the most out of your core workouts!
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I still cannot engage my core it is frustrating
Also see Meg Squats video on doming, she explains a simple way to get a feel for engaging your core by making an “sss” sound! She shows the difference between doming and engaging your deep core in a very easy to understand way!
No one talking about this but it is really common mistakes especially when you are beginner.. thank you for highlighting very important point .
i genuinely can't tell if I'm feeling this in my abs or my back anymore. even just holding my legs up feels like my back hurts
sameeeee
It's hurts my side hips 💀weird after literally trying everything
As a Personal Trainer...this is THE BEST core engagement tutorial ever!!! Thank thank thank you!!!!!
I've been going to HIIT style classes for months and always having trouble with engaging my core and no matter how many times I've asked no one has been able to really explain how exactly I do that.
This is an amazing example and very clear, simple instruction. I look forward to trying it and finally feeling like I'm getting somewhere. Thank you very much!
I've struggled with back pain while working out at home for years. This is life-changing. Thank you!
Learnt the necessity of proper core engagement the hard way over the years. The constant hip flexor, lower back, lower leg injuries(shins splints et al)...
It's called CORE for a REASON. coz it's literally the core. This is perhaps the most important/fundamental concept you can learn early.
Wonderful illustration.
I’ve been running for years and never understood why my core was not strengthening with exercises. Thank you so much!
SUCH A GREAT VIDEO !! This was extremely helpful for me, I always thought I was doing ab workouts wrong and this video made me more confident about just starting to exercising.
So glad you found this video helpful!
The best video I have ever seen. Such a good explanation and the levels.. keep up the good work.
Thank you Amarveer!
@@alinakennedy Amazing video but when I flatten my back I feel one of vertebrae sticking out and digging into the floor. This can be painful after doing a few sets of ab exercises (like the ones in this video). Is there a way to fix this?
yes absolutely understandable ♡
Best I've seen too
Fantastic! Keeping my back flat over the years would have saved a whole lot of muscle tension. Thank you lovely
Glad it was helpful!
I have always struggled with lower core exercises. This has been so clearly explained - for the first time! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much, I've been having so much trouble with understanding how to engage my core and you've explained it perfectly ❤️
Very good explanation. Most of the trainers just post videos of abs workout, but don't focus on this important fact. These mistakes are exactly what beginners like me do. I just started abs workout and my lower back started painting. Thia video is extremely helpful. Thanks for explaining in detail. ❤❤
This video is amazing, concise and down to the point!! I've had so many problems with engaging my core and this video explains it so well. I now I know I've been wasting these years engaging it wrong, when I've been constantly complaining about having a weak core. Hopefully with time I can get strong abdominals!
Thank you for your comment!
Thank you so much for this video! I was really struggling last core workout but I understood as soon as i extended my legs out i FELT IT IN MY CORE. I’m going to use this video for every pre core workout now
Appreciate for clarifying to keep the lower back flat while doing dead bug exercise, and I like it. A Canadian expert advises to keep spine in neutral position while doing dead bug or wall angel exercise and insists to keep neutral spine. He even goes further that keeping lower back flat while performing dead bug exercise will cause damage to spine.Please advise.
I’ve had lower back pain for WEEKS bc I tried it do ab workouts I’d find on TikTok but none of the gym girlies talked about having the right form so I assumed it wasn’t that hard. Needless to say I’ll be using this video to work on my form before doing more complex workouts !! This video literally saved my life
Thank you so much for this! I’ve been trying to work out at home and been having trouble engaging my core. This is the simplest explanation on how to do it properly!!
Super helpful! The stages you explained and cues about when to proceed or stop. Thanks a ton❤ could you show the breathing too?
Thank you, thank you!!! Finally someone who tells me NOT to move on until I can KEEP it flat. I cannot even get my back to flatten out right now, so I have much to work on.
honestly thank you so much. i’ve been trying to work out but i CANNOT do workouts like dead bugs or butterfly kicks, they hurt my back so much. all the advice just told me to keep my back on the ground but i literally cannot. as soon as i pick up both legs my back arches as i have no idea how to stop it. it feels like to get my back flat on the ground i need to put weight on the heels of my feet
My goodness, this is so good. Thanks for sharing
Best explaination ever! I'm one of those people that has been doing these wrong - for years! Thank you for this video. 😊
You are a angel. This has been the best explanation of why and how to fix the pain in the lower back. THANK YOU!
Amazing video, my abs really worked without moving my back at all
This was a great explanation. Thank you so much. Could you do one on engaging core for standing ab workouts.
This was really good. I like how you started from the super basic to more advanced and showed how to tell if you should move forward or not
Such a great explanation, thank you!
So simple! Thank you for explaining something I couldn't figure out what I did wrong!
Excellent example of how to do it the right way, thanks a lot 🙏
This video benefited me so much thank you ❤
I was struggling to understand how to engage my core and this video helped me.
Thank you. With your video I was able to understand the positioning of the lower back on the floor.
Missed your uploads.
Thanks for education
Thank you 🙏
Perfect explanation thank you so much! Been trying to fix the lower back pain/ arching on the dead bug
Very helpful. Thank you so much!!!
She is very helpful and informative. I love how she helps you through the process, and focuses on how to do it right and what you may be doing wrong. Thank you so much! Well taught!
Great video! Very informational. Gonna give this a go in 30 mins at the gym
Best video on core engagement. Thank you so much
This was sooo helpful!! Thank you so much! I never understood how to engage my core properly!
Most helpful video I've seen on this subject! thank you so much!❤️
Thank u, this is very helpful, I'll try it the next time I do my workout ❤
What a great video! Thx!
Thank you!! I'm always trying to get stronger abs. Your video is great!!
Thank doll
Finally, a person on RUclips, who explains a video the right way ❤
I tried out the single leg movement earlier this weak with my back pressed against the floor, got more ab activation out of it than other core movements. I think I’ll stick with that and build myself up to the more advanced core exercises.
As far as progressing goes, how many sets/reps should I be able to do before trying to hold a dead bug hold?
Glad to hear you found the exercise helpful!
You should be able to do the exercise for about 1 minute (or 10-12 reps) without closing control of your lower back.
Thanks!
Honestly this was perfect. You deserve a like
This was super helpful. Thank you so much
Thank you thank you thank you thank you endlessly
Its so much better and comfortable and i dont feel any stress during the workout its like magic
Thank you for this💜
Thank you!! This helped me so much
You're welcome!
Excellent video 🙏🙏
Thank you so much! This vid Helped to fix my form
So what should I do if I’m in the pelvic tilting phase? Practice doing the pelvic tilt in reps? Hold it as long as possible?
I finally understand, thank you so much!!
Excellent tutorial.Thank you.
thank you soo much. i learnt alot from this video
Amazing,thanks!
Glad you like it!
Brilliant and really easy to understand thank you!!
Absolutely, beautifully detailed, thank you! 🎉❤
Great explanation!!!. Thanks.
Very helpful thank u for sharing
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you ...u explained it very well🙂
very well explained.
Thank you!
@@alinakennedy now i know how to properly engage my core.
AWESOME VIDEO, THANK YOU SOO MUCH
thank you so much for this.
Very detailed explanation 👍and very beautiful doctor ☺️ thank you it was very helpful 🌹❤️
Wow thank u, u've just changed my life
I appreciate the explanation. The core isn't just the abs, though, so what about engaging the rest of the core?
Thanks
What if you have anterior pelvic tilt and cervical scoliosis.
Great explanations, thank you! Instead of having back problems during extensions I’m having hip flexor strain and I feel like my hip flexors are doing the primary movement and my abs are simply stabilizing, do you have any suggestions for that?
Thank you so much 💕
This was really helpful thanks.
omg thank you so much, this video was so so helpful i now know what I'm doing haha
Can you please post the best exercises for strengthening the core? I can tighten my core, but the hard bit is holding it. Thank you
Very helpful, thank you
Great explanation!
Great explanation
Very nice , explained very well thumbs up
Can you please tell me that my legs pain when I do this what's the reason ?? Also I am not able to completely straighten my legs
Thank you great video, I could properly engage my core , I have my adductors pulling on my lower abs , would I benefit from training the adductor aswell or focus on the core ? And is it possible to do this every day?
Thank you
Very well explained! 😁
What if you don't have the core control to do a pelvic tilt? I have diastases and have lost functionality in my core
So I'm a newbie weightlifter, and I'm trying to get serious lower body gains. I know the key to good explosive glute sets especially is keeping the core engaged and the spine from doing any actual work. My problem is I have a hard time keeping my core engaged without
1. Holding my breath.
2. closing off my chest/hiking my shoulders up a bunch.
Any pointers in these areas?
Hey Ben! Core engagement technique is a bit different with heavy weight lifting, especially with exercises like squats and deadlifts. When you're lifting heavier weights, it's far more important to feel confident in your overall form/technique than to focus on squeezing your abs. My advice would be to get a lift coach or a physio with weight lifting experience to check your form. Good luck!
@@alinakennedy
I think that same thought occurred to me at an earlier time. I figured that I just needed to tense up my core enough to keep stuff stable, not flex my abs as much as I would during a plank. If I do that, I think the idea is I'm wasting bloodflow to not even a secondary muscle group being worked while my glutes, which are much bigger, don't get the oxygen they need.
Anyway, thanks for the tips!
Thank youuu !!
Thank you!
Thank you!!!
Thanks for the explanation now I know how not to hurt my back anymore
I still can't do it I don't understand why
Nice video thanks good idea
Great video❤❤
You're a life saver
Amazing!
Hello, I know it's already to late to comment about this video since it's 2 years old (Today). But I feel I have to comment it.
First of all, I'm not an expert, neither I have the strongest Abs, but I know when I feel the abs and when not, also how they properly work. So let's go.
I'm going to start by refering to the ""Core"" as the actual muscles that are involved, which are the abdominal muscles. Such as the Tranversus/Obliques/Rectus, all of them are Torso's Flexors (Basically they turn forward the torso), they are complete opposites of the Lumbars, which are Torso's extensors (Basically they make you stand in two feet and straight up).
The main point of the video (Touching your back with the floor at all times) is not great, but a good thing to do if you actually want to work on the abs in a strict way. But we have 2 main problems:
1) The head: You don't have to check how just by turning your head forward you're almost making a torso's flexion (What the abs work), but it's actually making the abs to get thighter. If you're comfortable and you don't have any neck issues please lift your head, or at least put something below like a small pillow.
2) 3:38 and forward (Exercises). All of them makes you move your extremities, which is not only unnecesary for the workout you're talking about, but actually useless.
If you look up into any picture of the abs muscles, you may find out that the fibers are located at the bottom of the chest straight down to the pubes. In any, and I repeat, Any moment the abs can't work on your arms because they are not connected, neither your legs because the abs are not leg extensors. They can only hold your legs in a isometric way, but that's like saying holding the shop's bag it's useful for your biceps because they are in tension. Yeah, they are but you're not going to stimulate the muscle if you don't follow their pattern. In this case the pattern is to flex your torso (Christian words, to curve your body forward).
You can make it in 3 basic ways: Moving only your chest and head forward / Moving your whole legs and hips to your face / Both.
Remember, moving your legs, neither arms stimulate your abs, so you better let them alone and not moving while you're working on your abs.
Thank you for reading all of this. If you have any question or suggestion about my comment, please comment below and I'll try to respond everything.
Hii, I have a question. How do i actually can get stronger abs? Like, when I try on doing leg raises, for example, I do what the woman told to, but even so I keep feeling the burn on my lower back. It happens with all exercises, and I can't seem to be able to do any of the abs exercises properly. I'm trying to get a flat belly so I actually don't know what to do
@@shutitup_8 Hi Lixie,
When you do "Leg Raises" what you're doing is Hip Flexion, something that mainly works the Iliop-Psoas group muscles inside your hips.
The problem this exercises has included Glute's ones is that most of this muscles or the strongest ones that take the advantage are attatched to the Lower spine.
For example the Iliop-Psoas has its origin in L1-L3 lumbar vertebrae and the insertion in the femur (The "thighs bone").
So every time you're inducing any Hip flexion or extension you have to take in mind that giving it an excess of range of motion or putting it in muscle failure will affect in long terms lower-back problems.
I'm Not saying that every single time you exercise them you're gonna have that risks, but it's like the biceps. If you keep doing the preacher curl you'll end up putting a lot of tension in the elbow's tendonds.
Soooo, with that explained, how can you work your abs or put less risk in the lower-back while doing hip-flexion/extension exercises?
The first and most important step is maintaining a flat back and not to make a curve in your lowerback. Usually you can get this by doing a pelvic retroversion (Moving your pelvic forwards and your glutes backwards).
I say it because it's even easier to do those exercises like that, but even that way, you'll not be working your Abs because that group of muscles is just attatched to the pelvis, nowhere else. So they cannot move your legs.
So, and as explained in my comment the Abdominal Muscles are Torso's flexors. What does this means? Well, if you see most of the origin's and insertions for the abdominal muscles (Tranversus/Obliques/Rectus) you'll see how they are a line from the lower zone of your chest and ribs to the pelvis.
This means that Anything that pushes them closer (The ribs and the pelvis) will make your abs work more. If you Pull them (Like a deadlift) you're gonna be working on your lowerback so remember, you have to think on flexion and extension. They could be in the same situation but you have to look up for the force's directions.
Lastly, how many ways you can work your abs? Well, you can move your pelvis to the ribs, your ribs to the pelvis, both or standing up unilaterally and laterally flexing with some weights for the obliques.
Examples...
- Pelvis to Ribs: Reverse crunches (Lie on the floor and lift your legs up to the 90º degrees (Like in the video), then flex your knees to the 90º degrees and now you have to think on moving your hips up to your chest or without moving your legs make the knees touch your face. Then return to the original position of 90º degrees angle for the hips and knees).
- Ribs to Pelvis: Crunches (Lie in the floor and flex your hips up to a maximum of 90º degrees (Though I recommend 45º degrees or even 0º) then try to imagine that you're gonna move your chest to touch your pelvic area. Never think on touching the knees or someone helping you by putting a foot on your feet).
You can also do a Kneeling cable crunch (Knees to the ground with your towel for example and hold the the cables. Then puts them in front of your head and push it down like a normal crunch always remembering on doing it with a hump's style back so you don't damage your lower-back).
- Both: I call this one "Rocker"/"Seesaw" and more. It's pretty simple. It's the combination of a Reverse crunch with a normal crunch, like this: Do a Reverse crunch but instead of returning just your legs do a crunch while doing so and viseversa. When you're finishing up the Crunch do a reverse crunch until you get fatigued.
You can also do an isometrical hold trying to touch your feet while you're lying on the ground.
- Lateral Flex: Simple as an unilateral farmer's walk/hold. (Hold a certain weight in one of your hands while you're standing up. Then move the weights down and up or walk with it).
You can also try the Pallof's press with resistance bands or cables (It works by holding one of those laterally so you have to push with your body to not get rotated, you need good technique so keep in mind it's not for beginners).
Do you find any of those too easy or you want something different? Add weight, lateralize them, experiment on the floor, the wall or more with torso's flexion, etc...
Just remember that if you truly want to get visible abs you need to control your diet and not exceed on exercise this muscle group. For example with 2 days you work them is enough. And the obliques will make you look wider, so it's not recommendable.
Any questions just leave it below in the comments.
@@m4rloncha Ty so much for the help, I really appreciate it!! I'll do those exercises. But in the reverse crunch case, I already did it some times and I still get the burn on my lower back tho, and I don't think it's normal at all. For example, one thing I wanted to do was pilates exercises, because I saw on the internet and they say that pilates helps to "tone" the muscles and lose fat, without making the area wider. But every exercise I do I feel that lower back area burning. I researched and at least 3 websites said that to avoid this problem, I needed to do planks, to strengthen my abs and not put pressure on my back. I've been doing planks for 2 months now (I changed my diet) and even so, when I try to do these exercises, even doing the pelvis thing, I still feel the burning in the lower back area instead of in the abs. Or, in certain exercises, I feel both. So I don't know what I'm doing wrong, and also with doing planks for 2 months I couldn't see much result
@@shutitup_8 Hello again,
Before commenting now anything I'll warn you that I'm not a specialist. Either in Diet, Health or Training. Anything I've said before and after will be subjective and not based on studies. What I say could work for many and for others not. So if I say something and you feel other thing check it with someone that has the right and enough knowledge to do so like the doctor.
Following your comment I'll explain some stuff first.
"Tonification" doesn't exist biologically.
Our bodies are (Mainly) composed on: "Skin > Fat > Muscle > Bone", some zones are different and I'm not even adding the organs but this is just an example.
If you wanna look "Learner" there are 3 main options: Lowering your fat, increasing your muscles and both.
The first one is Cutting, which makes your body look thinner but at the same time decreases your energy (Remember, fat is accumulated energy that the organs and muscles will require to do X action in the future).
The second one is Hypertrophy, there are 2 main types "Myofibrillar" and "Sarcoplasmic". One increases the fibers itself and the other the glycogen storage (Basically what is around those fibers). If you wanna get stronger you'll need the Myofibrillar one meanwhile if you want to look bigger you'll need the Sarcoplasmic one. Thooough I'm still not educated about how to get one or the other. But I expect them to be depending on how much strength % you're using. Like Strength training (1-6 reps) will make more use of the fibers and (7-15/20) Sarcoplasmic. But this could be wrong so you better search it for yourself.
And the Third and last one that combines Losing fat and Gaining muscle is called "Tonification". Usually people think this is 1 action, but it's 2 as explained before that can work in both ways (You could lose some fat and gain a lot of muscle or gain barely any muscle but get a lot of fat). What happens is that you almost Cannot say you don't lose any fat by exercising.
Of course we do... We're using that Fat to move our bodies so we're burning that fat and also those muscles are working so they will improve if you keep doing it.
"Tonification" is the so called "Maintaning" when you already have your desired body type and you want to keep it in balance with the fat and muscle. That means in simple terms... Stucking your progress.
But for mooooooost people they'll desire more to be Bulkier or to be Leaner.
Explained that...
When you "Maintain" you're stucking your progress as said, and that means that you're not going to get bigger/leaner or stronger. You're just gonna get healthier than most people who don't exercise that type of movements. So if you have one of those 2 goals I said earlier you'll have to take it seriously and focus on your diet + choosing the right exercise to get bigger or not muscles. But for any workout you have to give it all for every single set, if not your body will not feel as if it needs to change (This doesn't mean getting muscle failure every set, the context gives it all. It's something mental).
Next thing to explain is "I feel pressure on my back and sometimes both, in my abs and the lower-back".
In the 99% of muscles you know and that are on our body they are connected to a bone by tendons. Those are called "Skeletal muscles". Muscles that you can control and contract voluntarely.
When a bone has two muscles attatched at each side of them (For example Humerus has the Biceps in one side an the Triceps in the other side) one of them will do the Opposite action of the other.
For example the Biceps Flexes the elbow and the Triceps Extends the elbow. What would happen if you try to push and pull at the same time? You'll do nothing, right?
Well, this is called "Muscle Antagonism", there are also Agonists. Muscles that are not attatched to the same place but they do the same action.
When a muscle that is an antagonist of the other is Working, the other is Completely missed, relaxed, not contracted, etc...
The Only way two muscles that are clearly antagonists could work at the same time is due to the "Lombard's Paradox". For example in a Squat your Quads and Hamstrings work at the same time when the two do Flexion and Extension of the Knee. But in their origin one of the heads of the quads called "Rectus Femoris" acts over the hamstring distributing the forces equally in both sides.
In the torso or specifically the abdominal zone this cannot happen as the origin and insertion of both muscle groups are completley different. So when one flexes and the other extends the other will not be working at all.
Example, if you're doing the Reverse Crunch but you don't lift your hips you're basically doing Over-flexion of the hips. The difference is when you lift your hips and you don't move the legs.
If you do a plank and you don't contract your abs by doing a hump you'll basically feel the exercise as "Wait, I have to keep my hips up" when that's not what the exercise is not intended.
When you do a plank you can't have the back straight, it needs to be rounded. If you try to think about "Someone is pulling your chest up" then you'll feel your abs much better and you'll feel it much harder.
The problem is that the plank is an isometrical exercise, that means that you're not contracting your abs properly. So any other muscle could be contracted in the way and if you stay for a lot of time in a certain position you'll feel like "I need to balance" focusing on other places.
Oh and if you are "Starting to train" and you don't "See results" at 2 months since you begin... It's completely normal. I'd say more... You'll not see Nothing until 1 year and a half. Probably what you'll mostly see is you're improving your weights or technique, but the body will look identical. That's nooormal in natural people (Not people that use drugs, you know). What you have to do is keep moving and never lose the streak. Make it your routine that makes you have fun and that way you'll keep doing it and you'll improve. But you have to be constant in this. Though the Abs are like the Last thing to care on your body. There are many other muscles that will improve your overall appareance like the chest, the lats, the arms and the thighs.
By the way, if Anything I said couldn't work or is not possible for you right now because you truly cannot stop that burn/pain in the lowerback I'll recommend you to STOP training those exercises at All. This is because it is probably something to be with the bone and nerves and not the muscle itself. Also about flexibility or mobility of the joints. It could also be age and other stuff I'm not gonna get into.
@@m4rloncha Firstly, I would like to thank you for taking part of your time to write these texts that are like an instruction manual, it is helping me a lot. Afterwards, I think age is not the problem, I'm 15 at the moment. This information about planks was exceptionally helpful, because my mindset is always to "keep my hips up" and never "tighten" my abs. Even though you're not an expert, I really appreciate the information you're giving me. I just have one more question and then I'll leave you alone, I promise😭🙏
When I watch videos about abs exercises, people always say to "engage your core", but I've never really known what that is, so I don't know if I'm doing it well or badly, and if I am that's the cause of I always feel the burn in the lower back in almost all exercises except pranks. How do I "engage my core" properly? (Sorry for bad english, it's not my first language).
I did what she told and even so I still feel the burn in my lower back while doing dead bugs😭
Thank you
Great explanation, thank you! However when I tried it I got back pain 😕
Is it normal? Or did I overdo it?
Great video
So as long as my back is flat to the ground I engage my abs correctly, did I get that right?
Do I engage my abs for the whole exercise or only when I feel that my back would start to arch?
I've been watching many videos the past few days about how to engage abs correctly, but everyone seems to be saying different things and I don't really know what to believe
Hi Fabian, Yes, keeping your back flat on the ground when doing these kinds of ab exercises is essential for good core activation. You want to keep your back flat the whole time. When the exercise gets harder (like when your legs extend further out) your abs have to work harder to maintain your back on the floor. So the challenge is to find the level of exercises that are challenging enough that you have to work hard to keep your back on the floor (and ensure your back doesn't arch).
Hope that answers your questions!
@@alinakennedy thank you very much Alina!