There's More to a Strong Core Than a Crunch

A few days ago, I posted how sitting all day can cause "office-chair-itis"(sitting keeps your hip flexors in a flexed position causing you to feel stiff, even bent over when you try to stand after sitting for a long while). Several exercises and stretches were given to help relax and free-up those hip flexor muscles.

All that talk about hip flexors made me remember that another reason people often get sore hip flexors is from over use. Can you guess one cause of over-used hip flexor muscles? I'll give you a clue. Guys like to do these to get rid of that beer gut before the beach season and the gals like doing tons of these before trying on that bikini. Any ideas? Okay, okay, I'll tell ya. CRUNCHES! Crunches will help give you that defined six pack, but actually a crunch or situp really works the hip flexors just as much if not more than the abs. Stand up. Bend over. Stand straight-up again. You've just flexed your hips. Same motion as laying on the ground and lifting your torso toward your knees, isn't it?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing crunches, but they shouldn't be your only source of core work for two reasons. First, because crunches work the hip flexors just as much (if not more) as your abs, you can run the risk of over use and then injury of the hip flexors. Think about it. If you're a runner logging 25-50 miles a week and then on top of that you're doing hundreds of crunches a week, you're working those poor hip flexors of yours to smithereens! Secondly, if crunches are your only source of core work, you may end up with pretty abs, but you won't have a very strong/solid core. The core has a front, a back, and two sides. If all you work is the front, you're going to create a muscle imbalance. Some individuals who do nothing but crunches have actually caused themselves to hunch forward. The abdominal muscles are so tight and the back and side muscles are so weak that the torso is pulled forward, giving a hunched appearance. There's not equal strength in the opposing muscle groups to counteract this pulling motion. So they slump. Probably not the look they're shooting for.

Core work should have a balanced approach that involves all the core muscles—the erector spinae muscles, obliques, lats, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis (the abs). Specific exercises can be used to target each group, but you can also get some great workouts hitting all those groups simultaneously using simple equipment like a medicine ball. Planks are a great isometric exercise for core strength and all you need is a mat!

What you want to shoot for are exercises that are functional. What that means is you want exercises that mimic the types of movement that you make is real life. Think about it. How often do you crunch your torso toward your knees each day? Probably not very often. But how often do you twist, turn, reach straight up, reach up diagonally? Pretty often, huh? Everyone can benefit from a stronger core. Your core is the source of energy for your legs and arms. If your core fatigues, then so too will your appendages. This is very important to runners. If you run with a weak core, you run the risk of fatiguing much sooner during an endurance event. Once your core is fatigued and you begin to lose good running form, then everything else will begin to fall apart.

Good news is that solid core work doesn't have to be an every day event. Actually research shows that your core will benefit from a little rest in between workouts. Every other day is a good routine to shoot for, but if you're just starting out, try two times a week (not on consecutive days) and then work your way up to every other day. Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you're not doing an official "core workout" you can still get in good core muscle work during your other workouts. When you're doing those dumbbell curls, make sure your core muscles are engaged and taut. When you're doing a deadlift, engage those core muscles. When you're doing tricep kickbacks, engage those core muscles. Not only will you get a good workout of the core muscles when doing this, you'll also improve your form for those "other" exercises.

For some core workout ideas, check out the video clips below.

Don't Crunch It, Plank It!

When you say "core exercises", more than likely doing crunches comes to mind. Crunches are fine and they'll definitely help you get that "beach-buff" body with the nice six-pack, but beyond the aesthetic benefits there's not much more that crunches provides. When you do crunches, you actually workout your hip flexors more than your abs. If you're a runner, you're already giving your hip flexors plenty of attention and sometimes doing a ton of crunches on top of that can be overkill and even lead to injury.

So what's a runner to do? Well, there are plenty of core exercises to choose from that are much more functional and benefitial to runners. First of all, when you think of "core" try to think beyond your abs. There are a lot more muscles than just the abdominals that make up the core. Core muscles consist of the muscles that run along the trunk and torso and generally include the following:

Rectus Abdominis—the "six-pack" muscles that everyone strives for

Erector Spinae—three muscles that run from your neck to your lower back

Multifidus—found beneath the erector spinae

External Obliques—positioned on the side and front of the abdomen

Internal Obliques—found beneath the external obliques, running in the opposite direction

Transverse Abdominis—muscles that protect your spine and provide stability; found beneath the obliques

Hip Flexors—a group of muscles (psoas major, illiacus, rectus femoris, pectineus, and sartorius) found in front of the pelvis and upper thigh

The problem with a crunch is that it's only one movement—crunching forward. Think about it. How many times during the day do your crunch like that? Now think about how many times you twist up, down, sideways? Your core exercises need to include more of a full-range of motion. Incorporating the elements of stability and balance into you core exercises is also great. Doing core exercises on a stability ball, medicine ball, core-board, or bosu helps you recruit more than just the targeted muscle group. This "extra recruitment" helps develop a stronger core as well as better balance and stability.

One of the best core exercises a runner can do is so simple, yet extremely effective—The Plank. To do a plank, lay face down on the floor. Put your forearms on the floor so that your elbows are aligned directly under your shoulders. Your forearm and upper arms should be making a 90°angle. Your legs should be stretched out behind you and you should be resting on your toes like you're doing a pushup. Engage your abdominal muscles to help you hold your body in a straight "plank" position. Your back should not be arched and your butt should not be drooping or stuck up in the air. Your body should be making an even diagonal line that's moving slightly up from your toes to your shoulders. These looks simple but they can be tough. Try holding the plank in good form for 30 seconds. See if you can work up to a full minute. Last check I could hold a basic plank for 4:02 minutes. TOUGH!

Once you've mastered the plank try some variations such as the basic plank with one leg lifted, a side plank, or a side plank with a raised leg. When you feel confident, try upping the difficulty even more by putting your feet and/or hands on a bocu, stability ball, and/or medicine balls. Another good plank workout is to alternate plank positions, moving from one to another (never letting your butt hit the ground) for 5 minutes. Mastered that? See if you can go for 10 minutes!

For a complete core workout from RunnerDude using a medicine ball, [click here].