where you fully flex your spine
(like sit-ups). Side planks, bird
dogs and curl-ups are also great
alternatives.STAND TALLER
Core training, specifically
pilates, can help you stand up
straight. Men who took three
hour-long pilates sessions a
week for eight weeks saw
significant improvement on a
postural stability test, a study
inIsokinetics and Exercise
Sciencefound.NAIL A PERSONAL RECORD
A neglected core is like thin
plywood; a strong core is more
like a row of 2x4s, giving you a
solid platform from which you
can lift more weight. “Keeping
your core engaged throughout
a squat or bench press will
increase your power to lift as well
as keep your lower back safe,”
says Liza Edebor, who trains
baseball star Jake Arrieta. Begin
each of your heavy strength
workouts with 10 minutes of
dedicated core training.MOVE LIKE A NINJA
Doing a combo of core exercises
and instability exercises, such as
TRX and single-leg moves, can
help you become more agile. A
study in the journalKinesiologyTThe dream of washboard abs is
probably the ultimate reason
why yousuer through long
planks and endless sit-ups. But
along the way to that six-pack,
you’ll see even bigger benefits.
Here are eight great reasons to
stay motivated on abs day.
OWN YOUR SPORT
Core training makes you abeter
athlete in just about any strength
or speed sport, says Stuart
McGill, a professor of spine
biomechanics at the University
of Waterloo. That’s because a
strong core lets you transfer
more power to your limbs so
you can punch harder, smash a
drive farther, and kick a ball with
more force.
BOOST BALANCE
“A strong core keeps your torso in
a more stable position whenever
you move, whether you’re playing
sports or just doing chores,” says
sports medicine specialist Dr J.
Christopher Mendler. That helps
you avoid injury and makes your
movements moreecient. Test
your balance: Stand on one leg
with your arms extended. If you
last 60 seconds, you pass.
BEAT BACK PAIN
A core-training programme can
both prevent and control lower-
back pain, Canadian research
suggests. If you’ve had back
trouble, you’ll be bet er of doing
core exercises that keep you still
(like side planks) than moves
found that men who did these
workouts performed bet er on
the hexagon agility test than
those who did traditional
bodybuilding moves. Try a
variation: Using thick tape,
mark a hexagon on the fl oor
with 60cm sides and about
120-degree angles. Place a
30cm tape strip in the middle
as the starting position. Hit a
timer. From the start, double-
leg hop to each side of the
hexagon and back to the
centre in a clockwise direction,
equalling 12 jumps. Repeat,
this time going counter-
clockwise. You should be
able to fi nish both directions
in an equal amount of time.
If you can’t, then train your
weak direction.CONTROL INFLAMMATION
To assess the ef ect of
core-intensive training on
infl ammation, scientists
reviewed eight studies and
found that such training could
reduce infl ammation markers
by as much as 25 percent –
close to the result you’d see
from meds like statins. That
may enhance recovery, well-
being and general health.LIVE LONGER
A six-pack can keep you from
going six feet under – at least
anytime soon. That’s what
Mayo Clinic researchers
concluded when they
looked at 11 studies on waist
circumference. Men with
waists of 43 inches or larger
had a 52 percent greater
risk of premature death than
guys whose waists were 35
inches or smaller. Each 2-inch
increase in waist size was
associated with a 7 percent
bump up in death risk.VIDEO
For those who have
achieved their six-pack goals,
find out how you can keep
them forever. Download
Men’s Health Singapore now
on Magzter.JUNE 2017 79