How To Engage Your CORE | Feel Your Abs, Not Your Back!
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- Опубліковано 17 лют 2021
- 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
No one talking about this but it is really common mistakes especially when you are beginner.. thank you for highlighting very important point .
As a Personal Trainer...this is THE BEST core engagement tutorial ever!!! Thank thank thank you!!!!!
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
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.
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 been running for years and never understood why my core was not strengthening with exercises. Thank you so much!
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
Amazing video, my abs really worked without moving my back at all
I have always struggled with lower core exercises. This has been so clearly explained - for the first time! Thank you so much!
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. ❤❤
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
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!
Most helpful video I've seen on this subject! thank you so much!❤️
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
Thank you so much, I've been having so much trouble with understanding how to engage my core and you've explained it perfectly ❤️
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!!
Best video on core engagement. 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!
You are a angel. This has been the best explanation of why and how to fix the pain in the lower back. THANK YOU!
So simple! Thank you for explaining something I couldn't figure out what I did wrong!
This video benefited me so much thank you ❤
I was struggling to understand how to engage my core and this video helped me.
Absolutely, beautifully detailed, thank you! 🎉❤
Perfect explanation thank you so much! Been trying to fix the lower back pain/ arching on the dead bug
Excellent example of how to do it the right way, thanks a lot 🙏
Great video! Very informational. Gonna give this a go in 30 mins at the gym
This was sooo helpful!! Thank you so much! I never understood how to engage my core properly!
Thank u, this is very helpful, I'll try it the next time I do my workout ❤
Excellent tutorial.Thank you.
Thank you for this💜
Brilliant and really easy to understand thank you!!
Thank you so much! This vid Helped to fix my form
Thank you ...u explained it very well🙂
I finally understand, thank you so much!!
This was really helpful thanks.
thank you soo much. i learnt alot from this video
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!! I'm always trying to get stronger abs. Your video is great!!
AWESOME VIDEO, THANK YOU SOO MUCH
Best explaination ever! I'm one of those people that has been doing these wrong - for years! Thank you for this video. 😊
Very helpful, thank you
Thank you so much 💕
Great explanation!
Super helpful! The stages you explained and cues about when to proceed or stop. Thanks a ton❤ could you show the breathing too?
Thank youuu !!
Thank you!! This helped me so much
You're welcome!
This was a great explanation. Thank you so much. Could you do one on engaging core for standing ab workouts.
Honestly this was perfect. You deserve a like
Fantastic! Keeping my back flat over the years would have saved a whole lot of muscle tension. Thank you lovely
Glad it was helpful!
Very nice , explained very well thumbs up
Very detailed explanation 👍and very beautiful doctor ☺️ thank you it was very helpful 🌹❤️
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, 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.
Thank you!
Very well explained! 😁
Great explanation
Thank you!!!
Thank doll
Finally, a person on UA-cam, who explains a video the right way ❤
Thank you. With your video I was able to understand the positioning of the lower back on the floor.
Wow thank u, u've just changed my life
Thank you
Missed your uploads.
Thanks for education
Thank you 🙏
Amazing,thanks!
Glad you like it!
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?
Great video❤❤
omg thank you so much, this video was so so helpful i now know what I'm doing haha
Very helpful thank u for sharing
Glad it was helpful!
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
Amazing!
Nice video thanks good idea
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?
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
You're a life saver
very well explained.
Thank you!
@@alinakennedy now i know how to properly engage my core.
What if you have anterior pelvic tilt and cervical scoliosis.
Great video
I appreciate the explanation. The core isn't just the abs, though, so what about engaging the rest of the core?
Great explanation, thank you! However when I tried it I got back pain 😕
Is it normal? Or did I overdo it?
What if you don't have the core control to do a pelvic tilt? I have diastases and have lost functionality in my core
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
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.
omg thank you so so much for this video! i’ve struggled to consistently work out because of improper form, and not knowing how to fix it. i’m super excited to use what you’ve shared in this video to help me engage my core!! 🩷🩷🥺
Very nice
how to disable hip flexors ?
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!
So is flattening back on the floor is same as pulling stomach muscles in ?? Are these both the same things i mean when it comes to core engagement???
Nice
Very clear; thank you, but when you raise your legs, do you have to tense your muscles?
You do, but only enough to keep your spine on the ground. No need to brace with full force (you should still be able to breathe comfortably).
I managed to keep my back flat on the floor but not my head. Am i doing it right?
why does my back not feel curved in neutral and most core stretching males my bum ache
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!
Question can I use a weight on my stomach to help with me keeping my back on the floor like a 10 kettle ball
Hi Latoya. I wouldn't recommend this. Keeping your back on the floor is only beneficial if you are actively using your abdominal muscles to get into, and hold, that position. Placing a weight on your stomach would be painful and not help you achieve ab activation.
If you are struggling to engage your abs in this position, I would instead suggest putting your feet against a wall in the tabletop position which will help you isolate your abs without your back arching.
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!
I still can't do it I don't understand why
I can sometimes feel a slight tension in my lower stomach but I still can’t “feel” my abs working?
....what if I still can't feel my abs when I flatten my back. I still just feel it in my lower spine??
Thanks for the explanation now I know how not to hurt my back anymore
Hi
Should we continue breathe in and out while keeping belly sucked in ?
Yes! You should keep breathing steadily while you are engaging your abdominals
@@alinakennedy
Thanks for your reply 🙂