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Fitness Weight Training

Building Your Core Strength The Right Way

Summary & Participants

Knowing the right way to work your core muscles can help you get a lot more out of your exercise routine.

Medically Reviewed On: August 12, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: If you’ve been to a gym lately, you’ve probably heard about the importance of strengthening your core muscles. But do you know what your core is?

MICHAEL HURLEY, FITNESS EXPERT: Your core is your trunk, your midsection. Anything that involves your midsection, we define that as your core.

ANNOUNCER: Your core is also where every movement you make begins. A strong one provides support and stability.

MICHAEL HURLEY, FITNESS EXPERT: A lot of time, people have bad backs or back issues and it's not really 'cause their back is weak; it's 'cause their core is weak. Having strong core muscles also keeps your back in proper alignment, too

ANNOUNCER: Fitness expert Michael Hurley says to strengthen the core – you need to know how to use it in the most effective way.

MICHAEL HURLEY, FITNESS EXPERT: A lot of people tend to push out on their abdominal walls instead of lifting up on their chest and contracting in. So when you're pushing out, you're not really engaging in your core. We want to make sure they come in, squeeze down tight and that'll be engaging his core.

ANNOUNCER: Proper alignment is crucial to core strengthening.

MICHAEL HURLEY, FITNESS EXPERT: I make sure their shoulders are back, good posture, you know, the chest is lifted up and, again, when they go to squeeze, they're going to squeeze down and contract their abdominal walls down.

ANNOUNCER: Experts say the best exercises for the core engage several muscles at once.

MICHAEL HURLEY, FITNESS EXPERT: We're working the whole center of his body; the whole trunk is considered your core. Working the serratus and obliques, which is also the side of your abdominal muscles. Always contracting, always keeping tight.

ANNOUNCER: And while you may want to work with a trainer to perfect your posture and technique, you don’t need a lot of special equipment to do the job.

MICHAEL HURLEY, FITNESS EXPERT: You can walk down the street and engage your core. Again, you don't need a fancy gym. Any exercise environment is core activity. You can do from a tricep extension to a bench press to a squat, you don't need a ball, you don't need funny machines, you just need to always engage the core.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily.