BA Basic Fitness Part 5

8/14/2019 BA Basic Fitness Part 5

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W

e’ve looked athow to train theupper and lower

body. Now this booklet focuses

on the “bit inthe middle”, the abdominalsand lower back — otherwiseknown as the core.

Many people think that trainingtheir “abs” is all about building asix-pack — but there’s a lot more toit than aesthetics. A strong andwell-balanced mid-section isinstrumental in practically all

sports and physical performance,as well as in maintaining goodposture and preventing injury.

Sit-ups are the standard moveused to work the six-pack muscle,and the two-minute sit-up testis one of the principal muscularendurance tests used by the Army— but they shouldn’t be the only

ab exercise in your repertoire. Themore trunk muscles you work, andthe more angles you work themfrom, the better the results will be.

Note This booklet gives you plentyof exercises for strengtheningyour abdominals and lower back.If, however, at any point youexperience discomfort or pain in

your back, stop immediately —and reduce the number of repsand sets in your next session.

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CotatYou may have heard the term“core stability”. It refers to a

specific type of training focusingon the deep-set trunk muscles,which aims to enhance thesemuscles’ ability to stabilise thespine and pelvis.

The primary role of these“stabiliser” muscles is to hold the body — or part of it — stable,sometimes while another part of the body is moving. For example,the core stabilisers are used tohold the spine in its usual S-shapeas you pick a weight up off thefloor. While the core muscles donot need brute strength, they doneed to be able to “switch on”when they are needed, and to beable to work continuously at a lowlevel of contraction.

This is why you’ll find that manyof the exercises in this bookletdon’t involve lifting weights —in fact, some don’t even involvemoving at all. But rest assured,you are still working on improvingfunction and endurance in thesekey muscles — which will enhanceyour overall fitness.

HOW mAny

reps AndseTs?When putting together your absand back training programme,aim for 10 repetitions per set of each exercise that you select.Rest for 60-120 secondsbetween each set to allow themuscles to recover before theywork again, and complete 2-4sets of each exercise.Aim to work the abs and back2-3 times per week, onnon-consecutive days.

Please note, however, that

these guidelines do not applyto the core stability exercises,which individually indicate howmany reps to do, and how longto hold the position for.

reCTus AbdOminisRuns along the front of thestomach from the pubic bone to

the sternum. This muscle flexesthe trunk forwards, and assistswith lateral flexion (to the side).

exTernAl ObliquesSit along each side of the waist.They flex the trunk to the sameside, and rotate it to the oppositeside (ie. the external obliques onthe right flex the trunk to the rightand rotate it to the left). They alsoassist with forward flexion.

inTernAl ObliquesSit below the external obliques,and their fibres run in the oppositedirection. They flex and rotate thetrunk to their own side (ie. theinternal obliques on the right flexand, in conjunction with theexternal obliques on the left, rotatethe trunk to the right).

TrAnsversus AbdOminisA deep-set “corset” of muscle thatwraps around the trunk from the belly button to the spine. Its mainaction is to compress and flattenthe abdomen.

quAdrATus lumbOrumSits towards the back of each sideof the waist and is an importantmuscle in stabilising the pelvis andspine. It also flexes the trunk to the

same side and “hitches” the hip byelevating the pelvis.

ereCTOr spinAeSituated along the entire length of the spine, they serve to extend itand also assist in lateral flexionof the spine.

mulTifidusThese lie beneath the erectorspinae, along each side of thespinal column, and are importantspinal stabilisers. They also help toextend the spine and rotate it to theopposite side from their position.



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Follow stages 1 and 2 of the general warm-up outlined in Booklet 1,then try these specific trunk mobilisations (do 6-12 of each)

Trunk rOTATiOn

Stand with your feet hip-distanceapart and arms at your sides.Keeping the hips facing the front,gently twist your torso to the side,leading with the arms and allowingthe head to follow the spine. Thentwist to the opposite side.

Hump And slumpStart on all fours, with knees underhips and hands under shoulders.Round your back up into a C-shape,letting the head drop down andneck relax. Then take the spine back down into an arch, lifting yourhead and hips. Alternate betweenrounding and arching.

AnCHOred siT-upWhen sit-ups are performed withthe feet anchored by a partner orlow object, the hip flexors assist,making the exercise less taxingon your abdominals.

Start by lying on the floor withyour knees bent and feet anchored.Have your hands across your chest.Maintaining a flat back, curl yourhead, shoulders and torso off the floor until your torso is in anupright position, then roll backdown through the spine to thestart position and repeat.

WArninG Do not performsit-ups with anchored feet if

you suffer from lower back pain.Cease performing sit-ups if you canno longer keep your back flattenedand find it is arching off the floor.

Th t A t-

excellent 77+ 72+ 71+ 67+ 62+

very good 59-76 55-71 52-70 47-66 43-61

good 50-58 46-54 43-51 37-46 34-42

average 40-49 38-45 33-42 27-36 25-33

poor 0-39 0-37 0-32 0-26 0-24

age

gender M/F M/F M/F M/F M/F

Under 30 30 – 34 35 – 39 40 – 44 45 – 49

This is the classic exercise for strengthening your abs, and it also worksthe external obliques and hip flexors. In the Army’s 2-minute sit-up testthe feet are ‘anchored’ — here’s a table to compare your performance

lyinG TWisTLie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor,arms outstretched to your sides.Drop your knees down first tothe left side and then the right,keeping your shoulders andhead on the floor.



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CrunCH▶This advanced variation of a sit-upworks most of the core muscles, aswell as the hip flexors.

Start by lying on the floor withyour hands beside your head.Sit up, bringing your knees to yourchest, and then rock back, fullyextending your legs before bringing the knees in to meet

the chest again. Do not allowyour feet to touch the floor in between reps.

seATed leG exTensiOn▶ Another challenging sit-upvariation, mainly working therectus abdominis and hip flexors.Sit on a chair or bench with yourhands supporting you on the backedge or sides. Start with knees bentinto your chest, then extend thelegs out in front, allowing the torsoto move slightly back as you do so.Pause, then draw your legs back in.

HAlf-siT▲If you find the full sit-up toodifficult, start off with thiseasier version, which works therectus abdominis and externalobliques.

Lie on the floor with your kneesslightly bent. Place your hands onyour thighs and curl up, slidingthe hands up along your legs untilthe fingers extend beyond yourknees. Lower and repeat.

vaato o th t-

TWisT siT-up▼ The element of rotation in thissit-up focuses on the externalobliques.

Start by lying on the floor withhands beside your head and kneesslightly bent, feet on the floor.Curl your torso off the floor,rotating it to the right as yousimultaneously bring your rightknee in towards your chest.Lower, taking the foot back to thefloor, then curl upwards again,

twisting to the left and bringingyour left knee into your chest.Continue to alternate from sideto side for the set.



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The plank is a key core stability exercise, honing in on the core muscles while holding a static position. The aim is to maintain good form forprogressively longer periods — so you need only repeat each of the plank

variations 3 times, rather than doing multiple sets of 10 repetitions

mOdified plAnk◀ If you aren’t able to hold thefull plank position for even a few

seconds, try this modified version,and then work your way up to thefull plank.

Begin as for the full plank butthis time, when you raise your body on to your elbows, keep yourknees on the floor so that your body forms a straight line fromknees to crown. Hold for as longas you can, breathing freely, andrepeat 3 times.

pTi TipDon’t make the mistake of thinking that the core stabilisersonly work during specific corestability exercises. Thesemuscles are active in almostevery movement we make so,to a certain extent, they

are being trained all thetime — but the focus onproper technique andgood posture duringdedicated corestability workhelps to targetthem more closely.

full plAnk▲Lie face down on a mat with yourelbows below your shoulders

and forearms pointing forwards.Draw your belly button towardsyour spine and raise your bodyoff the floor, so that your weightis resting on your forearms andtoes and your body forms aperfect straight line — don’t letyour back sag in the middle. Holdfor as long as you can, breathingfreely, and repeat 3 times.



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side plAnk▲This position works the tranversusabdominis, quadratus lumborumand oblique muscles.

Lie on your side, propped up onthe lower elbow, with your bodyin a straight line. Now raise your body up so that your weight isresting on your elbow and thelower foot. You can keep theupper arm close to the body,or raise it up straight in the air(a balance challenge). Hold for aslong as you can, breathing freely,

and repeat 3 times.

lATerAl flexiOnWiTH jerry CAnsLateral flexion (bending to theside) works both sets of obliquesand the muscles that flex thespine to the side.

Hold a dumbbell or weight ineach hand by your side, and standwith your feet hip-distance apart.Keeping the hips centred, bend directly to the side as faras you can comfortably. Come back to the centre and bendto the opposite side. Continueto alternate for the set.

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supine plAnk▼This plank position works thestabilisers in the back, as wellas the glutes and the muscles between the shoulder blades.

Start face up on your mat,propped up on your elbows withlegs extended. Now lift your bodyoff the floor to form a straightline. Keep your neck in linewith the spine by looking at theceiling. Hold for as long as youcan, breathing freely, and repeat3 times.

If this feels easy, try extendingalternate legs up into the air,keeping the body stable withoutrocking from side to side.

pTi TipDrawing your belly buttontowards your spine prior toadopting the plank positionhelps engage the core stabilisers.Try to get into the habitof “engaging the core”before you perform any

exercise (not just suckingin your stomach andholding your breath)to protect the spineand work theseimportant muscles.




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These exercises strengthen your lower back muscles — an area that’sprone to pain and injury in both the very active and the sedentary

dOrsAl rAises▲ Lie face down on the floor withpalms facing down and fingertipstogether. Now lift your torsooff the floor, being careful notto jerk or force the movement,and keeping your head in linewith the spine. Pause and lowerto repeat.

bridGe WiTH leGexTensiOn▼Once you can do the bridgeexercise comfortably, do the sameas above but, once your pelvisis raised, alternately extend oneleg and then the other, withoutallowing the pelvis to rock fromside to side.

bridGe▲This exercise strengthens thelower back extensors, glutealsand inner thigh muscles.

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Raise your body

up enough to form a straight linefrom your knees to your shoulders.Hold the position for 10 seconds,then release. Do this 5 times.

supermAns▼A good progression from, oralternative to, dorsal raises,Supermans also work the backextensor muscles.

Lie face down on the floor withyour arms extended flat on thefloor over your head. Lift yourright arm and left leg off the floor

simultaneously, keeping thehips and pelvis centred and yourhead in line with the spine.Lower, then lift your left armand right leg off the floor.Continue to alternate for the set.

pTi TipThe lower back muscles areoften neglected during training,because people tend to focus

on the more visible area atthe front of the torso.However, it’s importantto work the front andback of the bodyequally, in orderto achieve goodposture andavoid muscularimbalance.



pTi TipIt’s very important to choosethe correct size of Swiss ball foryour height — use the guidelinesbelow to help you select thecorrect one. When yousit on the ball, yourhips should be slightlyhigher than your knees.

Height 5ft – 5ft 5in = 55 cm ball

5ft 6 – 6ft 1 = 65 cm 6ft 2 – 6ft 8 = 75 cm


sw a

Swiss balls are a fantastic exercise tool. They create an unstable surfaceon which to exercise, so the stabilising muscles are called upon moreto help you maintain your position

bAll bAlAnCeOn knees▶This is an advanced exercise tochallenge your balance.

Stand in front of a Swiss ball. If you are new to this exercise, eitherget a friend to stand the oppositeside of the ball to help you balance,or have a wall the other side thatyou can hold on to if necessary.

In a swift movement, put yourhands on the ball and rock your body forward to place both kneeson it simultaneously. Roll thepelvis forward so you’re kneelingup, then take your hands away.You need to adjust your bodyposition constantly to stay

balanced — focus on using the coremuscles to help you.

Hold this pose for as long as youcan. When it’s easy, try extrachallenges like getting someoneto throw you a ball or balancingwith your eyes shut.

siT-up On bAll◀Lie on a Swiss ball with your feeton the floor. Adjust yourself sothat your bottom is just off the

front of the ball, with your buttocks unclenched and yourhands either beside your head orcrossed over your chest.Contracting the abdominals,raise and flex the upper torso asfar as you can without moving the ball underneath you. Pause, thenlower and repeat.

bACk exTensiOnOn bAll▶ This is an excellent exercise for the back extensors, because it allowsyour back to come from a flexedposition to an extended one,working through a greater rangethan is possible on the floor.

Lie face down on a Swiss ballwith your feet anchored againstthe join of the wall and the floor,or get a friend to hold your feet.Adjust your position until yourtorso is lower than your hips, andput your hands beside your head.Now raise the torso up until it is just beyond a straight line withthe legs, using the back and buttmuscles. Hold, lower and repeat.

pike On sWiss bAll▶ This advanced exercise worksthe core stabilisers, rectusabdominis, hip flexors and manyupper body muscles, too.

Lie face down over a Swiss ball,then shunt forward until just yourshins are on the ball and your

weight is supported by your hands,your arms shoulder-width apart.Ensure your back is in a straightline with your legs. Now drawthe ball in towards your torso bycontracting the abs and lifting yourhips into the air. Don’t hunch theshoulders or arch the back.

pOsT-WOrkOuTsTreTCHesOnce your workout is over,remember to stretch out themuscles you’ve worked usingthese stretches from booklet 1:

• Side stretchStand with feet hip-distance apart.Keeping the hips central, takeyour torso directly to the side,sliding your hand down the leg.

To increase the stretch, take theopposite arm up beside your ear.• Lower back stretchLie on the floor and bring yourknees into your chest, graspingyour shins. Lift your head to yourknees to increase the stretch.• Modified cobraLie face down on the floor andraise yourself up on your

forearms, elbows below shoulders,forearms pointing forwards.Press your hipbones into the floorand allow your back to extend,looking forwards not up or down.

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BA Basic Fitness Part 5