You want to train your torso and want a strong middle? Good idea! But you don't have to go to the gym. You can do these core exercises at home!
You don't want a six-pack, so why should you train the core? It's simple: the core muscles are crucial for the stability of the spine.
The trunk (core) is therefore often referred to as the central pillar of the body. The trunk muscles are responsible for the holding and supporting function.
A strong middle helps you in everyday life. When bending, lifting or carrying heavy shopping bags.
When you stand upright, your pelvis is tilted slightly forward. At least if your muscles are evenly strengthened all around. If they are not, then your back muscles are contorting. You you get a hollow back and soon guarantees severe pain in the lower back.
The culprit is a lot of sitting in combination with far too little movement.
The result is pain, shortening and restricted mobility. And on top of that, sooner or later you'll have disc problems.
Don't even let it get that far. There are wonderful exercises that train the trunk.
Table of contents
Why do I need to train the trunk?
If the muscles in the back are not strengthened enough, they very quickly become too stressed. The result: individual muscle parts harden. We know this as neck, lumbar or back pain.
If you're tired of back pain, you need to strengthen your core. A strong core promotes your upright posture and relieves pressure on your spine.
However, the abdominal muscles are just as important. If they are weak, there is a risk of slipped discs. Most often, a dysbalance of the lower back muscles and the abdominal muscles is to blame for the misery.
If one muscle is much stronger than the other, it can affect the spine and intervertebral discs. If you want to actively combat this, you need to improve your trunk stability.
The stronger your core muscles are, the better the transfer of power from your upper and lower body works.
Even if you haven't specifically strengthened your core, it works every day. If you had no core muscles at all, you would simply fall forward when you stretch your arms. And that would be kind of stupid.
So the core muscles have the function to stabilize our body center. Or in other words, to prevent movement while our arms and legs are moving.
Before we move, a signal goes to the brain via the central nervous system. This signal ensures that the trunk muscles are activated. This happens quite subconsciously, without us noticing anything.
By the way, here in this video you will find some simple and great exercises that you can do in addition to my favorite ones.
How often do I need to train the trunk?
It all depends on how weak your muscles are and what your goal is. Do you just want to get lighter in everyday life? Or do you want to get to another level in running or other sports?
You can easily make a hull check. For this we divide the Core into three parts: Front, Side and Back. This way you can see which muscles need more attention.
Front trunk exercises
We start with crunches. They are among the best abdominal exercises for women - and of course men.
To do this, lie on your back. Angle your legs and place your hands on the back of your head. Raise your upper body and lower it again. How many repetitions can you do in 30 seconds?
- Less than 20 repetitions? Your abs definitely need exercise!
- 20-25 - already good, but still expandable.
- More than 25 repetitions? Very good!
Trunk exercises lateral
Lie on your right side. Support yourself with your right hand and raise your hips. Now form a straight line from head to heels.
Hold the plank position as long as you can and read this chart to see if you need to do more trunk exercises.
- 0-30 seconds. Make sure you do something for your side abs! They are much too weak!
- 30-60 seconds. Good but still expandable.
- Longer than 60 seconds. Simply wonderful!
Do you already know this 30 day belly challenge?
Back torso exercises
Lie on your stomach and stretch your arms out in front. Stretch your legs back. Stretch well.
Now simultaneously lift your arms and legs 10 cm off the floor. Then slowly lower them again. However, neither arms nor legs should touch the floor.
How many repetitions can you do?
- Less than 20 repetitions. Oh dear, you have a weak back.
- 20-35 repetitions. Good, but still expandable.
- More than 35 repetitions. Wonderful!
You now know exactly where things are going wrong and what you still need to work on. But the good thing is that you can repeat the same test after 6 weeks and then see your progress.
But you also need to know: Training the torso takes a few weeks. And the muscle soreness will not be long in coming!
When you strengthen the abdominal muscles, you train with some exercises also the back muscles.
These are the best exercises for more trunk stability
Any exercise that works your abs, hips, butt and shoulder blade stabilizers is a trunk workout or core workout.
Planks for a strong torso
Difficulty: medium
Let's start with an absolute classic. You already know it from the core check when you tested how strong your core is.
- Lie down with your belly on the mat.
- Place your elbows under your shoulders and stretch your legs.
- Now lift your body off the floor. Tighten your abdomen and buttocks. Your body now forms a line. The gaze is directed downward.
- Hold this position for at least 30 seconds. Make 3 passes.
Too boring? Try these 19 Plank variations!
The bridge for the back
Difficulty: easy
A very good beginner exercise if you have noticed that your lower back needs more training.
- Lie down on the mat. Arms are parallel to the body.
- The legs are bent. Press the heels firmly into the floor.
- Lift your butt off the mat until your body forms a line. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds and lower the butt again. Important: You must not touch the floor.
- Push the pelvis back up. Do you feel the pulling in your lower back? Very good!
- Do 15 repetitions of 3 passes.
Mission strong back: How to strengthen your lower back!
Side planks for a strong center
Difficulty: medium
If you want to train your torso, then you can't neglect the lateral abdominal muscles. This is also one of the trunk exercises that you already know from the check.
- Lie sideways on the mat. Place the elbow under the shoulder.
- Tense your abdomen, legs and buttocks and lift yourself off the floor in a controlled manner. Now touch the mat only with the elbow and the lower foot.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds and make 3 passes.
Scales for a trained core
Difficulty: medium
You need a sense of balance for this exercise. If the knee hurts too much, you can put a pillow under it.
- You start in the quadruped position. The knees are under the hips and the palms under the shoulders.
- Now tense the abdomen and buttocks.
- Lift your right leg and left arm from the floor. Stretch them through.
- Now bring the elbow and knee together at the level of the navel. To do this, bend the leg and arm.
- Do the exercise with your right leg and left arm first before switching sides.
- 12 repetitions per side and 3 passes.
Side planks with leg raises
Difficulty: hard
This is one of those trunk exercises that are unsuitable for beginners. As a beginner, you will most likely not be able to do this exercise at all. Don't let that scare you off. Just skip it and try again next time.
- You start in a lateral plank. The elbow is under the shoulder. The body is stretched and lifted from the floor.
- Now slowly raise and lower the upper leg.
- Important: Body tension!
- For those who can, do 10 reps and 3 passes.
Want to do more? Try these stability exercises!
Beginner pushups
Difficulty: hard
You want to train your torso? Then push-ups can't be missing. But you don't have to start with real push-ups, because they are really mega hard. In the beginning, push-ups for beginners are enough.
- Place your hands and knees on the mat.
- Tighten the abdomen and buttocks so that you do not form a hollow back.
- Now lower the upper body by bending the elbows.
- Important: The body remains in one line.
- Do 10 repetitions and 3 passes. Those who can, do normal push-ups.
How to finally do your first push-ups!
Superman trunk exercise
Difficulty: medium
Well, how strong is your back? You'll find out with this exercise. It looks simple, but it's very strenuous.
- Lie on your stomach. The gaze is directed downward.
- Tighten the buttocks. Lift your legs and arms off the floor at the same time. Just like Superman when flying :)
- Hold the position for at least 15 seconds, 30 is better.
- Put your legs and arms back down. Relax briefly and then do 2 more repetitions.
Lateral planks and twist in
Difficulty: hard
And a round of side planks still goes. How about this variation? Very strenuous, but mega effective!
- You start again in the normal lateral plank. This time, however, place the upper leg in front. This will help you keep your balance.
- Tighten your abdomen and buttocks.
- Now reach under your body with your upper arm. Roll up properly. Attention: The hip remains stable!
- Roll up again by stretching the arm upwards.
- And roll up again.
- Do 10 repetitions and 3 passes.
Crunches train the torso
Difficulty: medium
Do you know crunches? They're like sit ups, except you don't have to lift your body as far.
- Lie on your back. Put your legs up. Beginners can tuck the feet by the sofa, then it's a little easier.
- Place the hands on the back of the head. The elbows point outward.
- Lift the head and shoulders off the mat. The back remains on the mat.
- Lower your head again. But do not put it down. And up again.
- Do 12 repetitions and 3 passes.
Sit ups or crunches - Which is more effective?
Planks on the exercise ball
Difficulty: medium
If simple planks are too easy for you and you notice that you are no longer making any progress when training your torso, then you can turn to aids. A wonderful option is an exercise ball.
- Put the ball down in front of you.
- Support yourself with your forearms on the ball.
- Your elbows will be under your shoulders.
- Tighten the abdomen and buttocks.
- The view is directed downwards.
- Hold the position 3x 30 seconds.
The farther together your right and left elbows are, the harder it is. So as a beginner, grip the ball wide rather than tight with your forearms.
Forearm circles with exercise ball
Difficulty: very difficult
This exercise is not suitable for beginners! You must already have a good basic tension in the trunk, so that you succeed.
- The starting position for this exercise is the plank on the exercise ball.
- Tighten your stomach, buttocks and legs.
- Now start circling the ball with your elbows.
- 12 rounds clockwise, 12 in the other direction. Total 3 repetitions.
Russian twist with exercise ball
Difficulty: hard
And finally, a difficult exercise, but mega effective for the abs.
- Sit on the exercise mat. Clamp the ball between your feet.
- Lean back and support yourself with your forearms.
- Legs in the air. Stretch them through as far as you can.
- Now lift the ball to the left. At the same time, your right leg turns up and the left leg turns down. Return to the center and then to the right side.
- The upper body always remains stable and does not rotate.
- 1x right and 1x left is one repetition. Do 12 repetitions and a total of 3 passes.
How is the hull constructed?
Very roughly speaking, the trunk consists of the abdominal and back muscles.
The back muscles and the abdominal muscles complement each other. They need each other. So if you have a trained abdomen, you must also pay attention to the back.
The deep abdominal muscles stabilize your spine.
In this context, we also speak in simplified terms of the straight, outer and inner abdominal muscles. And the transverse abdominal muscles.
Who wants to know exactly:
- Straight abdominal muscles
- Oblique abdominal muscles
- Transverse abdominal muscles (not visible)
- Trapezius muscle
- Latissimus
- Back Stretcher
- Hip flexor
- Gluteal muscles
- Diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles
You find the abdominal muscles between the spine and the pelvis. During movements, they are supplemented by the back muscles.
When these muscles work well together, you have a strong middle. The abdominal muscles stabilize and relieve pressure on the spine, help move the torso and pelvis, assist other muscles in breathing, and hold organs in place.
When we women train the torso, we usually mean the oblique abdominal muscles, because this is considered particularly sexy.
And then we also have the back muscles. They are very important for our upright gait. After all, our spine consists of 147 joints and needs a whole lot of muscles for movement.
When you do trunk exercises, you work all these muscles at the same time.
Our conclusion
If you strengthen your core, you do your whole body a favor. A strong core ensures that you don't get back pain and a hollow back. But it also helps you in everyday life. Give your abdomen and back a regular workout and improve your core stability.
Have fun with the training!
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