No Equipment Core Strength Exercises
Body weight exercises are very effective for developing core strength. They are also the type of exercises many athletes and coaches rely on for regular core training.
They include:
● Abdominal Bracing
● The Plank Abdominal Exercise
● Plank with Leg Lift
● Plank with Arm Lift
● Modified Plank with Leg Lift
● Push Up
● Stability Ball Push Up
● V-Sit Abdominal Exercise
● Bridge Exercise
● Single Leg Bridge Exercise
● Lunge with Twist
● Hip Lift
● Seated Oblique Twist with Medicine Ball
● Lunge with Twist
● Alternating Superman Core Exercise

Abdominal Bracing
This is the main technique used during core exercise training. It refers to the contraction of the of the abdominal muscles. To correctly brace, you should attempt to pull your navel back in toward your spine. This action primarily recruits transverse abdominus. Be careful not to hold your breath - you should be able to breathe evenly while bracing.

The Plank Abdominal Exercise
The basic plank exercise, also called a hover, is the starting place if you want to improve your core strength and stability. Here's how to do it right.

● Begin in the plank position (see photo 1) with your forearms and toes on the floor.
● Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending.
● Your head is relaxed and you should be looking at the floor.
● Hold this position for 10 seconds to start.
● Over time work up to 30, 45 or 60 seconds.


Plank with Leg Lift
Start in the same plank position (photo 1) as above with your forearms and toes on the floor.
● Slowly raise one leg 5-8 inches off the floor (photo 2)
● Count to two and slowly lower your leg to the floor.
● Switch legs and repeat.
● Do about 2-3 sets of 10 reps.

Plank with Arm Lift
● Start in the same plank position (photo 1) as above.
● Carefully shift your weight to your right forearm.
● Extend your left arm straight out in front of you.
● Hold 3 seconds while keeping your core tight.
● Slowly bring your arm back to starting position.
● Switch arms and repeat.
● Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps.


Modified Plank with Leg Lift
Perform the movement on your hands, rather than your elbows will make this exercise a bit easier

Side Plank Hip Strengthening Exercise
● Begin by lying on your side on the floor.
● Position your elbow on the floor just under your shoulder.
● Lift up on that elbow and keep your body stiff from head to toe.
● Hold this position for a count of 10 and lower your hip to the floor.
● Rest and repeat three times.
● Switch sides and repeat the exercise on the other hip.
● You can increase the effect of this exercise by lifting the top leg up toward the ceiling. Repeat the leg lift 10 times slowly and return to the start position.
● If you prefer, you can do these exercises on a hand rather than an elbow.


How to Do a Perfect Push Up
● Get on the floor and position your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
● Raise up onto your toes so you are balanced on your hands and toes.
● Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe without sagging in the middle or arching your back.
● Your feet can be close together or a bit wider depending upon what is most comfortable for you.
● Before you begin any movement, contract your abs and tighten your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine.
● Keep a tight core throughout the entire push up.
● Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
● Exhale as you begin pushing back up to the start position
● Don't lock out the elbows; keep them slightly bent.
● Repeat for as many repetitions as your workout routine requires.

Stability Ball Push Up Technique
● Lay with your chest on the stability ball
● Place your hands at the sides of your chest.
● Place your toes on the floor, legs straight.
● Push your body up until your arms are almost

V-Sit Abdominal Exercise
How to Do It
● Begin in a seated position, contract your abdominal muscles and core, and lift your legs up to a 45-degree angle.
● Reach your arms straight forward or reach up toward your shins as you are able.
● Maintain good core posture and a strong spine.
● Hold this "V" position for several seconds to begin. As you get stronger, hold the position longer.
● Return to your starting position slowly.
● Just before you reach the floor, stop and hold the position for a few seconds.
● Repeat this entire movement several times.

Bridge Exercise
● Lay on your back with your hands by your sides, your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
● Make sure your feet are under your knees.
● Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles.
● Raise your hips up to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders.
● Squeeze your core and try to pull your belly button back toward your spine.
● If your hips sag or drop, lower yourself back on the floor.
● The goal is to maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your knees and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. You may need to begin by holding the bridge position for a few seconds as you build your strength. It's better to hold the correct position for a shorter time than to go longer in the incorrect position.


Single Leg Bridge Exercise
● Lay on your back with your hands by your sides, your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Make sure your feet are under your knees.
● Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles.
● Raise your hips up to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders.
● Squeeze your core and try to pull your belly button back toward your spine.
● Slowly raise and extend one leg while keeping your pelvis raised and level. If your hips sag or drop, place the leg back on the floor and do a double leg bridge until you become stronger.

The goal is to maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your extended leg and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. You may need to begin by holding this bridge position for a few seconds and switching sides. It's better to hold the correct position for a shorter time than to go longer in the incorrect position.

Hip Lift
Begin by lying on your back with your arms by your sides, palms facing up.
Raise your legs so they are straight up toward the ceiling and perpendicular to your torso.
Pull your navel toward your spine and lift your hips a few inches off the floor, keeping your legs pointed straight up.
Then slowly lower your hips back to the floor.

Seated Oblique Twist with Medicine Ball
Seated oblique twists with medicine ball, sometimes called a Russian Twist, is a very effective exercise for strengthening the abdominal muscles.

How to do it right:
● Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
● Contract your abs and sit at about a 45 degrees angle.
● Hold a medicine with both hands directly in front of you
● Contracting your abs, twist slowly from your torso to your right and touch the medicine ball to the floor beside you.
● Quickly, but smoothly, contract your abs and twist your torso and touch the medicine ball to the other side.
● Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Lunge with Twist
Using this type of stability exercise isolates your quads and hamstrings with the lunge motion; adding the twisting motion (with or without added weight) causes your glutes to contract more fully while it engages your core. It's also a great way to challenge your balance and engage muscles that are used while performing any exercise your perform one leg at a time, such as running, cross country skiing, and even cycling.
You can also use this as a warm-up exercise to get blood flow to many muscles at one time.

How to Do It
The Lunge with Twist Exercise:
● Stand with feet about shoulder width apart.
● Hold a medicine ball (optional) in front of you with elbows bent about 90 degrees. You may want to begin this exercise with no weight and build up your strength over time.
● Step forward with your left foot into a lunge position.
● Be sure to keep your left knee over your left foot; don't twist at the knee.
● From your torso, twist your upper body to the left. Then, reach across your left side with your arms out-stretched. (Think of pointing to the left from your belly button).
● Maintain a slow and controlled movement throughout the exercise.
● Slowly return your arms to center and step back from the lunge to an upright position.
● Repeat the movement to the other side.
● Perform 5 to 10 times on each side. Complete 2 sets.

Advanced The Lunge with Twist:
● Because shoes offer additional support, you can increase the difficulty of this exercise by performing it barefoot. This engages the small muscles of the foot and ankle that stabilize the ankle and maintain balance.
● Turn this into a Walking Lunge with Twist by performing the exercise as you walk forward 10 steps.
● Do 2 sets.

How to Do the Alternating Superman Core Exercise
● Lie face down on a mat with your arms stretched above your head (like superman)
● Raise your right arm and left leg about 5-6 inches off the ground (or as far as you comfortably can).
● Hold for 3 seconds and relax.

Target Heart Rate!!

Q: What is heart rate?
A: Heart rate is the number of heart beats per minute; the times per minute that the heart contracts.
Q: What is average heart rate?
A: The average of heart rates measured during an exercise period.

Q: What is recovery heart rate?
A: This is the heart rate that our body will decrease to after an exercise session. For example, you exercise for a 1/2 hour at 155. Two minutes after you stop exercising, your heart rate decreases to 95. The 95 would be your recovery heart rate. It is used to evaluate your fitness level after exercise. It is good to set a two minute time frame and see how many beats you recover in that time frame. Compare this recover heart rate between exercise sessions.

Q: What is resting heart rate?
A: Resting heart rate (Resting HR) is the number of beats in one minute when you are at complete rest. Your resting heart rate indicates your basic fitness level. The more well-conditioned your body, the less effort and fewer beats per minute it takes your heart to pump blood to your body at rest.

Q: How do I determine Morning Resting Heart Rate?
A: Immediately after awakening and before you get out of bed, measure your heart rate using your heart rate monitor or from the palpitating pulse from artery, counting the beats for 15 seconds and multiplying by four. You can sleep with your heart rate monitor on and in the morning read it first thing. Be aware of the fact that, if your bladder is full in the morning, you didn't sleep well, or you're feeling stressed, you might have a slightly elevated resting heart rate. Take these measurements for five consecutive days and find the average. This average is your actual resting heart rate. Resting heart rate is dependent on your living habits and a number of factors such as quality of sleep, stress level, and eating habits.

Q: What is maximum heart rate?
A: Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR) is the highest number of times your heart can contract in one minute. Max HR is the most useful tool to be used in determining training intensities, because it can be individually measured or predicted.

Q: How to determine maximum heart rate?
A: You can define your maximum heart rate by

1) having it measured in an exercise test

2) using age-predicted maximum heart rate formulas.

1) Measured Max HR

The most accurate way of determining your individual maximum heart rate is to have it clinically tested (usually by treadmill stress testing) by a cardiologist or exercise physiologist. You can also measure it in field conditions supervised by an experienced coach. If you are over the age of 35, overweight, have been sedentary for several years, or have a history of heart disease in your family, clinical testing is recommended.

2) Predicted Maximum HR There is a mathematical formula that allows you to predict your Max HR with some accuracy. It is called the "age-adjusted formula". The age-adjusted Max HR formula can come in very handy when you're not prepared to pay for the physician-supervised stress test.

WOMEN: 226-your age = age-adjusted Max HR
MEN: 220-your age = age-adjusted Max HR

If you are a 30-year-old woman, your age-adjusted maximum heart rate is 226- 30 years = 196 bpm (beats per minute).

These formulas apply only to adults. The generally accepted error in age-predicted formulas is + - 10-15 beats per minute, which is due to different inherited characteristics and exercise training.

You should remember that there may be some discrepancy when using the age-adjusted formula, especially for people who have been fit for many years or older people. The formula will give you a ballpark estimate to work from, but if you want to exercise/train at your most effective levels, your Max HR should be measured.

Q: What is the heart rate reserve?
A: Heart Rate Reserve is the difference between your Maximum Heart Rate and your Resting Heart Rate. If your maximum heart rate is 196 bpm (beats per minute) and your resting heart rate 63 bpm, your heart rate reserve is 196 bpm - 63 bpm = 133 bpm.

The greater the difference, the larger your heart rate reserve and the greater your range of potential training heart rate intensities.

Q: What is safety heart rate?
A: This is the heart rate that is prescribed for beginning exercises - whether a walker, runner, swimmer, snow shoer, or a participant in any aerobic activity. It is also the term used in some cardiac rehabilitation programs in which physicians prescribe moderate, supervised training for recovering heart attack patients. This range is usually 60% (or less) of the maximum heart rate and represents the least amount of stress you can place on your heart and still receive a beneficial exercise effect.

Q: What is Max VO2 heart rate?
A: This is the heart rate at which you hit your maximal oxygen uptake effort. On the average, you hit your Max VO2 HR at 95% of your Max HR.

Q: What is the anaerobic threshold?
A: The physiological point during exercise at which muscles start using up more oxygen than the body can transport, i.e. muscle work produces more lactic acid/lactate than the body can process.

Q: What is biofeedback?
A: Visual/numerical information on what is happening inside the body, for instance heart rate.

Q: What does ECG stand for?
A: It stands for electrocardiogram which is a unit that is used in the medical community to measure and analyze heart rate. The Polar heart rate monitors all have the same accuracy rating as the ECG machine.

Q: What is the target zone?
A: A target zone is a heart rate range that guides your workout by keeping your intensity level between an upper and lower heart rate limit. There are various target zones that are suggested for an individual to follow that correspond with a specific exercise goal. IE: Improved Fitness Zone 70-80% of Max Heart Rate.



Ideal For Benefit Desired Intensity Level (% Maximum heart rate)
Light Exercise Maintain Healthy Heart/Get Fit 50% - 60%
Weight Management Lose Weight/ Burn Fat 60% - 70%
Aerobic Base Building Increase Stamina Aerobic Endurance 70% - 80%
Optimal Conditioning Maintain Excellent Fitness Condition 80% - 90%
Elite Athlete Maintain Superb Athletic Condition 90% - 100%