Bench Press

When was the last time you did 500 reps of abs/core?

Sounds a lot, I know. Never? Cannot remember? How about getting started with 50 and add 5-10 a day or every two days? Break reps down thru the day if needed. Regain and strengthen your core. Why? Keep reading.

Several years ago, I did 250 reps of core/abs, first thing out of bed, for a couple of weeks before I went to trip. On Thursday, prescribed workout was purely sprinting. That’s not my body cup of tea—my motto is protect my body parts for longevity and knees and hips wouldn’t be happy! Thus, I decided I was going to do one rep max of bench presses and core.

Stopped presses at 95 lbs then decided to give 500 reps of abs a try. Twenty sets of 25 reps of different movements including ab-mat sit-ups, bicycles, crunches, leg lifts, leg crosses, bridges, Russian twists, and a few personal creations without names  🙂 

23:25 minutes later, including short breaks between, I was done. That was a little over 21 reps/minute. Some sets took me longer than others (bicycles, twists, crosses were 50 for 25/side). Since I had no baseline to compare to, I am happy with the results. Baseline is set for next time. 

Remember core muscles provide stability, power, balance, and lower risk of injuries.

EVERY exercise performed, especially when standing versus machines, should engage abs. Always ask yourself whether you’re engaging the core muscles during a movement. If you are not, get a trainer to help you because you could be easily overusing other muscles, including our back! I am available to help  😛 

Find a here an article from the Mayo Clinic and another from Harvard for greater knowledge and motivation to get started.

It will be a beautiful day in Atlanta. Hope wherever you are, you can go outside for fresh air and move your fanny.