Popular Core Exercises | Should You Spank Your Plank?

Popular core exercises are not necessary the best core exercises. What are? Inside this episode.

Martina Young is a doctor of physical therapy with over 14 years of experience in manual therapy. She has competed as a top tier amateur triathlete for ten years. She is in her 40s and has two daughters who inspire her daily. She likes to challenge fitness fads because they are not always based on most current evidence. She understands personally how to optimize training programs for the active population as well as high level, Olympic-caliber athletes.

She’s here to talk specifically about the core: what is core, how it works and when. What popular core exercises might need re-examining. She will explain the three cornerstones of core training and address the questions regarding the ever-present flat belly chase. She will address the (non) effectiveness of popular core exercises and talk about better ones. Her unique method focuses on mobility assessment, which is the holy grail of clues for injury prevention and physical self care.

Questions we answer in this episode:

Let’s start at the beginning. What is core?
If you had to say based on popular culture – from gyms to YouTube to core classes – what’s the least effective popular core exercises that gives you the most concern?
What’s your opinion of sit-ups and crunches?
What’s your opinion of planks as a primary core exercise?
What’s the fast track to better planks? What popular core exercises should listeners be doing?
What’s the risk of injury in doing poor exercises, or good exercises poorly?
What is core initiation?
What is core endurance?
What is core strength?