https://www.redbulletin.com/uk/en/sports/atherton-improve-your-riding

Turkish get ups are good, didn’t know what the name was.

I try to do sit ups, but by the time I get on my back and ready I fall asleep 😳

TGU’s are a lot harder than they look!

I would NOT be doing deadlifts or good mornings until you have confidence that the core is strong and your back isn’t going to pop.

Your back will ‘pop’ if you don’t lift with proper form and you slack on your breathing or fail to keep everything nice and tight. Lifting stupid weights before you’re ready will also stuff you but most will be okay if they record their form from all angles. Same with the bent over row or any weight lifting exercise; form is everything.

You could do a lot worse than have a look at Rippetoe’s Starting Strength if you doubt the deadlift, squat, row and various press moves ability to basically exercise all major muscle groups. Claiming it’ll stuff your back if your core isn’t developed is just scare mongering IMO.

A qualified coach worth anything at all would not put someone with back problems straight into DLs and squats without some assessment and very likely core strengthening first.

A qualified coach

I doubt anyone commenting on this thread is a qualified coach.

No, but as someone with back problems who has worked with quite a few qualified coaches and physiotherapists, I’m pretty confident in my statement.

Likewise. I suffered from a bad back and improved it with the Rippetoe program. Horses for afters or whatever the saying is…

A qualified coach worth anything at all would not put someone with back problems straight into DLs and squats without some assessment and very likely core strengthening first.

Are you seriously saying they wouldn’t let someone put an empty 20kg bar on their back for a squat or use 5kg bumpers for a 30kg deadlift if they thought they had a weak core? That’s an eye-opener to me (I’m neither qualified nor have any experience with physios etc). How does this person go about their daily life? Are they banned from using back packs, picking up shopping etc?

These are genuine questions btw. Were you talking more about people with serious back injury and not just feeling like they need to improve core strength like the OP?

Press ups with your feet on a exercise ball. The Dorsal raise is seriously bad for people with existing lower back problems.

The Dorsal raise is seriously bad for people with existing lower back problems.

Why is that?

1. Yoga – effective at building core strength for several thousand years so far!
2. Don’t just do one exercise, you’ll unbalance your core and possibly cause injury – your core has a front, a back and 2 sides!
3. Just pay for a personal trainer or physio for a couple of sessions – get someone qualified to assess you and make recommendations depending on your personal areas of weakness
4. Enjoy. You’ll be amazed at the effect is has on your speed and power…

Ride a singlespeed up hills.

You get to go cycling while exercising, so what’s not to like?

You can up the intensity by either trying to go faster or use a higher gear.

You can up the intensity by either trying to go faster or use a higher gear.

Just like a regular bike with gears then 🙂

Kettlebell swings (or variations of).

walking, and lots of it. Evolutionarily speaking it’s what we are supposed to do with our bodies. The other stuff people have mentioned will work too but i find exercise regimes are hard to stick to for the rest of my life but walking is something we do anyway so you just need to make a small change in lifestyle and do a little more. Good luck.

Are you seriously saying they wouldn’t let someone put an empty 20kg bar on their back for a squat or use 5kg bumpers for a 30kg deadlift if they thought they had a weak core?

Do you seriously think that an empty bar deadlift or squat are the best exercises someone could do to strengthen their core?

Plank, Yoga, Sanchin Kata (Goju Ryu Karate done in tension)

Since every other exercise under the sun has been mentioned I’m going to say take up climbing. Oh and try and spend more time walking around.

Walking is a great way to keep everything working fine and dandy.

empty bar deadlift

How does that work, then…?

In one of Macavity’s links up there Rachel Atherton is talking about stretching; when and for how long. It’s possibly a bit too much for the average active individual but I reckon the key to reducing a lot of aches and pains and especially muscular back pains is regular and focused stretching and soft tissue work – roller/ball/massage etc – coupled with a basic understanding of where everything is and how it connects. The internet is great for images of the human body without its skin and where various trigger points are for sorting knots. I personally find it beneficial for self-diagnosis and treatment.

As above in a few posts – yoga postures or similar and focused stretching is always going to help. With a bit of walking thrown in, obviously… 🙂

Rock Climbing
Gymnastics
Vigorous Futterwhacking

empty bar deadlift

How does that work, then…?[/quote]

a bit like the imaginary bar deadlift, but with a bar

http://www.simplebackpain.com/the-worst-abs-exercises.html#axzz3zrydtUgj

When Is Doing the Plank Dangerous?

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/12/05/5-plank-benefits.aspx

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3030983/The-ultra-competitive-exercise-fad-ruin-health-called-planking-suddenly-sweeping-gyms-Pilates-classes.html

Yoga, core…here you go…part of quite a good series I find.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/15-minute-yoga-routine-build-core-strength-2016.html

@gotama…that sequence was looking very acceptable until the spider planks…then it was like woaaaaa that’ll break me!!!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=olympic++rings&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aolympic++rings

These should do it 🙂

Then start your front lever progressions from the basics. Rock solid core after 2 x 45 minute sessions for about 8 weeks.
Up to you if you continue on to full levers, but it is addictive.