We spoke with Bodyweight Master Trainer and Founder of Hustl, Alexz Parvi, to give us her top tips for training your core.

What if I was to tell you there is even more reason to train your core outside of wanting those toned abs, and defined muscles? Arguably the most desired area to strengthen, your core muscles hold a greater importance in your overall body composition than you think.

It is normal to get excited about the aesthetic goals of training our muscles, but it is equally important to understand the not so obvious benefits, being your core is the main point of stability for your entire body.

Humour me for just one second, but if I was to refer to our bodies as trees, our core would be our trunks and our limbs would be our branches. Without a strong, mobile & fully functioning core, our limbs would not be able to function at their optimum capacity. Taking the time to incorporate different core strengthening exercises into your normal training routine, you will also be contributing to your body's overall posture, strength, and stability.

I feel we often over complicate exercises and overlook some of the most effective ones. For your core, believe it or not, variety isn’t always better. Your core, being the trunk of your body, loves consistency. I believe that the two most, underrated & effective core exercises are:

Plank

Yep! I know it’s not fancy, but I promise it is super effective. Planks are a full body exercise that require your core to engage as well as all your stabilising muscles helping you improve your posture, mobility, and stability. I like to think of Planks as the “Perfect Package”. They are simple and effective and if you are someone that loves variety there are hundreds of Plank variations you can incorporate into your training to keep it interesting

Bicycle

It’s another oldie but I promise it’s a goodie. There is a reason these exercises have been around forever and it’s because - they work! The Bicycle Crunch, also known as the Air Bicycle, is one of my favourite core exercises to really create that deep muscle burn. It targets all those dominant core muscles as well as your Transverse Abdominis which is one of the harder core muscles to work. There are dozens of different variations you can add into your Bicycle Crunch to keep your workouts more dynamic.

Alongside my two favourite exercises, I want to leave you with one more tool under your belt (pun intended). To bring it all together, with a consistent, core focused training routine, balanced with a healthy diet, you can, to top it all off, wear our Amy Leggings on those core specific training days for added support. Trust me, you will thank me later!