Exercise to activate the core

"In conclusion, to enhance neuromuscular activation of the superficial core muscles, standing exercises should be used instead of seated exercises, and unilateral exercises should be used instead of bilateral exercises."

Read the Abstract: European Journal of Applied Physiology

Six packs (the abdominal type) are very much "IN". I actually heard a group of tween girls saying that some boy would be even better looking if he had a six-pack? There is no shortage of books, ebooks, infomercials,etc that claim to hold the secret to a slimmer waist and six-pack abs. The truth is everyone has a six pack! What do you think allows you to exist in an upright posture, walk, bend-over, etc... The issue isn't as much building muscle but shedding the fat so you can see them.
Firming up the core muscles (abdominal, obliques, glutes) is important for joint stability including the back and hips. In his book Ultimate Back Fitness And Performance,4th Ed. Stuart McGill, PhD reports that amnesic butt muscles are the key deficiency causing the growing number hip, knee and back surgeries. The primary cause being our Sedentary lifestyles.
How do we go about strengthening our Core? Sit-ups? Nope, even the military has seen the light and eliminated sit-ups from physical training. Should we use a Swiss ball? The only advantage of any implement is diversity which for some increases consistency. Otherwise, bending the spine forward actually increases risk of back pain and doesn't functionally work the core muscles.
There are many ways to increase the strength of the core but as the study found, standing, unilateral movements activated more core musculature than seated and bilateral movements.

I personally have found that resistance training in a slow deliberate manner requires a great amount of core activation. I rarely do any abdominal work but frequently have soreness after my regular training sessions.
To visualize my six-pack or eight pack, my body fat must be 10% or below. To attain that level of BF you must diet.
So, in our quest for the perfect body we can at least cut down or eliminate abdominal exercises from the to-do list.

Dr David Marcon
Work Smarter Not Harder!
www.drdavidmarcon.com