Core training first?

good answers, all

Glad that I stumbled upon this. There is some good info in here!

I realize there is no such thing as "Spot training", but I like confirmation on things I am doing right and it sounds like I am...

Edited by: TIREDOFWORKING at: 8/5/2010 (15:21)

Thank you all for the good information. I think I will continue on the path of the workout schedule that I wrote out there earlier and hit every body part throughout the week cause I love lifting the weights.

my philosophy is never ignore a body part. work everything.

if you feel you need to build up your core,do that but don't forget everything else in the process.

I always work what I feel are my weakest body parts or those I am trying to grow (this would be my legs and shoulders) twice a week.

If you want you can get a look at my page to see my split for ideas in the right hand side, but really I think all you'd have to do is add another day of core. Maybe on arm day, since that's usually a shorter day for me. It doesn't have to be your "big" core day, but you could toss a few exercises that you feel weak on in for strengthening purposes.

Strengthening your core would help to prevent injury to your lower back. I can see the benefit of working the core first for a few weeks before moving on to heavy weights with the rest.

Sorry I should have also put why the core training too, cause the core training part is because when I was doing some planks my back was starting to hurt. Maybe it is because my form was bad, I really don't know. So would it be a good idea to start doing more of the core workout to strengthen my core/midsection so that when I do weight train I will be better stablized? What I was doing for the isolation type was

Mon - Chest and Back - Cardio
Tue - Bi's and Tri's - Cardio
Wed - Legs - Some Cardio
Thur - rest
Fri - Shoulder and little Back - Cardio
Sat - Core Workout - Cardio
Sun - Rest

So I am not trying to really "spot train" my midsection just get it more strengthened, I guess. In all of those areas I have improved. Just to toot my own horn I have never been able to do 2 plates (225lbs)bench press before and was able to get it up twice. So am I on the right path then?

Roc, it doesn't really matter. Just work out, and work out ALL of you!

The best thing you can do for your midsection is watch your diet. You can have the best abs in the world, but if they are hidden under a layer of fat no one's going to see them.

Cardio will also help to burn fat. You can't "spot train". You CAN work a particular body part, but you can't make fat come off of one area faster than another by training a particular way, unfortunately. Fat will come off in whatever order the body wants to take it off, which is usually the exact opposite order of how YOU'D prefer it come off, I've found.

So sad, but true.

one of the most common myths is that you work a certain area and it all tightens up and the fat will shrink, but the reality is you could already have rock hard abs under a layer of fat. you can do all the ab exercizes in the world and it won't take that fat away from just the target area.

Now I am curious about something. I love weight training but I am told that I should concentrate on my core now first before I get to lifting heavy weights is this something that I/we should be doing? I am sitting down all day at work in front of a computer so my mid-section is...loose....now I really want to lose this fat before I start packing on a lot of muscle and I really don't want to lose any muscle either. What would be the best way to go about this then? I have changed my eating too and lost about 10lbs in 3 weeks now, so I am getting this portion under control now. Do I try to focus more on a full body workout and do cardio or do I stay with targeting isolated muscle groups plus the cardio?

If you want any other info about anything that I am doing just ask a question and I will answer it so I can tell if I am doing anything right or wrong. Basically this week I started to try and find some good core workouts to strengthen up that area.

Thanks for taking the time to look at this too.