Why work your abs and back separately when you can get the job done in a single workout? Trainers say the two go hand-in-hand in creating a super-strong core. Aside from building up your muscles,
including back exercises in your core work also prevents any imbalances from happening, which can result in low back pain and other not-so-fun issues. And you'll certainly get the best of both worlds in the latest episode of
Good Moves.
No muscle gets left behind in Keoni Hudoba's 15-minute core and back workout. "I like working my back and core to keep my midsection nice and strong," he says. After a quick warm-up of jumping jacks to plank jacks, you move through a series of exercises that strengthen and provide a cardio boost at the same time. Take the "W Squeeze" combo, for example. After lying on your belly and lifting your legs and arms so that your arms are in a "W" shape (which engages your back muscles!), you'll push up and perform a mountain climber. There's also the high plank with leg and arm raises, which test your strength and balance, all at once.
Experts In This Article
- Keoni Hudoba, NYC-based trainer and co-founder and creator of Cyc Fitness
Aside from the bodyweight-only exercises, you also work your core and back with a heavy weight. Hudoba used a 30-pound dumbbell ($69), but start with a weight that's comfortable for you. With that weight, you'll be doing exercises like eccentric rows and row to planks. And, to really fire up your core, there's also one minute straight of jackknifes, which is anything but easy when you're working with that heavy of a dumbbell. "We challenge our body and we challenge our mind," he says. "Movement is medicine." Press play on the video above to try the 15-minute core and back workout for yourself.
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