How Cables Can Work Your Core

When most people grab one of the cables machines in the gym they do so to hit their arms or chest muscles. The fact is cable exercises for your core can also provide some of the greatest exercise benefits of all. One fantastic advantage with cables is because cables don't have a singular plane of motion and can move in any direction you choose, they are a great complement to any athletic exercise training program.

Below are just five of the many exercises that you can do with cables to experience the phenomenal core workout.

Half Kneeling Cable Rotations - any type of twisting motion will provide an excellent core workout and kneeling cable rotations are one of the best. Simply start out by getting down on one knee while keeping the other knee up like your were doing a proposal of marriage. Make sure your back is to the weight stack and grab the cable in both hands holding it to one side about chest high between your waist and your shoulders. Then simply twist your body away from the side that you are holding the cable handle on until you have performed at least half a rotation and then slowly stop and go back to the starting position. This exercise will work your entire abdominal and lower back region while also bringing into play lower body stabilizers of the pelvic hip complex.

Standing Cable Rotations - this is a simple variation of the movement above where you will be standing instead of kneeling. Standing cable rotations will allow you to position the handle at higher or lower heights to hit different areas of your core. Keep in mind to do these exercises in the slow and controlled pace to avoid injury.

Cable Crunches - perhaps my favorite type of crunch of all that I have tried is the basic cable crunch. Getting on your knees in a tuck position and while grabbing the cable with rope handle attachment overhead, simply lower yourself into a crunch position while holding the handles on each side of your head. Crunch your body down straight or with a twist ,bringing your chin almost to your knees and then returned to the starting position for required repetitions

Weighted Cable Ball Crunch - for this exercise you will need to use an exercise ball. Position the ball in front of the weight stack and lay back across the top of the ball cautiously, while grabbing the cable handles that are connected in a lower position. Keeping your arms bent at the elbow simply curl your shoulders and chest upwards away from the weight stack while lifting the weight. Slowly lower your upper body until you reach the starting position. While lying on the stability ball, your core will have to work even harder as you challenge yourself to stabilize the body during this more difficult core workout providing even greater benefits for this core strengthening movement.

WoodChoppers - woodchoppers are one exercise that does a really effective job of hitting the entire core. Standing with your back against the weight plates, hold one handle with both hands on your side against your hip. In one smooth motion, twister abdominals so your hands move in a diagonal pattern from the lower side of your body to high above your head on the opposite side of your body. Make sure your abdominals and lower back do all of the twisting and that you're not pulling with your arms or shoulders.

So the next time you're in the gym, grab a pair of the handles on a cable machine and perform the exercises above in succession for an intense and extremely effective core workout.