Core warm-ups?

[Kathryn]

I'm doing a Supreme 90 rotation, and the workouts all have a warm-up that starts with core moves. Seems to me I read something about that a ways back (from the organization that Tracey Long trained with, and the name of which I forget).

Anybody have any info on core work as a warm-up and the benefits of it?

[RedPanda]

Maybe this is yet another area where the experts disagree? At the beginning of X-Treme Abs, Jackie Warner says, "we always warm up the core", but at the beginning of Iso Abs, Tony Horton says, "How do we warm up the core? We don't!" and launches straight into the routine.

I never warm up my core, unless there's a warmup on the DVD, and I can't say it's made a difference either way.

[toaster]

I don't know any science behind it, but I kind of like focusing on the core as a warm-up. I've been known to use Pilates to warm-up for yoga, and more recently, I've occasionally used the Core Floor segment from V-Core to warm-up for a cardio or strength DVD when I don't like the included warm-up routine. To me, it just kind of feels like a warm-up focused on the core actually tends to get the blood flowing to the entire body.

The only "expert" on this I can think of is in the original Ripped, when Jari asks one of her background exercises, Terry, how often he works his abs--he replies something like 3-4x per week, but "only as a warm-up."

[KathAL79]

I've done quick Pilates segments as warm-ups before, and personally I kind of like it, because it forces me to focus right away on properly engaging and moving from my core. I find I also get kind of warm, too.

I've seen a couple of programs begin with corework, like Rachel Cosgrove's The Female Body Breakthrough and some of the workouts I glanced at in the New Rules of Lifting for Abs. The reason seem to be that they want to focus on developing strength (although in other programs it may be more about the abs' appearance), so they do it first when you're not tired. Of course, the result is that you start to fatigue your core muscles, so depending upon what you're doing after this may not be the best idea.

[Kathryn]

I did a little Googling and found this: http://www.coreperformance.com/knowl...r-warm-up.html

I have a feeling the people who developed S90 are familiar with "Core Performance".

[ldy_solana]

i do overall joint mobility warm ups anyway, really no matter my workout. i just feel better after doing i and a little more energized and focused on my workouts. that is just my personal preference though. since core using back muscles i want to make sure my lower back is warm and flexible before jumping into strength moves.