Core stabilization: the best exercises for runners, swimmers, cyclists, triathletes

It's time again for torso stabilization exercises - "Stabi" for short. This unpopular form of training is all too willingly neglected, since on the one hand it mercilessly shows weaknesses in body statics. On the other hand, every minute of training is invested in the kilometers covered when swimming, cycling or running: "After all, stabilizers don't make me faster". Not even close! You benefit in every discipline from a well-developed trunk stability and in the end you are significantly faster with the same endurance performance .

• good basic tension and a stable core improves your position in the water and helps you to swim much more efficiently
• on the bike you relieve your neck, shoulders and wrists and you can bring greater power potential to the pedal through improved muscular chaining
• when running, you keep an upright position, bend less in the hips and can implement a more efficient running style over a longer period of time.

Our trainer Stephan will show you the best core stabilization exercises in our large stabilization series, which will really help you in the long term. All you need is a mat and some space. Let's start with the first series of exercises.

Plank I

The classic. In the basic static position forward, the body is supported on the forearms and the tips of the toes, the body forms a straight line. With this exercise you activate almost the entire core musculature, pure body tension. Hold this exercise for at least 30 seconds.

Plank II

A modification of the plank exercise with an additional dynamic movement: alternately lift one leg off the floor, briefly touch the heel of the other foot with the tip of your foot and then put the leg down again. It is essential to continue to pay attention to the stability in the middle of your body. 6 - 12 repetitions per side.

Plank III

Again, changing the basic posture with dynamic movement: alternately push yourself out of the plank into the push-up position and then go back to the plank. Again, it's important to maintain tension as you perform the movement and keep your body straight (no twisting, bending, or dropping your hips). 5 - 10 repetitions per side.

Beetle

The beetle is an exercise for the abdominal muscles and resembles a beetle lying on its back due to the opposite arm and leg movements. Starting position Lie on your back: left arm and right leg are stretched out, right arm and left leg are close to the body or bent (see series of pictures). Execution of movement: Arms and legs are now moved simultaneously into the opposite position up to the mirror-inverted starting position. You'll find that it takes practice to coordinate arms and legs at the same time. Perform the movement smoothly one after the other, so that you always work diagonally. 15 - 30 repetitions.

super man

This exercise also owes its name to the posture. Starting position on all fours: stretch your right arm forward and your left leg backwards - stretch yourself as long as possible, build up tension over the entire length. Hold the position for 10-15 seconds. Then switch to a dynamic movement: release the stretch and bring your knees and elbows together under the body, then go back to full stretch. Make sure you have a stable hold and perform the movement smoothly 10 - 15 times in a row. Then change sides.

Lift a leg

Stay on all fours for this exercise. For the starting position: raise one leg, thigh horizontal, lower leg vertically upwards. Execution of the movement: "push" the lower leg straight up towards the ceiling. Always keep the soles of your feet horizontal and initiate the movement from your lower back or glutes. Lower the leg and repeat the thrusting motion 8-12 times. Then change sides.

arm circles in prone position

With this exercise you bring tension into your entire back muscles and use the entire range of motion of your shoulder joint. Starting position: Lie on your stomach: your arms are stretched out in front of you, your palms hovering a few centimeters above the floor. Stretch as long as you can and hold this basic position for a few seconds. Then start with large arm circles by leading the stretched arms in a wide arc behind the body (the hands can touch above the buttocks). Swing your stretched arms back to the starting position. 8 - 12 repetitions.

freestyle swimming

Stay prone. In this exercise, the arms are held alternately close to the body. Starting position: one arm is stretched out from the body, the other arm is stretched out. Now both arms are moved in opposite directions - similar to the crawler arm movement. Very important: 1. tight arm movement on the body and 2. stable upper body, no snaking movement. This exercise shows you very well how negatively limited shoulder mobility can affect the stability of the water position. Exercise suggestion: 15 - 20 arm strokes per side.

side plank I

This exercise is advanced level stability. The lateral forearm support primarily addresses the lateral trunk muscles and is more demanding than the forward support variant. Starting position: Lie on your side and support yourself on your forearm and the outer edge of your foot. Push the hips up so that the body is in a straight line. Stretch your relaxed arm up and hold this position for 10-20 seconds. Also make sure that you don't tilt your hips backwards and stay straight in this axis.

side plank II

Stability expert mode! Here, too, you can increase the degree of difficulty by spreading your upper leg upwards from the basic position and thus properly challenging the abductors. You can do this exercise statically (keep your leg up) or dynamically (raise, lower).

Enjoy the training!

You can find more exercises here: