The core of your body includes not only your abdominals, but your back and pelvic region as well. The reason why the best personal trainers in NYC often focus on strengthening these muscles is because every movement that you make throughout your lifetime will depend on strength in the core. Stronger core muscles reduce your risk of injuring your back or hips during every day activities, through exercise, or when participating in sports and other activities.

The following are the top 6 core exercises often used by personal trainers to strengthen the core.

1. Plank

Go into push up position with arms bent at 90 degrees and flat on the ground. Make sure arms are parallel to each other and shoulder width apart. Make sure your elbows are in line with shoulders and prevent your buttocks from pushing up toward the ceiling. Your weight should balance on your toes and arms with your body in one straight line. For an easier modified version some personal trainers may allow you to lower your knees to the ground.

2. Superman

Lie on your stomach with your legs together and arms stretched out above your head straight. Lift arms and legs all up together, arching your back to bring them up. Hold for a few seconds and then lower to the ground and repeat.

3. Swimmers

Lay face down on the floor and raise opposite arm and leg up at the same time. Hold for a few seconds then lower and repeat with the other arm and leg. Keep your head in a comfortable position and don’t strain to raise it with your limbs. Personal trainers will often combine this movement with the superman pose.

4. Ab Twists

Stand up straight and hold your arms out at your sides. You can also do this one holding a large exercise ball in your arms in front of you. Twist from the waist, bringing one arm all the way over to meet the other arm (second arm doesn’t move) and then rotate back in the other direction. If using a ball, simply twist it side to side with the movement coming from the waist. Your hips should remain stable throughout the movement.

5. Ball Crunches

You can do standard crunches on the floor, but it is a lot safer and more comfortable to perform them on an exercise ball. Lay across the ball to perform regular crunches with hands on your temples so that your don’t pull on your  neck. Focus on working your ab muscles.

6. Unstable Motions

Here’s a trick that personal trainers use but which most people never think of doing. You can build up strength in your core while strengthening other areas of the body if you stand on an unstable surface while doing it. For instance, you can do bicep curls with dumbbells while standing on a Bosu ball or push-ups with one arm up on a higher surface. These movements put your body off center and your core muscles will have to work to keep you stable.

These exercises should get you started toward your personal fitness goals, but there are many secrets of personal training that can only be discovered by working with a personal trainer. If you want to see real changes in your body in as little time as possible, consult with one of our top personal trainers at our private personal training gym in NYC for more info.

What are they doing in those fitness boot camps in New York City’s Central Park? Personal training is far different today than it was years in the past. Due to the tough economic times, some of the best personal trainers in NYC are now moving away from the typical one-on-one personal training format in favor of  less expensive group sessions.

Although you will be working in a group format you will still get the same results as you would from working in a private personal training gym in NYC. The only difference is the cost and lack of the personal one on one attention.

If you’re curious as to what fitness boot camps in Central Park NYC are all about, consider just a handful of moves often used to deliver tighter buns, toned arms, a strong core and the boost in confidence that often comes with those things!

Squat Cycles:

Squats are rather old school, but they remain a staple for personal training sessions because they are a great way to firm up the buns and thighs. You can do them in any leg position, but many personal trainers running fitness boot camps in Central Park put them into cycles utilizing different leg positions for maximum impact.

For instance, you may start out squatting with your legs together then jump your legs as wide apart as you can comfortably go for a plie squat, jumping them back together to end with another set of squats with your legs together.

Walking Lunges:

 Lunges are also used in our fitness boot camps in Central Park NYC to target the buns and thighs. You step one leg forward and bend both legs down toward the ground, raising back up and swinging the back leg out in front to squat down again. You keep going, often lunging your way across an open field or from a start point to a given end point.

Circuits:

Our top personal trainers at our  fitness boot camps in NYC make use of circuit movements that work the thighs, buns, arms, chest and many other muscles throughout the body one right after the other.

For instance, you may start with a set of push ups, followed by a set of walking lunges, followed by bicep curls and finish off with tricep extensions. Repeat this circuit 3 more times with minimal rest between sets. The theory behind this practice is that you  give rest to one area of the body while working another, all while still keeping the heart rate up. This is a very effective way to burn off more calories in a shorter period of time while toning those key areas. Our top personal trainers in NYC can put together an infinite variety of these circuits that can tighten and tone those areas of concern.

Bicycle Crunches:

 These are an effective form of crunches because they target the upper and lower abdominal muscles. You start in typical crunch position with your legs raised up, one out straight and one bent in toward the chest. As you crunch up you rotate the legs in and out as if pedaling a bike. Beginners can point their extended leg up to the ceiling, but the more you can lower it to point toward the wall the more intense the crunches will be.

Plank Position:

 This is a position that uses the core muscles to stabilize the entire body, so it is performed by reaching correct position and holding for at least 60 seconds, though some advanced participants in our fitness boot camps in Central Park NYC can do 2 minutes or more in this position. Plank position is basically a static push-up position. The only difference is that you’re on your forearms instead of your hands. You just have to make sure to keep your rear end down but not too much so that your body is completely straight as a plank. If you push up too much you will end up with your butt in the air, which is not as great for your core.

Our private personal training gym is located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas ( 6th Ave at 53rd st) New York City , NY 10019. But we can also come to your home for in-home personal training here in NYC.

You can can reach us at 212-255-5842 to schedule a trial session.

If you’re just starting out on your weight loss journey it is hard to imagine what could lie ahead for you. Trying to imagine yourself at your goal weight is a great exercise for motivation, but if you have a lot of weight to lose it can be difficult to really imagine yourself thin. Yet, with the help of a top personal trainer and a sharp focus on fat reduction, you will get there!

No matter what your reasons for hiring a personal trainer may be, here are some things you can look forward to on this journey:

 #1: Your self-confidence will increase.

One of the things personal trainers notice after working with a client for awhile is that they gradually become more confident in their abilities. One may walk in with their eyes to the floor on the first session but within a month they are walking with their head held high. That confidence comes from the sharp focus on reducing body fat which allows you to meet goals and prove to yourself what you are really capable of.

 #2: A change in how others perceive you.

If you have a lot of weight to lose, be prepared for the way other people perceive you to change. Members of the opposite sex will start to notice you more and your friends will be proud and simultaneously jealous. Those who thought you were a weak overweight person will start to think of you as a strong, new person. This part of the weight loss process can be a bit scary, but keep working with your personal trainer and keep that focus. Show the world what you are made of!

#3: Ease of movement throughout your daily life.

The work that you do with your personal trainers will make it much easier to move around in your daily life. For instance, sitting on the floor to play with your child will not leave you wondering how you will get back up. When you have to walk all day around an amusement park you won’t be out of breath, lacking in energy, or wishing you could just sit down for awhile. As you focus on eliminating the fat and improving cardiovascular fitness you will develop more lean muscle tone and your body will become more flexible. You will be able to move easily and your energy levels will increase.

#4: You will fit more comfortably into clothing of your choice.

Practically everyone who has a weight problem has dealt with circumstances where they couldn’t fit comfortably into clothing they really wanted to purchase. Shopping may be an uncomfortable experience for you right now, but it is something you may just love after working with a personal trainer for awhile. As you get closer to the weight your body really wants to be you will have a wider variety of clothing options and will not be held to purchasing what will fit. You will purchase what you want!

 #5: You will have less worry over disease.

One of the biggest reasons people hire a personal trainer is because they have been diagnosed as a diabetic or a doctor has told them to focus on fat reduction or otherwise they are headed for a serious disease. Your health is by far the most important reason to hire a personal trainer. They can help you drastically lower your chances of diabetes, heart disease, many forms of cancer, and a variety of other diseases.