orthopedic problems occur from a lack of core stabilization and strength. Our bodies were designed to
withstand many environmental conditions. The ability to stabilize our core musculature is vital to our
existence. Our ancient ancestors could not afford to have back pain. They needed to function on a basic level
that involved moving rocks, building shelter, climbing mountains or running after food. If they had a bad back
or poor core stabilization and strength, their likelihood of survival would have been deeply diminished.
Our core musculature contributes to vital functions within our bodies and allows us to perform simple to
complex tasks. Without good control or stabilization and a thorough understanding of what contributes to
core stabilization and strength we can fall prey to many of modern society's ailments. Low back pain is the number
one patient complaint in America.
Many problems and orthopedic injuries are a result of poor core stabilization and strength. Females appear to be at a
higher risk of suffering such injuries. Jame Zachazewki shows evidence of this in a study he conducted in 1996. He
discovered women have a lack of strength in the lower abdominals and pelvic floor muscles. He explained 47
percent of female's aged 38 and above, suffer from incontinence. However women who participated in a regular
weight-training program reduced the incidence of incontinence to only four percent. A weight-training
program enables the body to communicate better and increase strength and stabilization. Elderly women can
further benefit from a weight training program, which can improve balance, increase muscle mass, influence bone
density (osteoporosis) and the manage osteoarthritis.
If you would like more information on how weight training and core conditioning aids older, adolescent, and pregnant
or postpartum women just e-mail me at david@fit-zone.com
All of us must look at the functional anatomy of our core musculature. We need to understand the benefits a good core-
conditioning program can have on our livelihood. A core-conditioning program will decrease the likelihood of
back and neck pain, incontinence, ruptured disks, muscle and ligamentous strains, all while improving posture.
To begin understanding the complexity of our core and how it relates to overall function we must address the inner an
outer unit and how the works in harmony allowing us to function at a higher level.
A simple and brief anatomy lesson should assist you in understanding how these units work. The muscles involved
are broken down into separate but intertwined inner and outer units.
The Inner Unit
The inner unit provides the necessary joint stabilization for the spine. If the inner unit does not activate properly
our spine, pelvis and joint structures are placed under undue stress. This stress creates an atmosphere that leads
to many orthopedic injuries.
I first learned about the inner unit while reading the research by Richardson, Jull, Hodges and Hides. Upon
further reading the Pelvic Girdle by Diana Lee and articles by Paul Chek, I came to understand that the basic inner
unit consists of the transverse abdominis, mulitifus (or multifidus), pelvic floor and diaphragm. This research
shows the inner unit operates on a different neurological loop than other core muscles. The actual anatomy where
these muscles attach is not the theme of this article, however, you should have a good idea where these muscles
exist and what they do.
Transverse abdominis (TV) is the deepest, innermost layer of all abdominal muscles. Consider the TV as your body's
personal weight belt. When the TV contracts it causes hoop tension around your mid section like a girdle or
corset. Transverse abdominis will, if working properly, contract before the extremities will move, according to
Diana Lee. As you can see, if this muscle does not tighten up, acting as a girdle around your waist, the
stabilization of your spine and pelvis is at higher risk of injury.
If the spine is unstable the nervous system will not recruit the extremity muscles efficiently and assist
with functional movement correctly. For example: you bend over to pick up the laundry basket and your
transverse abdominis does not activate properly. This leads to all stabilization occurring at the segmental
level. This stress eventually leads to overload of the segmental (one-joint) stabilizers and POW! You have
massive low back pain. Again this occurs because the segments of your spine tighten down but the gross
stabilizer (transverse abdominis) does not leaving the segments to work on their own. They cannot provide
enough muscular strength at the segmental to withstand such a movement. Now can you imagine lifting weights,
a suitcase off the conveyor belt or reaching overhead to get down a box of heavy tapes?
When the TV does not work properly the joints will begin early degeneration leading to many orthopedic problems.
To activate the transverse abdominis draw your bellybutton up and in toward your spine. This activation
should be done before any bending over or reaching overhead, especially with heavy loads. A little trick is
to get a string and tie it around your waste at the bellybutton level. Draw your abdomen up and in toward
your spine has far you can, then let it out about three-quarters of the way and tie the string at that
point. It should be tight but really not noticeable. If your transverse abdominis relaxes and extends your
abdominal wall the string will tighten up and you will immediately get feedback.
The next muscle we must look at is the mulitifus (or multifidus). This muscle lies deep in the spine spanning
three joint segments. The mulitifus (or multifidus) works to provide joint stabilization at each segmental level.
Each vertebra needs stiffness and stability to work effectively to reduce degeneration of joint structures.
The pelvic floor is our next set of muscles, which spans the area underneath the pelvis. It is important for the
pelvic floor and the inner unit to work properly. In many cases, due to operations such as hernias,
hysterectomies and C-section childbirth, the inner unit muscles have been cut reducing communication to these
muscles. By doing simple yet important exercises we can re-establish communication, tighten and tone the muscle
group, prevent or diminish incontinence, leakage and pelvic dysfunction
Each of these three muscles, plus the diaphragm, is the target of inner unit conditioning. The basic exercises
to improve the inner unit activation are:
* Four point transverse abdominis tuck
* Horse stance series
* Heel slides
Four Point Transverse Abdominis Tuck
This exercise is great for isolating the transverse abdominis and re-connecting the musculature with the
nervous system and inner unit. To correctly accomplish the goals of the exercise we need to get on all fours
as though we're in a crawling position. Have your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your knees
directly underneath your hips. With good neutral posture position (using a dowel rod placed on your back
aligning the spine can provide good feedback of proper neutral posture) make sure the back of your head,
thoracic spine (what part of the spine is this?) and sacrum are in contact with the rod. The lumbar spine
should be arched just enough to slide the palm of your hand between your back and the dowel rode. Your
primary objective is to inhale and allow the transverse abdominis to hang out towards the floor,
on exhalation drawn the bellybutton towards the spine. Avoid any spinal movement during this exercise such as
contracting the gluteus, hamstrings or external rotators.
To get the most out of this exercise we want to draw the bellybutton in and hold for a count of 10, then relax
your abdominal region and let it hang towards the floor for a count of 10. Repeat this 10 seconds in and 10
seconds out for up to two minutes. Repeat this exercise two to four times per day. To assist you in this
exercise use a kitchen timer and set it for two minutes.
Horse Stance Series
The first part of the horse stance series is Horse Stance Vertical, which will integrate the mulitifus (or
multifidus) muscle of your spinal column with the other inner unit musculature. To accomplish this exercise
again get on all fours with your hands directly underneath your shoulders with your elbow slightly bent. Your knees
should be directly underneath your hips at a 90-degree angle. The exercise is then performed by raising your
left hand and right knee approximately one cm off the ground (about the height of the piece of paper). Hold this
position for 10 seconds and repeat with the right hand and left knee. Alternate back and forth until you have
done the exercise for a total of two minutes. Make sure to not allow the hamstring to flex the lower legs toward
the ceiling and that the pelvis does not load (shift) into the hip that is in contact with the ground. To
assist you in this exercise use a kitchen timer and set it for two minutes.
More advanced horse stance exercises are described on the inner unit web page.
Heel slides
Heel slides are a great integration exercise for the innerunit, lower abdominals and lower extremities (outer unit).
To perform the exercise correctly lay supine (back down) on the floor with your shoes off. In this position with
your hips and knees flexed (about eight inches from the buttocks) with your spine in neutral position. Place a
blood pressure cuff under your lumbar spine. Pump the blood pressure cuff up to 40-mm Hg and take deep
diaphragmatic breath. Slowly exhale and draw your belly button in toward your spine. After exhalation slowly
slide the left leg out away from the start position. No increase in blood pressure cuff is necessary. If the blood
pressure cuff begins to increase or decrease stop the movement and slide the leg back to the beginning position.
Make a note of the distance.
The distance is now you're ending point. The goal is to extend your leg farther out without the blood pressure
cuff changing. The farther you can go out, the better integration of the inner unit and outer unit. Repeat for
the opposite leg and try to achieve 10 reps at a slow pace for each leg. DO NOT RUSH THIS EXERCISE. Do this exercise
daily until you can alternate sliding each leg in and out keeping the blood pressure cuff at 40 mm Hg.
All these exercises can be viewed and with full description at www.fit-zone.com/innerunit.htm
After doing inner unit exercises for a while you may notice your lower abdominal region feeling tighter and firmer.
The Outer Unit
The outer unit musculature system aids in movement and function. The outer unit muscles are basically the prime
movers of the core and extremities such as the internal oblique, external oblique, rectus abdominis, back, legs,
shoulder girdle and more. They each have vital function in movement and are connected through four major sling
systems. These slings are the deep longitudinal system, the lateral system, anterior oblique system and the
posterior oblique system. I brought up the sling systems so you can understand that the function of our
musculature is much more complex then a simple leg extension exercise on a machine. If you wish more details
on how the systems effectively contribute to functional movement patterns, email me at david@fit-zone.com.
An outer unit program consists of exercises that allow for multi-joint/multi-plane activities. This issue has been
forgotten or not taught in many gyms and exercise programs. We tend to gravitate toward the new machines in the gym
performing isolation exercises that have no carryover to everyday working situations. Our bodies were built as a
connective cohesive unit. By isolating muscles we interfere with the basic general motor programs established millions
of years ago. For example: when you do leg extension on a machine the amount of neurological impulse through the
muscle to the brain is diminished. It also contributes to the lack of neurological communication between isolated
muscle (quadriceps) and the other muscle groups. I'm not saying that leg extension on a machine is always wrong,
there are times in the rehabilitation setting, bodybuilding and beginning weight training program where this is
appropriate. Once a neurological and muscular base has been established, however, we must move on to integration of all
the muscles that surround the knee joint, hip joint, pelvis, core and lower extremities. We need to establish a fully
functional dynamic muscular system.
Some of the exercises I prescribed for outer unit work are:
* Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press on Swiss Ball
* Multi-directional lunge
* Bent over rows
* Chek press
These are by no means the only exercises for the outer unit.
Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press on Swiss Ball
This exercise challenges the entire muscular system. To perform this exercise grip dumbbells in your hands that
will allow eight to 10 repetitions. With the dumbbells in hand sit down on a Swiss ball appropriate for your
height. From the seated position gradually walk your feet and lower extremities away from the ball until you
reach a supine position with your shoulder girdle and head resting on the Swiss ball and your shinbones perpendicular
to the ground. The dumb bells should be positioned straight up from the shoulders; elbow slightly flexed and rotated
out. Position the hands in the dumbbells perpendicular to the body. Gradually extend the right arm at a 90-degree
angle from the body towards the ceiling and gradually rotate lower right shoulder and shoulder girdle off the
ball while maintaining a good structural position.
Gradually returned the dumbbell to its starting position while simultaneously extending your left hand and dumbbell
towards the ceiling in the same manner. Alternate right and left arms until you have reached the prescribed repetitions.
Lunge-Static and Dynamic
The static and dynamic lunges are excellent interactive exercises for the core musculature and lower extremities. I
chose these exercises because they are neurologically challenging to the entire body. To perform the static
lunge (base level) place a dowel rod across your shoulder gripping it at shoulder width. Keep your elbows under your
wrists, this aids in activation of the thoracic erectors and helps stabilize the core. Make sure your posture is upright
with neutral spinal curves (no bending, shifting or leaning). Draw your belly button in and upward activating the inner
unit. Slowly step forward with either leg until your shinbone is perpendicular to the floor. Once you have reached the
lunge position with your upper body erect, allow your back leg to descend to the floor until your knee gently touches
the floor making a special note to keep the shin-bone on your lead leg perpendicular to the floor. Return slowly to
the pre-descend position. Repeat lunge for eight to 10 repetitions with the same leg then repeat for the opposite
leg. Slowly work up to three sets per leg.
The dynamic lunge is similar to the static lunge except for you return to the standing position after each repetition.
Alternate legs until you have built up enough strength and stabilization to perform eight to 10 repetitions for each
leg. After you feel comfortable doing the dynamic lunge alternating, kick it up a notch and do the desired
repetitions for one leg at a time. Special note about the lunge exercise DO NOT SHORT STEP. Short stepping the lunge
is when the shinbone moves forward and the knee moves past the ankle joint. Short stepping indicates a quad dominant
neurological system. For women this can spell disaster!
Women have a much higher degree of quad dominance indicating muscular imbalance in the lower extremities. This imbalance
could be one reason why women have more orthopedic knee problems.
Bent Over Rows
The bent over row contributes to good strength and postural stabilization. This exercise also strengthens the shoulder
girdle and effectively improves postural muscles such as hamstrings, glutes and all deep hip muscles, low back,
Latissimus dorsi spinal erectors and core. To perform this exercise, properly maintain neutral spinal curves. Grip the
barbell with a closed downward grip. Stand with feet wider than shoulder width and knees flexed at 30 degrees, which
engages Iliotibial band. Your torso must maintain a 45-degree angle at all times. This starting position
resembles a second baseman stance in baseball. Take deep diaphragmatic breath drawing in the bellybutton. With the
barbell at knee level gradually raise the bar to the bottom of your sternum. Keep the forearms perpendicular
to the ground not allowing them to travel posteriorly asyou raise the weight. Slowly return the weight to the
starting position. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions. I recommended a repetition range between eight
and 12 and tempo of the three seconds to raise the weight, followed by two seconds holding the weight in the up
position and five seconds to lower the weight. This slow tempo aids with overall muscular integration and
neurological conditioning. Work up to three sets.
Chek Press (modified Arnold press)
The Chek press is one of my favorite exercises for strengthening and integrating back musculature with the
shoulder girdle. To perform the Chek presses choose dumbbells that will allow for eight to 10 repetitions.
With dumbbells in hand sit on a bench with proper neutral spinal alignment (erect trunk). With the dumbbells shoulder
height palms facing each other and forearms perpendicular to the floor gradually opening your arms as if you are
opening a book. Proceed to push the dumbbells to an overhead position bringing the dumbbells together in front
of you as if you are closing a book. Lower the dumb bells to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions.
These exercises can be viewed at www.fit-zone.com/outerunit.htm
When the inner and outer unit works together as a cohesive unit we greatly improve our daily lives by reducing the
risk of joint injuries, ligamentous and muscular strain and low back pain.
The next issue we will undertake is posture. Posture is the position by which movement begins and ends. Having proper
postural alignment enables the body to perform movements quicker with less joint and muscular strain. A qualified
physical therapist or a CHEK practitioner in your area should evaluate posture. If you're interested in a CHEK
practitioner in your area please email me at mailto:david@fit-zone.com.
The body is designed to work at the most economical level thus saving energy for future use. We spend more energy
maintaining misalign posture thus creating a situation for muscular and joint pain to arise. Think of yourself
like a skyscraper, if the skyscraper leaned to the left for 10 floors and then a little to the right 10 floors and so
on you would not enter the building. However, we let ourselves become such a building. We compromise our
body's integrity by not maintaining proper posture resulting in decreased circulation (leading to varicose
veins), muscular pain, joint pain and many other conditions.
Women in general tend to develop poor posture because of many factors. Women tend to have more clerical and
computer oriented jobs that demand sitting in a chair eyeing a computer screen for long periods of time. They
also wear high heel shoes, which leads to an alteration and compensation of their posture (if you want to know
more about this just e-mail me). The development of breast tissue or the augmentation of breasts can lead to
many postural changes. Women also have less musculature to maintain proper alignment leading to rounded shoulders,
forward head posture, hyper extended knees and increased thoracic and lumbar curve. Men do develop all of these
postural problems but at a different degree and rate depending on their situation.
To improve our posture and reduce structural damage we should adhere to a corrective postural exercise program.
This simple yet productive program will combat the effects of bad posture and help alleviate joint and muscular pain.
Exercises for correcting posture:
* Prone Cobra
* Axial Extension Trainer
* Wall Leans
* Cervical Extension using a blood pressure cuff
Prone Cobra
Prone Cobra is a great postural strengthening and endurance exercise. To perform this exercise lay face down on a
comfortable surface. Maintaining proper spinal alignment gradually raise your chest off the ground while
simultaneously externally rotating your arms outward in conjunction with supination of the hands (when you are
in the correct position your thumbs are pointing toward the ceiling like a thumbs up from Fonzi). The shoulder
blades should be gradually drawn together while keeping the head from flexing or extending. Maintain this position
for 10 seconds then return to the starting position and rest for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence 10 times, two to
three times per day. To assist you in this exercise use a kitchen timer.
Axial Extension Trainer
The axial extension exercise is performed by standing straight up in perfect functional posture. The exercise
is performed for two minutes at a time and six to eight times per day. To perform the axial extension trainer
stand up as though you have a balloon tied to the top of your head and it's pulling you toward the sky. Another
variation is to place a five-pound diver's weight on the top of your head. Placing the diver's weight on the top
of your head will excite all of your postural muscles and encourage proper alignment.
Wall Leans
Wall leans are great exercise for exciting the cervical, thoracic extender musculature and postural endurance. To
perform the exercise stand with your head shoulders buttocks and heels against a wall. Place a soft towel
behind your head for comfort. Walk your feet out one foot from the wall while maintaining rigid standing posture.
Make sure that your hands are at your side. Maintain this position 30-45 seconds depending upon your current
situation. Repeat this exercise three to four times per day for 30-45 seconds each time. Work up to two minutes
in the wall lean position.
Cervical Flexors
With a blood pressure cuff
Lie comfortably on the floor and place the blood pressure cuff under your cervical spine (neck area). Pump the of
blood pressure cuff up to 40 mm Hg. Tuck your chin to your chest and gently apply pressure to the blood
pressure cuff with your neck extender's musculature. The blood pressure cuff should rise up 10 mm Hg to 50 mm Hg.
Hold this position for 15 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat this cycle for two minutes.
All these exercises can be viewed at www.fit-zone.com/posture.htm
BASIC CORE CONDITIONING
After completing the inner unit exercise program and you have corrected basic postural misalignment you can move on
to basic core training. A strong and stable core will contribute to stabilization of large and small joint
structures. The core exercises should work the outer unit muscles in all three planes of motion. The transverse
plane (rotation), sagittal plane (backwards/forward) and frontal plane (left and right). Knowing the planes of
motion is not necessary for improving your core strength and coordination, but I tell you so you understand the
madness behind the meaning (do you mean meaning behind the madness?).
Any person can benefit from a good core-conditioning program. Whether you're a mountain climber, housewife
doing daily chores, an athlete at any level or construction worker. We all need core conditioning to carry out our
daily activities and reduce injury. Women in particular can benefit from inner unit and postural improvement plus
the addition of outer unit and core exercises. One reason is women have a wider pelvis for child bearing. This
sometimes leads to a knock knee lower body posture. This knock knee position creates muscle imbalances, sheer force
through pelvis and compression in lumbar spine. A simple squat with a belt around your knees can dramatically
improve your situation. If you or someone you know suffers from knock-knee alignment e-mail me david@fit-zone.com
The following core exercises contribute to functional integration of body for both men and women. The core is
the bridge between the upper and lower body. These exercises will provide maximum benefit.
A core-conditioning program should follow the correct order. Always train your lower abdominals first followed
by your oblique musculature and finishing off with the upper abdominals. This exercise order is determined by
the neurological demand for each region of your core.
Please note:
All inner unit exercises are extremely important before beginning a core-conditioning program. I must caution
against doing any of these exercises without good functioning spine and pelvis. Do not do any of these
exercises if you have any spinal orthopedic problems.
As you know by now we must have good stabilization at the joint level coupled with proper activation of the
transverse abdominis (girdle) to prevent our joints, big and small, from deterioration. Again, please consult
your physician before starting any exercise program especially if you have any joint deterioration.
The major muscles of the core consist of the internal oblique, external oblique, rectus abdominis, transverse
abdominis, quadratus lumbar and the spinal erectors. A good core program should coordinate all these muscles
as one working unit. Below you'll find some basic core exercises I have used with great success.
Reverse Trunk Flexion
(lower abdominals)
The reverse trunk flexion is a multi-joint movement designed to target the abdominal region. The exercise
starts out with contraction of the lower abdominals and progresses to the upper rectus abdominis. The
oblique musculature assists in stabilization of the pelvis during the movement.
Exercise notes: Keep your shoulder blades on the bench though out the exercise. Avoid any arching of your back
at the lumbar region. Keep the tempo or movements slow and keep the upper body in proper neutral alignment.
Make sure you only go down far enough to touch your sacrum keeping your thighs perpendicular to the floor.
Lie on a flat bench with your back flat, scapula and sacrum pressed firmly against the bench. With your
legs together, flex them to 90 degrees or perpendicular to the bench. Hold firmly to the top edge of the bench,
a platform or stationary object to anchor the upper body down. Slowly proceed to contract the lower abdominal
region by pulling the pelvis up towards the rib cage. Continue to pull the pelvis towards the rib cage until
the abdominals are fully contracted and the hips are rolled up slightly off of the padded bench. Slowly lower
the trunk and pelvis to the starting position. Repeat the exercise for the desired repetitions. Repetition
range should stay within eight to 12.
Woodchopper
(internal and external obliques)
This is an excellent exercise for integration and strength within the core musculature. This is an advanced exercise
so please be cautious while learning this technique. The woodchopper exercise is exactly what it sounds like~a
diagonal motion across your body. This exercise can be done with the cable system or a dumbbell. Take a stance shoulder
width apart or slightly wider with the cable handle hanging outside your right shoulder. Position your body in an
athletic or second base position stance perpendicular to the handle. Reach up with your left hand and grasp the
handle with an over handgrip. Proceed to grip the handle with your right hand covering your left hand, basically
gripping the handle with both hands. Slowly draw your bellybutton in and proceed to pull the cable diagonally
across your body until the handle is outside your left pocket. Keep your arms stiff and straight and do not lean
forward flexing the spine. Slowly reverse the direction to the starting position. Do the exercise to the left and right
sides. This rotational movement effectively integrates core musculature with the upper and lower extremities. The
woodchopper should be performed for about 10 repetitions on the three seconds down and three seconds up-tempo. This
exercise does not need to the done with huge amount of weight.
Supine Lateral Ball Roll
The supine lateral ball roll is a great exercise for training the core musculature and contributing stabilizing
musculature in all three planes of motion. This exercise is demanding to the musculature and neurological systems. The
exercise integrates the obliques, gluteus, hamstrings, quadriceps, neck and all shoulder girdle musculature. It
needs to be performed correctly so please read the description thoroughly. Using a dowel rod makes this
exercise easier. Place a dowel rod across your chest and grip it with wide arms and palms up. Sit on the Swiss ball
appropriate to your height*, walk your feet out away from the ball until your shoulder girdle and head is comfortably
resting on the apex (top) of the ball. Make sure your shins are perpendicular to the ground and you stay in good
horizontal alignment throughout the exercise. Maintain neutral head and neck alignment, and hold the tongue on the
roof the mouth to stabilize the cervical spine. Do not let the pelvis dip. Draw your bellybutton towards the spine
with the initiation of lateral movement. Keep pelvis high, glutes and hamstrings must remain contracted. While in this
position gradually slide laterally towards the right until your right scapula is off the Swiss ball. Keep the dowel rod
parallel to the floor at all times. Hold this position for one second. Return to start position and gradually slide
laterally towards the left until the left scapula is off this was ball. This completes one repetition. Repetition range is
from six to eight; tempo is slow to moderate. Work up to three sets. *Swiss ball height can be found at
www.fit-zone.com/swissball.htm
Trunk flexion (crunch)
Trunk flexion or "crunch" sit-up is the most popular exercise for conditioning the abdominal region. However, if
the crunch sit-up is not performed with additional abdominal exercises like the ones mentioned earlier it could have a
detrimental effect on your body over time. When performed correctly the crunch is a good upper abdominal region
strengthening exercise. The crunch exercise from the floor position leads to a more ridged thoracic spine. It also
contributes to a shortened rectus abdominis, which intern pulls the rib cage towards the pelvis resulting in poor
postural alignment. Again if the crunch is overused the rectus shortens and the thoracic spine becomes more rigid.
This scenario leads to the inability to extend backward causing injury and poor posture. If you're a beginner of
trunk flexion or crunch exercise, perform it lying on the floor. To perform the exercise correctly, maintain proper
neutral posture in the cervical spine. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth preventing shear forces through
your cervical spine. Keep the lower back pressed firmly against the floor throughout the exercise. Place arms across
your chest. Move slowly contracting your rectus abdominis moving up one vertebra at a time. Keep tension in the
abdominals at all times. Do not let your chin dropped to your chest. A good way to maintain neutral posture in the
cervical spine is to pretend your chin is traveling towards the ceiling. Once you have reached full contraction slowly
return to the start position. To increase the difficulty, place your arms out to the side with your fingertips on your
cheekbones. Once you've worked up to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions and feel comfortable doing this exercise, move
the exercise to a Swiss ball. To find out how to properly perform the Swiss ball trunk flexion e-mail me at
david@fit-zone.com
If you would like a personal program designed especially for you or if you wish to have more information about
anything I've discussed above, email me at david@fit-zone.com and put "exercises program" in the subject line.
This article courtesy of http://www.health-dir.com