Core training?

[OakLeaf]

You can do knee tuck push-ups without a stability ball too, just (obviously) one knee at a time, bringing the knee across and in toward the opposite shoulder. Or push up with your feet on the ground and your hands on the ball.

"Gliding" is popular these days too, you can do it on carpet with paper plates or on hardwood with fleece rags (fuzzy side down). Any of the push-up variations that we used to do on the slideboards, and more. Put the plates under your hands and bring your arms wide on the down phase, back under your shoulders when you push up. Start on your knees and extend your arms overhead, then back under your shoulders to push up, kind of like those ab wheel exercises. Then you can put the plates under your toes and do knee tuck push-ups without raising the leg, just sliding it along the floor (which makes you keep your hips down farther), or the same thing with a hip abduction.

[Andrea]

I've just started crossfit training. It incorporates a lot of strength-training movements that train the core along with everything else.

A sample workout:

20 "thrusters" (Hold dumbells at your shoulders, drop into a full, deep squat, then explode up and press the dumbells up at the same time)
20 Vertical jumps (stand in one spot, jump as high as you can, land, repeat)
20 "kipping" pullups (google "crossfit kipping pullup" for a video- these are great for the core because you involve the entire body)
20 (each leg) walking lunges

Repeat 3-5 times, depending on your conditioning (you can adjust reps, too)

Other workouts will go to the opposite end of the spectrum-
8 single repetitions of the deadlift (very heavy with long rest breaks)
...or any other compound movement


Crossfit gyms are popping up all over the place. I'd encourage everyone to try it out, because it's an awesome workout that you can do in a relatively short period of time.

[Zen]

"Gliding" is popular these days too,

Again?

I was thumbing through a Shape or Fitness magazine while waiting for a script and came across a workout with a woman dressed like Jane Fonda. The model was demonstrating stuff we used to do when I belonged to the Richard Simmons Studio !

[OakLeaf]

Again?

I was thumbing through a Shape or Fitness magazine while waiting for a script and came across a workout with a woman dressed like Jane Fonda. The model was demonstrating stuff we used to do when I belonged to the Richard Simmons Studio !

Oooh, big hair aerobics videos... shiny lycra thongs...