The 2 Ways to , Engage
Your Core:, Explained.
Knowing the difference can help
you reach your fitness goals.
1. Pull your belly button
to your spine.
Think of “hollowing”
or “drawing in”
your stomach muscles.
You’re not sucking in your stomach, but rather tightening it with your muscles like in a plank.
This is a common way
to engage your core...
...during activities like
pilates or yoga.
For forceful feats of strength,
like weight-lifting...
...you need to, 2. Brace for the lift.
Brace by taking a deep breath, contracting your abs and tightening up all the muscles around your waist. .
It might feel like you’re pulling your ribcage down towards your pelvis. .
Bracing turns your
torso into a solid,
stable, pressurized
column that can either
support a heavy weight...
...or hold its position steady as you
apply force to it in another direction.