This post is dedicated to the ladies wanting to strengthen their core

If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, you’ve already seen and hopefully used my Planks For Beginners workout guide.

As many of you know, here at Bloom To Fit we like to focus on functional strength – strength that is usable in your normal everyday activities. After all, the whole idea here is to teach you how to build a better body that you can use for life.

With that being said, this post is going to tie things up with an effective core strengthening routine that can incorporate with other workouts you find on this site.

These core strengthening exercises for women will place focus on your entire core, not just your abdominals. Way too often we focus on what we can see and neglect the important muscles behind us that keep our bodies moving. This routine is designed to challenge you in a way that you’re likely not used to, so be prepared to get sore and see some incredible results.

Alight, let’s get to work.

Here Are The Core Workouts:

1 – The Plank Exercise

Muscles Worked: Rectus Abdominus, Obliques, Lower Back (Erector Spinae)

The plank is probably the most effective core strengthening exercise on the planet, as I’ve described in detail in the past. The plank is an isometric exercise that will develop endurance in your entire core – rectus abdominus, obliques, lower back, and stabilizing muscles.

As your core becomes stronger, you should progress through the different variations provided in the guide I linked at the top of this article.

Perform: Work towards doing 3 sets of 90-120 second planks with 60 seconds of rest between sets.

2 – Supermans Exercise

Muscles Worked: Erector Spinae

This is a well-known exercise but a widely underutilized one. Most people (men and women) often neglect the lower back because it’s not a muscle group you can see – you can’t flex your back in the mirror! Building a better body is about creating muscular balance – all muscles that comprise the core need to be strong so they can effectively work together.

The superman exercise is a fairly simple exercise to perform. You’ll need a mat to lay down on. Lay face down on the mat and put your hands straight out above your head (arms should be by your ears). The idea is to bring your hands and feet up by extending your spine. Your arms and legs should be kept straight and the exercise should be performed at a slow pace. If you can, hold the spinal extension for a second on each repetition.

Perform: 4 sets of 10 repetitions with 45-60 seconds of rest between sets

3 – Myotatic Crunch (on Bosu Ball)

Muscles Worked: Rectus Abdominus

Although I’m not a big fan of doing endless crunches, this is one crunch-style abdominal exercise that I find works extremely well for fully developing and strengthening your abdominal region. The myotatic crunch, as I learned from the 4Hr Body, allows for a stronger contraction than you’re normally used to. You’ll need to get your hands on a Bosu ball (they’re available at any gym or you can pick up your own at a fitness store). If you can’t find a Bosu ball, use a small Swiss ball.

Place the Bosu ball with its flat side down. Lay down on it (face up) with your lower back resting near the top (peak) of the Bosu. Your feet should be flat on the ground supporting you. Extend your arms out above your head (so they are flush against your ears – kind of like you’re about to dive into a pool, with your hands overlapping). To begin, take roughly 4 seconds to extend back until your arms touch the floor – you should feel a good extension in your back and a stretch in your abdominals. Do not let your butt slide up and down; keep it steady and your feet planted. You should be trying to extend your hands further away from the ball at all times. Pause at the bottom for 2 seconds. Now slowly bring your upper body up (under control) and squeeze your abs. Pause in the upper, fully contracted position for 2 seconds. The idea is to use your core and nothing else (avoid using momentum). Repeat.

Don’t worry that it’s a dude showing you how to do the exercise. The point is it works. And it works great because it incorporates a full extension and a full contraction of the abdominals. If you want to make the exercise more challenging, hold a medicine ball in your hands as you perform this exercise.

Perform: 3 sets of 10 slow repetitions

That’s The 15 Minute Core Workout

The core strengthening routine above should last no more than 15 minutes when done correctly.

I want you to really focus on maintaining good technique while taking slow, deep breaths for each repetition. Don’t rush through these exercises. If you find that you’re pressed for time by the exercises at the end of your workout, try starting off your workout with the core strengthening exercises and do them right.

This core strengthening routine should not last more than 15 minutes if done properly. I want you to really focus on maintaining good technique while taking slow, deep breaths for each repetition. Don’t simply rush through the exercises. If you find that you’re pressed for time by doing the exercises at the end of your workout, try starting off your workout with the core strengthening exercises and do them right.

Keep in mind that the muscles that make up your core are just like any other muscle group in your body and don’t need to be worked on every day. These core exercises are designed to be performed 2-3 times per week. Just incorporate the routine above with these Simple Home Exercises to give yourself a full-body workout without the need for weights.

That’s it! Let me know what you think of these core strengthening exercises. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comment section below!