Hei's YP Get Fit Blog Week Three - Getting to the core of the issue
Throughout September, reporter Wong Yat-hei will train at Torq Cycle. This week, he learns that it's the core that really matters
Hei working on strengthening his core.After trying TorqHit, my first off-the bike workout last week, which is a combination of riding and Total Resistance eXercise (TRX), I tried my second off-bike workout this week: TorqCore.
Judging by its name, you can tell that it involves workout for the core. Many gym rats spend time in the weight room to get their arms and legs into shape, but any fitness trainers would tell you, you must work on your core if you really want to be strong. Basically, every sport involves the use of the core, and having a strong core protects us from injury.
I learned things the hard way about strengthen the core. A couple of years ago I sprained my ankle, all the swelling and pain was gone but I still don’t feel like I can work the leg to its full potential. I saw many therapists but they were not able to help me regain the power in my leg.
Finally, I met a fitness trainer who told me that my problem is not in the leg, but my weak core, and that is preventing me from using the leg. I spent three months working on the core and regained the strength in my leg. Now I spent less time working on my upper body, as I know working on my core and legs is really important.
While the core is important, people generally do not enjoy working it too much because it is really tough. From my experience, the pain you experience in you core during the workout is worse than any muscle pain you have in your arms and legs. You will feel pain even when you are shifting from sitting to lying down.
I don’t enjoy it but I know that I need to work on my core, so I'd really hope to learn some more moves to strength my core from my trainer Andrew.
The great thing about Andrew’s core workout is that it does not require any equipment. All you need is a mat. Great for me to practise at home if I am too busy to go the gym
No offence to the big guys but core strength and physical strength is entirely different. There was a big muscular guy in my class who I think can easily bench press 100kg but he can’t use his core to lift his legs off the ground when he is lying on his back.
The toughest move of the day is called starfish. I have to lie face down, on my tummy, and spread my arms and legs as wide as possible and try to hold still with my head and limbs off the ground. There is no easy way out, you have to use all the strength in you core to prevent yourself from falling flat on your face. The amazing and terrible thing about core workout is that you do not need to move or use heavy weights and it still kills you.