What Is The Best Core Exercise According To Scientific Research?

In fitness communities it is quite easy to get lost in the latest gimmicks and fads. When looking for the best core exercise you might find it impossible to see around suspension trainers, kettlebells and body weight moves which most gym users find too difficult to do.

That's right, despite the fact that most trainers will have you performing wacky exercises such as balancing on one leg while holding a tree branch and meditating, developing a stronger core has nothing to do with working out in a park.

However, the king of core exercises was recently discovered to be front squats performed with a loaded barbell.

While the squat is undoubtedly one of the biggest exercises in the gym, not very many people are aware of it's cousin - the front squat. This is a move adopted by most bodybuilders as it places much more emphasis on the front deltoids and quadriceps than it's bigger, heavier counterpart. The strange stress placed on keeping the body in an upright position while holding the bar in front of the shoulders and neck requires an awful lot of strength.

squats (Photo credit: mbschn)

Researchers from the UK recently looked at the core strength gains possible from front squats and they compared it to a favorite body weight move, the swiss ball superman. The findings were so surprising that the study itself went on to be featured in a July 2011 edition of the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning.

Both exercises are great for developing core ability, but front squats actually recruited 5% more muscle activation in the erector spinae than the superman on a swiss ball.

Despite the fact that they had already shown a 5% strength increase, it was also noted that front squats in the study were actually performed using no weights at all. Just an empty barbell was used. By adding further resistance you would engage the erector spinae even further, making them far more effective than the superman overall.

The increase in strength was due to the fact that front squats stimulated the erector spinae muscles considerably. These are the muscles which sit around the spine and play a major role in overall core strength and ability.

If you were one of the many to believe that the greatest exercises for your midsection were based on a yoga mat or outside hanging from a suspension trainer, you are not alone. The fitness industry's obsession with finding a new way to do old tricks causes a great deal of confusion and people often over complicate simple things. Overall, though, the old proven principles of bodybuilding, HIIT and aggressive strength training still trump any new developments scientifically.

What is the best core exercise overall? The latest research points you beyond the yoga mat and, instead, in the direction of that loaded barbell in the corner of your gym where front squats await you on your next leg day.

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