Q: Where is it and what is it's function?
Core consists mainly of the abdominals, external obliques, hip flexors and muscles of the lower back. It's true of course these muscles function (as all muscles do) to move parts of your body around. The previously mentioned muscles rotate your spine forward and backwards (flexion and extension), side to side (lateral flexion) and raise your thighs (hip flexion). But they also act as stabilizers to just about every large body movement we do. All compound (multi-joint) movements need a base of support from which to launch, just as a house needs a solid foundation. I like the phrase "You can't shoot a canon out of a canoe" and I think that's a great example of how your core works. In short, your core muscles are movers and stabilizers. Pretty darn important, I'd say.
Q: What exercises are a waste of time for working the core?
It used to be thought that lots of sit-ups, side bends and leg raises were the answer to a strong midsection, but recent findings show that these exercises are not only ineffective, but potentially dangerous. For one, traditional sit-ups (with legs straight or else coming up all the way until bent at the waist) works mainly the hip muscles (which are already overly contracted from how much sitting we do) and don't really engage the abdominals (which need the work) except for maybe the first few inches off the ground. More than that, straight leg sit-ups put a dangerous load on the lumbar discs which can cause lower back problems.
A much safer variation of the sit-up is the 'crunch', which is keeping legs bent at 90 degrees and only coming off the ground a few inches, but again its only working the upper abdominals which tend to be less in need than the lower in most people. For a safer version of leg raises, which work lower abs, keep one leg bent 90 degrees and on the ground while raising and lowering the opposing leg. That will unload lower lumbar by taking pressure off of the discs.
I am doing to digress just a bit here to rant about a pet peeve of mine which you see at every gym: side crunches while holding a dumbbell in opposing hand. Where to begin? For starters, let's clear up an even more universal misconception which is "to have a six-pack, you need to do lots of crunches, sit-ups and side bends and with weights. Yes and no, but mostly no. Yes, you might build some midsection muscle, but without considering the most critical six-pack revealing element (your diet), you are just making your waist larger and bulkier since that layer of fat is still on top of your now enlarged midsection beefcake. This ties in with another myth, 'spot reduction' which is the idea that you can lose fat on a specific part of your body by doing exercises in that region. Ladies, you can't lose fat on your arms by doing arm exercises. Sorry. When talking about body fat and getting cut, its 99% diet folks. Sorry for the rant and back to the topic at hand ...
Q: So what's the most effective and safe way to work the core?
Pretty much any position that forces you to use the midsection to keep the body in a straight line and not sag or collapse in the middle while maintaining a wide base of support. Probably the most famous example of this is the simple "plank". I recommend keeping it simple in the beginning to the two basic variations below since if they are done with good form, can make an enormous difference. I see lots of folks doing planks, but few doing them correctly.
Note in the images above (1) the spine is in a straight line from the head to the feet. If your butt is in the air or stomach hitting the ground, that's not a plank. (2) The pelvis is "tucked" under while squeezing the glutes. All this means is your hips are rotated slightly forward (think of how you would prepare if you challenged someone were going to hit you in the stomach to get a rough idea) and your butt is clenched. That's what the command "engage your core" means.
Before going on to more advanced postures (like the one at the top of this post), try to master these 2 first. That extra element of raising or moving limbs while keeping the body straight ramps up the intensity exponentially. To make it a bit easier if you are just starting out or struggling, try using your knees instead of feet or try to just maintain a push-up position for as long as you can. Start with 30 seconds and try to work up to a minute or two.
Just quickly I'd like to wrap up with a really important tip for working core which can have an even greater effect than these exercises in the long run and you don't even need to go to the gym. Posture. That will be another post for another day since it's so important, but for now just know that you can work your core by just noticing and correcting your posture throughout the day. When walking, try to keep the shoulders down and back while keeping the pelvis parallel to the ground (as opposed to tilted forward). You should feel a slight tightening in the lower abs and more 'solid' as you move about. Another tip is to make sure to get up out of your chair and move around throughout the day. Sitting long periods results in weakened abs, overly tight hip muscles and a weak, over-streched lower back so try to get up least once an hour if not more.
I am really glad to see this neglected area which is so critical to our strength and vitality finally getting its proper due. Plank it out people!
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