Foto: iStock/fizkes

Winter is the ideal time to get your back into shape. And back here means the entire torso! How can you optimally train your torso and also practice injury prevention? Find out more here:

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If you want a healthy back, you need strong core muscles. But that alone is not enough. Your training must be functionally and anatomically correct. But let's start from the beginning and look at the core muscles in detail:

The distribution of the types of muscle fibres determines your training

Each muscle in the body consists of many different smaller muscle fibres. These, in turn, differ in the way that they work. A rough distinction can be made between type 1 and type 2 muscle fibres. Type 1 fibres are slow twitching, red, and fatigue-resistant fibres, whereas type 2 fibres are fast twitching, rather pale and strong. You can basically thus speak of having more endurance-oriented (type 1) or more strength-oriented (type 2) fibres.

However, a single muscle always has a mix of both types of muscle fibres since most muscles need to have both endurance and strength. The leg muscles, for example, allow you to jog for hours, but also enable you to jump as high as possible. And here comes the crucial factor for your training: the core muscles consist mainly of type 1 fibres. That is, the slow-twitch fibres. Train these muscles with a higher emphasis on endurance. But we are still talking about strength training here, or more precisely, about strength endurance training. Long sets, short breaks, and low resistance. These are the optimal variables for your core strength training. But now to the practical implementation.

Endurance for your core

As mentioned above, your core muscles need strength endurance training. Here we talk about loads of up to 2 minutes per exercise with very short breaks between the sets. The longer the entire core muscles are stressed without taking a break, the better. Here you combine exercises for the straight and oblique abdominal muscles, the lateral core muscles, and the straight and oblique back muscles.

To start off, we recommend a training variant with 4 exercises (stomach, 1st side, back, and 2nd side), so that all the straight muscles around the torso are used. The easiest way to start is by doing the forearm plank exercise sets. You hold each position for 30 seconds. The changeover between the 4 positions is performed without a break. After a complete round, continue directly with the second and then the third round. The duration is exactly 6 minutes for the entire set. Do this this training 3 times a week. Every week, add exactly 5 seconds to each exercise. This means that your core strength endurance training will be 1 minute longer each week.

«Grilling» in winter, 30 seconds per side and then turn

Forearm plank 

Start: Start by lying on your stomach. Your feet are hip-width apart and your forearms shoulder-width apart. Look down and keep your back straight. Keep your heels, knees, hips, and shoulders in a straight line. Now push your pelvis up and stay in that position.

Dosage: 3 sets of 30 seconds.

Take note: Your buttocks must not be too high or too low. Looking down makes your neck long and stretched, just as it should be.

Variation: Alternately lift your feet 5 cm into the air; but keep your core stable.

Side plank

Start: Start by lying on your side. Your feet lie on top of each other. Your body is aligned in a straight line and your elbow is directly under your shoulder. Your forearm points away from your body at a 90° angle. Push your pelvis up high enough to create a line between your heel, knee, hip, and shoulder. Stretch your upper arm to the ceiling so you can draw a line from your lower elbow through your chest to your upper arm. Hold this position again for 30 seconds.

Dosage: 3 sets of 30 seconds.

Take note: Your upper body is likely to roll forward towards the floor. So, keep your chest open and upright. Stretch your upper arm straight up to the ceiling.

Variation: Lift your upper leg and hold it in the air.

Reverse forearm plank

Start: Start by lying on your back. Your feet are hip-width apart and your forearms shoulder-width apart but are now backwards on the floor. Look upwards and keep your back straight. Keep your heels, knees, hips, and shoulders in a straight line. Now push your buttocks towards the ceiling. Hold this position again for 30 seconds.

Dosage: 3 sets of 30 seconds.

Take note: Your buttocks must not be too high or too low. Looking upwards here also makes your neck long and stretched, just as it should be.

Variation: Alternately lift your feet 5 cm into the air; but keep your core stable.