We’ve had a few of you ask what core exercises should you be doing. Now, there are reams about this on the web but my spin, based on experience and study, is get the foundation right and you can build a really legendary back – mess up the first steps and the thing will fail.

Firstly let’s cover the don’ts as they are stuffing loads of backs up and a lot of good work is being thrown away. Here they are:

1. No more sit-ups, never, ever. Crunches, yes; sit-ups no, and for good biomechanical reasons that I can explain another time if you ask me to.

2. No more dorsal raises. Ditto.

So here are the things we, and Professor Stuart McGill (uber back Guru), suggest you start off with. I’ve searched the web a bit for youtube examples of the exercises we suggest as pictures speak a thousand words and this should make the explanation a bit clearer. These seem good examples of the exercises.

Always start with 6 cycles of these to 'neurologically' warm up your low-back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXRsjICsGnc

then start the core stability exercise itself THE PLANK (whoop, whoop):

plank1

or have a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ar2iRusnnc

Each plank/bridge position you do should be done to the point that you start shuddering (which usually is a neurological control issue rather than a muscle fatigue problem) or until you reach the 20 second point and rest for a bit and then do it again, and again. The next time you do the exercises try to increase the time you are in the bridge position with the goal being that you can crack 30 seconds in the plank.

How often, as often as you like and more the merrier.

Then tell me and we can go to the next step. Hope this helps.