Core strength training is all the rage now in the fitness world. A lot of people mistake it for just an intensive ab workout. Don't be fooled, it's not just about your abs, you have a whole range of muscles that make up your core. These are your torso and trunk, the cervical and top part of your spine, middle region and lower region of your spine.

Looking at the location of these muscles, you can tell that core strength training then is to support the spine, shoulders and pelvis by strengthening the surrounding muscles, and to fortify the strength of your mid-section, so that it may lend power to the rest of your body. If you didn't have any strength in these muscles then you probably couldn't even stand. Strong pelvis muscles helps to strengthen your legs. Strengthening the shoulder frame will give power to your arms. Supporting the spine will keep everything all under control.

Having good core strength helps prevent you from being injured as well as giving you more control of your physical actions and better balance. One such injury that core strength training is employed for is when you have a susceptible lower back. Lower back pain is not limited to athletes and fitness subscribers, it is a problem among anyone with a weak spine. Some individuals get into core strength training because they initially sought to cure their back pain woes.

Core training exercises are composed of exercises that work these parts of the body. Bridges, or exercises where you brace yourself up from the floor with your elbow and arm facing different positions. The prone bridge develops strength in your trunk and pelvis, the lateral bridge in your abdomen, while the supine bridge, where you prop your hips up diagonally to the floor, anchored by your upper body and feet, develops the gluteal muscles. An exercise called the Plank, or a hovering exercise, is similar to these bridge exercises.

use Russian Twists to help develop your upper and middle body. For abtomen and muscles in your lumbar region you can use pelvic thrusts. Core strength exercises must successfully not only develop one muscle area, but several simultaneously. Other exercises that strengthen different groups of core muscles are squats, lunges, push ups, lateral pull downs, back extensions, chin ups and different crunches.

In recent years, Pilates has advanced core strength training by introducing even more alternative exercise, most particularly with special equipment such as medicine balls, stability balls and products made to enhance products, such as balance and wobble boards.

To get started on a core strength training program, you could start with the very basics - push ups and crunches. If you'd like to continue a do-it-yourself program, you could also incorporate yoga into your exercise regimen, as you learn balance and centering from yoga and keep you focused on your core, what it is, what it needs.

If you would rather have guidance in core strength training, find a trainer you're comfortable with and willing to figure out an ideal core training program for you. Now that you know what it is, it's much easier to find what you need.