More Core!

It’s like a battle cry rising from the masses, growing louder and louder with every beat of the drum…

more core.

more core.

more core.

more core.

more core!!!

Ok, maybe that is slightly melodramatic, but it’s not an exaggeration to say that people want to work their “core”…more.

Just what is it that makes us “core crazy”?

• Is it visions of our very own “six pack”? (We all have dreamed of having our very own at one time or another)
• Is it because we still believe that we can get rid of our gut if we just work it more? (This STILL isn’t true)
• Do we just like the feel of the burn after ripping off 100 crunches? (Sadists)

Here’s a pop quiz:

Which of the following is a “core” exercise?

1. 2-Leg Hip/Thigh Extension Hold (Hip Bridge) with Chest Press
2. Isometric Lat Pulldown
3. 1-Arm Farmers Walk
4. Kettlebell Swing

If you said “All of the Above” you get a gold star.

Because in reality your core is involved every time you move!

There is no doubt that a strong core (a misnomer but for arguments sake we will go with it) is vital for overall health and performance.

There is also no doubt there is a fundamental misunderstanding of what the core is and what it does, never mind how to train it optimally to function at a high level.

There is a lot more going on here than just looking pretty, and there is a lot more to the core than the piece of real estate between your belly button and chest.

Goal #1 for core training at Get Fit NH?

Injury Prevention.

The inability of the core to stabilize and function properly is why so many of us have fought and/or are fighting back pain.

Dr. Stuart McGill is just one expert who talks about the importance of establishing and maintaining a neutral spine, and his work “Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance” is a go to resource in understanding the biomechanics of the spine and the effects of different types of training.

Another great resource is Mike Robertson’s excellent “Complete Core Training”.

In it Mike identifies “Four Phases of Core Training”.

1. Foundational Stability
2. Isolative Core
3. Integrated Core
4. Sports/Performance Specific

Let’s look at the first three.

We spend a lot of time on foundational stability because it’s well, foundational.

Learning to properly execute planks, side planks,  and birddogs for example is crucial to protecting the spine before anything else. Movements such as tall kneeling and half-kneeling “rip rows” (as we call them at Get Fit NH) also teach us to maintain neutral pelvis and spine concurrently.

Isolative stability exercises  include what you have heard described as “anti-flexion” or “anti-rotation”. This is when we are preventing or resisting movement. Some of these movements would include a Valslide Rollout or 1-arm Farmers Carries.

A 1-arm Dumbbell Bench Press is an example of Integrated Stability. An offset load greatly increases the demand on the core to “lock down” to keep you from falling off the bench, for example.

All these components are critical to both how we are able to perform, both in the gym and out.

They are also critical for goal #1 – Preventing Injury.

Here is something else to think about:

Your core is comprised of muscles, and ALL muscles require recovery.

That is why we don’t hammer your core in the same way every day.

And why there is not “direct” core work every day.

Situps and crunches?

Not so much, because there are better and more effective ways to train the core and keep the back healthy.

And that six pack you have always dreamed about?

As the old saying goes “Abs are created in the kitchen”.

But that’s a story for another time.

Keep Making It Happen!

Coach Dean