All about your Core.
First of all, what is your core?
Answer: A whole heck of a lot more than just your “abs”.
But how do I get a 6-pack?
Answer: SURPRISE - the answer is not in this post.
Why? Because the answer to that question has A LOT more to do with what you are doing in the kitchen (AKA nutrition) than what you do in the gym. Your ability to show off your six pack is greatly affected by your genes (yes it is easier for some than others), ability to maintain your body fat percentage (consistent, specific nutrition), and lifestyle (sleep, water intake, general exercise, etc. etc.).
Now that that is out of the way…What is the post actually for?
To remind you that, regardless if you want a 6 pack or not, having a STRONG CORE is attainable and important for your balance and stability, integral in building overall strength and power, and improves injury prevention.
The definition of CORE is: the central or most important part of something.
We kind of love that because even though it’s the not the “fitness” definition - it works. Our core:
Transfers energy between upper and lower body.
Assists in and creates rotation in our torso.
Supports & protects our internal organs.
Stabilizes spine, hips and shoulders.
Includes pelvic floor function.
Assists in breathing.
Injury prevention.
Mike & Mike in the morning with weighted planks.
It’s not just your abs.
What muscles are included?
We tend to include all the muscles highlighted here as part of our “core”.
(There is some debate where the “core” actually starts and stops. Some will include more muscles in the back responsible for stabilizing the shoulders.)
Remember the core doesn’t just include your front. Any muscle that connects to your spine (and hips) is included. So when training our “core” it should go a lot further than a few ab exercises.
When training the core it can be beneficial to think about how our muscles and connective tissue work together AND our movement goals (specifically sport specific goals and producing force). Here are two images from the article “Anterior & Posterior Serape” in the Strength and Conditioning Journal, discussing the core musculature and how it works together to produce force (think baseball swing, golf swing, throws, crossbody kicks, rotation, etc). The image on the right shows the muscles of your Oblique Sling. While we might not think of training your adductors and lower lats together, this shows how they work across your body to stabilize during movement. The image on the left shows the lines of connective tissue (fascia) that cross your body, sometimes referred to the “serape effect” similar to how a serape blanket would be crossed around your body.
The ability for our core to become “stiffened” provides an anchor for our limbs, and therefore can enhance limb speed and strength. Train for your sport, meaning use exercises similar to movements in your sport, but ALSO train the opposite movements. Learn how to create that stiffness in all different movement patterns to prevent injuries.
Ways of training, progressing, and regressing your core!
Regressive Core - Postnatal or post surgery/injury
The most important part of returning to exercise (after injury/pregnancy/inactivity) is making sure that your core in integrated with the rest of your body.
BREATHWORK. Your core includes your diaphragm, deep core (transverse abdominis - TVA), and pelvic floor muscles. These all need to be integrated and strengthened before focusing on the external core muscles.
Focus on deep breaths, expanding your core, rib cage, and into your back, then on the exhale try to focus on pulling your core muscles towards your midline (abs together vs sucking in, pelvic floor up). Use two fingers just above your hip bones, pressing in so you can feel your TVA activate. Try this in multiple positions (standing, sitting, laying, hands and knees).
Isometric Exercises
Remember your core is meant to stabilize, so iso exercises like PLANKS are great for training that aspect of it
Dynamic Exercises
Take those iso exercises and add movements - any exercise where your core stabilizes but other body parts move.
Planks: add shoulder taps, slow mountain climbers, toe taps, etc…
Laying down: Deadbugs, Leg Lifts, etc
Hanging: Knee lifts, Straight Leg Lifts, etc.
Standing: Farmer Carries, Twists, Overhead training using core to stabilize the rest of your body.
Power Exercises
Take the dynamic exercises and increase force or speed.
Ball Slams, Rotational Throws, Chest Press throws, Overhead throws, etc.
Check out these videos to better understand and work your core.
When working your upper and lower body, your core is (or should be) also working.
Because your core connects and transfers energy between your upper and lower body, when you are doing multi-joint exercises your core should be working for you to stabilize the whole body.
Here, our virtual client Ilya is performing a unilateral (single arm) overhead farmer’s carry. Although he is mainly performing this exercise for shoulder stability, it takes a lot of core involvement to stabilize upper body and hips while walking, keep the body squared off and not sinking into any joints, and protect and take pressure off of the lumbar spine.
Is it great to do extra work for the core? Yes, always! But keeping it in mind while you are doing ALL of your other exercises.
Strength & mobility go hand in hand.
When training your core you also have to keep in mind spine and hip mobility. The greater your ability to utilize full ranges of motion, the stronger and more function you can become!
Ways to add core work into your training:
Use it in your warm-up to get your core engaged right away.
Add some additional exercises at the end as a “finisher”.
In between compound multi-joint movement as part of a set
(ex: planks between squat & overhead presses)
Cardio focused core workouts to get the heart rate up.
FINAL TAKE AWAYS:
Anytime you are resistance training your core has to be working!
Use core exercises to help cue your core to STABILIZE in all movements.
If having a six pack if your goal...proper nutrition and dropping body fat percentage is WAY more important than doing "ab exercises".
Your core has WAY more functions than to just look good at the beach!
Let us know in the comments below how you train your core. What questions do you have?
And as always if you want to book a session sign up for your free Discovery Session to get started!
Or send us an email at Info@K2FitLabs.com