Cutting-Edge Core Training

This week we have a special guest blog from strength and conditioning coach, Shyam Soin. Shyam is the owner and head trainer at Zenith Strength in Santa Clara, where he specializes in training athletes to perform their best. While this article is written for the competive athlete, we can learn a lot about what "core" training really should be. If you want a core that looks good AND keeps you safe, this program will show you the way.

Core Stability Training

As you will see, this is high level core training, but the principles are just as useful for the elite athlete as they are for a grandparent, parent, or business person. We all need a strong core to do the things we love, and this is how your going to get it.

For more videos of some of these moves, check out some of our previous posts: Core Training Posts.

Modern Training for the Core

If you look at an average exercise program, it will undoubtedly have some focus on “core” training. Unfortunately, many of the most popular exercises for core work are not very effecting, and can actually be dangerous if performed consistently. To better understand core training, we must first define what the “core” actually is, determine its function, and then establish principles by which to train that function. Once we have an understanding of these three items, we can safely and effectively establish a training protocol to train the core for strength and stability.

“The Core” Defined

The term “core” has been used for a long time now, but is not generally used accurately. The most common use of “core” is as a synonym for “abs” a.k.a. the 6-pack. While this certainly is part of the core, it is only one muscle group of many that could be classified as such. To determine which muscles should be included in our discussion, let’s first establish a working definition. I would say that the core is defined as any muscle that is required for postural control during movement. Now there are a few other functions that “core” muscles have in our body, but this will be the most appropriate definition for establishing training principles. 

The Importance of Posture

The reason I use postural control as my baseline is due to the importance that this has in movement. Think about trying to stand up if you had no muscles to support your spine, keep your head lifted, and pull your chest up. Your body would collapse on the floor. Even smaller movements such as raising an arm or taking a step require small adjustments in posture and muscular tension to establish stability. So without your core, closed chain movement would be impossible. The muscles that are most important in this control do include the “abs” but this is one of many. There are also muscles in your back, your sides, underneath the abs, in the rib cage, in and around your pelvis, and in your hips that all play an important role in keeping you stable and your spine safe while moving.

Training Principles

If we know that postural control is our main concern for core training, what types of activities would allow us to train this area effectively? Let’s first look at what will NOT train the core effectively: sit-ups/crunches. These exercises are two of the most fundamental movements in exercise today, and yet, they have very little use outside of ensuring eligibility for the army. If you think about our new definition of core function, it is not hard to see why these are ineffective: they do not challenge postural stability. Lying on the floor—tightening the abs—trains one muscle to do one movement. Postural control requires all of the core muscle to work together to resist external forces from throwing off your alignment. Add to this that sit-ups and crunches can actually lead to disk herniation (as discussed in Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance) over time and these movements are just not looking so attractive.

If we return to our definition of “the core” we can begin to select which movements to keep and which to let go. Let’s look at a few of my favorites and then talk about why I like them so much.

In each of the exercises above, you saw an exercise that challenged the integrity of my posture. Whether I was holding a position, moving my limbs, or turning my hips or shoulders, my core was challenged because I was RESISTING movement. And this is really what core training is all about. You must challenge your core musculature to resist movement which will allow you to maintain postural control.

These are by no means all-encompassing, but I hope they give you a good starting point for establishing your own core training routine. Exercises will come and go, but principles are enduring. So next time you see a new “core” exercise, just ask yourself, will that challenge my posture? If so, you might be looking at a quality movement to add to your routine. If you are unsure about where to start, the exercises from the video would be perfect. I intentionally used a variety of movements that will all challenge your core in slightly different ways, so each of them will be beneficial in their own way. Play around with them and see what works for you. One last note: core training can only do so much to help show off those sexy abs. Without proper nutrition and sleep, your core training can only help to increase core strength, but not reduce abdominal fat. So if your main goal in core training is the aesthetics, you will want to spend your time eating and sleeping better.

That’s all we have for core training this time around, so get out there and start training your core the way it was meant to be worked!

Core Training Part 2- Posterior Core

As promised, this week’s post will finish up my discussion of the core, and what we can do to properly train it without risk of injury. One of the main points from last week was that the abdominal muscles are responsible for resisting extension in the lower back, which is why we need to train them in that role. This week, I would like to focus more on the gluteal muscles (the butt), as well as the muscles in the lower back, and discuss function and exercise relating to these areas.

First I would like to say that the majority of people out there probably do not have nearly enough strength in their glutes, and too much in their low back. This can be most attributed to the atrophy of muscle and movement that people experience as they spend more and more time sitting, and less time moving. While the abdominals working properly can help to resist over extension or rotation, normal extension is still needed, such as when you pick something off the ground. This would be the major role of the gluteus maximus, with support from its partners; if this group is undertrained, however, the low back muscles must compensate and help the back to extend. This is a dysfunctional movement because the role of the low back muscles is NOT to extend the back. Its role is to stabilize the back, making sure that the spine is kept in proper alignment both in static and dynamic situations (holding and moving). So, if we see that the low-back muscles are over-training, then we know that there is poor movement resulting from weak supporting muscles. This type of movement is putting a lot of strain on the back, and these little stabilizing muscles that run along the spine are picking up the work. In fact, just an 80 lb. weight lifted completely by your back can place 1500 lbs. of pressure on the spine, simply due to the angle from which that muscle must pull. This is not how these muscles were meant to be used, so let’s get those glutes back into action!

Before I go over exercises, I want to quickly touch on the role of the gluteus medius, the muscle most responsible for lifting your leg to the side. While this movement in itself is only at times important, from a functional stand point this muscle also helps to keep your knee in alignment during movement. As it weakens, your knee can become susceptible to inward movement, therefore putting stress not only on the ligaments, but also creating negative effects elsewhere in the body. Remember, the body is a chain of muscles, bones, and nerves, and when something is going wrong in one area, you can bet more problems are on there way.

So, how do we train these muscles? Well instead of looking to hyperextensions and overloaded deadlifts (I like the deadlift, but many people think they can do much more than they are capable of, leading to a break in form, and increased stress on the back) let me suggest some exercises that can help the situation without risk. First: the maximus. When training, you can decide to focus on an isometric contraction (no movement), a concentric contraction (shortening the muscles) or an eccentric contraction (lengthening the muscle). The first exercise is an isometric exercise, and if any of you have ever done yoga, you are probably familiar with the bridge. This one is performed by lying on your back, knees bent, and pushing your butt off the ground so that your shoulders, hips, and knees are all in a straight line. This is a great way to start on your way toward better strength, and if you want to make it a challenge, try straightening one leg, leaving only one leg of support.

Another great exercise is the single leg deadlift. This allows you to work on extension of the trunk using the glutes and hamstrings, balancing, and keeping your knee in line with your toe all at once. It’s also great because you don’t need to load it as heavily as you would a regular deadlift, meaning you are not going to overload your back. Here you are doing the deadlift motion, but with a weight either in both arms or in the opposite hand of the foot you are standing on. Keep that back straight and drive through the hips to straighten your body.

The last exercise I will mention is one to hit the glute medius. Here we are using a band, placed under our feet, then crossed, and held up overhead. This is called an X-band walk, and you basically walk side to side, without swaying your upper body. It is a strict abduction (movement away from the body to the side) of the leg, and it is a great way to target the medius.

I hope this core information has been useful. It is all extremely important no matter what your level of activity. As I said before, without the core, no movement is possible, and if we want to keep our lower backs in good shape, both the anterior and posterior core need to be fully functioning and strong enough to support our movement. Thanks for checking in and I’ll be back again in a week. Happy fitness!

-Colin

Core Training Part 1- Anterior Core

The anterior core, more commonly known as the abs, is the single most important muscle group in the body. It is actually made up of a two main muscle groups: the rectus abdominis (responsible for flexion and resisting extension) and external obliques (responsible for both rotating and resisting rotation). No functional movement in the body can take place without the core activating first, so it is no wonder that core training is such an integral part of any exercise program. Unfortunately, most information concerning core training comes from infomercials and health magazines that rarely explain any research behind their products or suggestions, and base their claims on what will get the most emotional response out of the buyer. This is why every ab product on the market still claims that it will burn fat and turn that gut into a 6-pack. The truth is, you could do a thousand crunches a day and never get a 6-pack. The only way to do that is to move more and eat less. What I want to talk about today, however, is not how to lose weight. What I would like to focus on are the types of exercises that are going on out there today—what works, what doesn’t, and what could actually be dangerous if kept up.

The first thing I would like to say is that hollowing has now been shown to not only be inefficient, but also potentially dangerous. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, hollowing is where you suck in your stomach or draw in your belly button before an exercise. Originally, the idea was that by tucking it all in, you would increase the internal pressure of the “core” and therefore better stabilize your movements. What has been found, however, is that this movement actually lessens the tension, and in turn reduces the amount of load the spine can handle without injury. What is more appropriate is to contract the abs enough to stabilize the body, while not over contracting, which would lead to dysfunctional movement.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about exercises. The latest research in the world of core training has shown that flexion (bending forward) and extension (bending backward) of the lumbar spine (low back) should be limited if not removed from practice. In terms of anterior core, flexion is what we will need to be carful with. What this means is that some of the most common movements in training your abs need to be either eliminated or modified. Most notably: the sit-up and the crunch. The sit-up should be avoided because it puts too much strain on the lower back resulting from high levels of flexion in the lower spine. According to Stuart McGill, a highly respected spine biomechanics professor at the University of Waterloo, sit-ups place a devastating amount of load on the disks, which over time can lead to back injuries. The crunch, while better, can also result in flexion unless you are able to strictly flex at the mid-spine, also known as the thoracic spine. What most people do, however, is try to curl up the head, and as a result, flatten the back against the ground, again resulting in a flexion of the lower spine. If you want to do it right, McGill has his own suggestion. Start with one knee bent, both hands under your lower back and only lift your head and shoulders. Make sure that your back does not flatten, and be sure not to hollow! Other exercises that he suggest include the side plank, and the “bird dog”, where from all fours, you raise alternating arm and leg. You can find out more of Stuart McGill’s work in his books, Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation and Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance.

While McGill has had a profound influence on how core training is now perceived, his exercises are limited and are just a start to how we should train. One of the oldest yet most effective tools out there for anterior core training is the ab wheel. What makes this such a great tool is that we are getting away from the old paradigm of training the abs through flexion, and now training them through anti-extension (Anti-extension, along with anti-rotation, are now thought to be the primary function of the anterior core, meaning that its job is to stop your low back from extending too far or rotating too much). While this is a simple piece of equipment, the abdominal strength required to use such a tool is remarkable. It’s so difficult, in fact, that most people should not even use it at first! But don’t worry—there are other exercises that mimic the movement that provide for a workable progression for the abs. Start out by working on your plank. If you can get your hold up to a full minute, then it’s time to move on. Next is rolling out with a stability ball. Start with your hands on the ball when it is close to you, and then roll out until your elbows are on the ball and your arms are fully extended overhead. From here roll the ball back toward you using your abs to pull your body back from your extended position. You will probably want to perform these movements from your knees, though if you really want a challenge, attempt them from a standing position. Next, we can perform this same action using an ab-dolly, getting us closer to the ground, and then finally advance to the wheel. If you do get to where the wheel is not enough, use an Olympic bar with weight to roll out (and good luck with that!).

Starting postition for rollout (use whichever method is best for you)

End position (Make sure you don't let your body touch the ground!)

Other effective exercises include medicine ball anti-rotations, medicine ball chop and lifts, or single-arm rows from a push-up position (make sure you don’t let your torso rotate).

Medicine Ball Anti-Rotation (don't let your hips turn)

Medicine Ball Chop and Lift

Push-up Anti-Rotation

While these are not all of the options out there, I want to provide enough so that you can get a solid ab workout without reverting to the old way of training. Next week I will talk about the “posterior core” including the gluteus maximus (Butt), gluteus medius (Outer hip), erector spinae (Lower Back), and how this group is just as important as the anterior core. Good luck working the core, and remember—easy on the flexion!