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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Are You Training the Core Correctly?



I wrote this almost 2 years ago for a PT blog site I ran for a short time and thought I had posted it here but it turns I had not so here it is.
Chances are no.

In our interviews, we ask what are the 5 main muscles of the core musculature and in the history of the 9 or so years that the studio has been operating, less than 5 applicants have got all 5 muscles correct. We’ve had muscles answered like the pecs, lats and hamstrings which can be to a degree but they certainly aren’t the main muscles of the core by any stretch. This is an actual situation that present4d itself a couple of years ago in a group interview we held:

Applicant 1: Piriformis

Applicant 2: Piriformis? Really?

Applicant 1: Yep.

Applicant 2: I didn’t know that.

Me in a thought bubble: Wowee, what morons.

So every PT harps on about how important the core muscles are and that we should train them as much as we can but it seems that a lot of us don’t even really know what the it is, let alone how it should be trained.

Well be prepared to be endowed with knowledge.

One of the most prevalent postural problems for society is kyphosis or rounded shoulders. We all should know that this basically comes from tightness of the anterior torso and weakness in the posterior torso. Another thing to think about is that the rectus abdominis insertion is on the ribs and its origin is on the pubis so any tightening of this muscle can, and will, depress the sternum resulting in not only a kyphotic posture, but also possible respiratory problems.

A few years ago I popped a video up on youtube detailing how to properly train the core for AFL football, as part of my site, www.aussierulestraining.blogspot.com.

Here’s my take on training the core and then a list of the 59 exercises I did on the video.

The primary function of the core musculature is to stabilise the lumbar spine, resisting any forces that attempt to destabilise it. As you go along and advance in your training, it can then act as a transmitter of force generated from the lower body moving up into the upper body (think shot put).

IT DOES NOT, AND SHOULD, NOT GENERATE MOVEMENT!! ESPECIALLY AT THE LUMBAR SPINE.

At Full Circle Fitness we do not do any exercises or stretches that rotate the spine. All rotation should come from the hips and the thoracic spine, unless spinal facet damage is the goal of your training session.

The core is more about what it can prevent, than what it can produce, meaning that it can flex the spine. But should it?

It can hyperextend the lumbar spine but should it?

So now we can break up core exercises into categories:

1.       Stabilisation

2.       Anti Rotation

3.       Anti Extension

4.       Anti Lateral Flexion

5.       Anti Flexion

Stabilisation refers to being able to stabilise the lumbar spine during activity such as a stability hold, prone brace or whatever you wanna call it.

Anti Rotation refers to stabilising the lumbar spine against rotation forces such as anything involving a stability hold or push up on either 1 leg or 1 arm. You need to resist the rotation from the 4th lever being lifted off the ground and to keep a neutral spine and avoiding any twisting that may occur.

Anti Extension refers to be able to hold your pelvis in neutral during core exercises such as roll out and prone stability hold positions for the most part.

Anti Lateral Flexion refers to any exercise that uses off set loading where you need to keep your spine straight and avoid tilting to one side.

Anti Flexion refers to be able to stabilise yourself so as not to fall forward such as in a front squat or any exercise where the load is held out in front of you.

Below is the list of all the exercises from the video in order and what core quality they train. Clients love when you can actually tell them what the exercise is doing for them and makes you sound 100 times better than any other PT.

S = Stabilisation

AR = Anti Rotation

AE = Anti Extension

ALF = Anti Lateral Flexion

AF = Anti Flexion

1.       Stability Hold – S, AE

2.       Single Leg Stability Hold – S, AE, AR + Glute Activation

3.       Stability w/ Hand Tap – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability

4.       Stability Hold w/ Toe Tap – S, AR, AE + Scapula Stability, Thoracic Extension

5.       Stability Hold w/ Rear Delt Raise – S, AR, AE + Scapula Stability

6.       Stability Hold w/ Plate Switch – S, AE, AR

7.       Stability Hold w/ Hip Mobility – S, AE, AR + Hip Mobility

8.       Stability Hold w/ Hip Extension – S, AE, AR + Glute Activation

9.       Stability Hold Core Walk – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability, Hip Mobility

10.   Stability Hold w/ Thoracic Rotation – S, AE, AR + Thoracic Mobility

11.   Push Up Hold – S, AE

12.   Single Leg Push Up Hold – S, AE, AR + Glute Activation

13.   Push Up Hold w/ Arm Raise – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability, Thoracic Extension

14.   Push Up Hold w/ Toe Tap – S, AE, AR + Glute Activation

15.   Single Arm Push Up Hold – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability

16.   Push Up Hold w/ Shoulder Tap – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability

17.   Swissball Push Up Hold on Hands – S, AE + Scapula Stability

18.   SB Push Up Hold on Feet – S, AE + Scapula Stability

19.   Single Arm Swissball Push Up Hold – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability

20.   Swissball Roll Outs – S, AE + Scapula Stability

21.   Swissball Push Up Hold w/ Toe Tap – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability, Glute Activation

22.   Swissball Roll In – S, AE, AF + Scapula Stability

23.   Swissball Circles – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability

24.   Swissball Lateral Roll – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability

25.   Alternate Arm and Leg Deadbug - AE

26.   2 Arm Alternate Leg Deadbug - AE

27.   2 Arm 2 Leg Deadbug - AE

28.   Kneeling Pallof Press – AR + Glute Activation

29.   Standing Pallof Press – AR + Glute Activation

30.   Up and Down Pallof Press – AR, AE + Glute Activation

31.   High to Low Cable Chops – AR, AE, ALF

32.   Low to High Cable Chops – AR, AE, ALF

33.   Kneeling Barbell Roll Outs – S, AE

34.   Bilateral Ring Roll Outs – S, AE

35.   Unilateral Ring Roll Outs – S, AE

36.   Rower Roll Outs – S, AE

37.   Rower Body Saw – S, AE

38.   Sliding Roll Outs – S, AE

39.   Sliding Body Saws – S, AE

40.   Side Stability Hold – S, ALF

41.   Side Stability Hold w/ Abduction – S, ALF + Scapula Stability, Glute Activation

42.   Side Stability Hold w/ Sliding Abduction – S, ALF +Scapula Stability, Glute Activation

43.   Side Stability Hold w/ Cable Row – S, ALF, AF, AR + Scapula Stability, Glute Activation

44.   Side Stability Hold w/ Hip Thrust – S, ALF + Scapula Stability

45.   Side Stability Hold w/ Hip Thrust and Rear Delt Raise – S, ALF, AR, AF + Scapula Stability

46.   Side Stability Hold w/ Thoracic Rot – S, AE + Scapula Stability

47.   Prone to Side Stability Hold – S, AE, AR, ALF + Scapula Stability

48.   Bird Dog DB Rows – S, AR, AE, ALF + Scapula Stability, Glute Activation

49.   Single Arm Renegade Row – S, AE, AR + Scapula Stability

50.   Mountain Climbers – S, AE + Scapula Stability

51.   Froggies – S, AE + Scapula Stability

52.   Breakdancers – S, AE + Hip Mobility, Thoracic Mobility

53.   Sliding Shoulder Glider – S, AR, AE + Scapula Stability

54.   Cable Push Pull – S, AE, AR, AF + Scapula Stability

55.   Landmines – S, AE, AR, AF + Glute Activation

56.   Band Pallof Press w/ Side Step – S, AR, AF + Hip Mobility

57.   Dragon Flag - AE

58.   Russian Gymnasts – S, AE, AF + Scapula Stability

59.   Tight Rotations – S, AR, AE



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