Foundation Building: The Core

 “The loftiest edifices need the deepest foundations.” George Santayana

The most important thing in all areas of life is to have a solid foundation. Just like a building that we want to last is to have a good foundation, the difference is our foundation needs to move, rotate while staying stable. Our core is our foundation, if the core is weak it leaves us open to a lot of issues.  Research has shown a decrease in low back pain when strengthening the deep abdominals, hamstrings strains relate strongly to poor glute max activation, Shoulder mobility issues and shoulder pain relate strongly to poor posterior cuff strength and scapulae stability. The good news is we can take steps to correct a weak core.  We are going to look at the core, define what it is, look at how to train it correctly. So we all have a strong foundation!

 The general accepted idea is that the core is the abs and low back, but the core goes from hips to shoulders. This means that the core involves two systems, the local stabilization system, and the global stabilization system.  The local stabilization system involves the muscles that attach to the vertebrae, they are responsible for keeping your spine stabilized. Muscles in this system are the transverse abdominus and the multfidi, the secondary muscles are internal obliques, diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles. The local muscles are made up of slow twitch fibers, active in endurance activities. They are activated at low resistance levels. The global stabilization system are superficial and are responsible for controlling for body’s movement. They are made up of the following muscles: rectus abdominus, external oblique, erector spinae, psoas major and the ilicostalis. They are made up of fast twitch fibers, used in power activities, and activated in higher resistance levels. Many people have a weak core is due to working one system without engaging the other system. So lets take a look at the how to train the core correctly.

The first thing we need to do is learn how to brace, abdominal bracing allows  for increased spinal stiffness and allow for a co-contraction via their attachment to the lumbodorsal fascia with the multifidi  How to brace: reach behind your back and press your thumbs into your lower back extensors while you bend from your hips, feel the extensor contract. Then extend into an upright posture to the point where you feel flaccid again, without moving contract the abs and feel the extensors  contract again. You have braced.

Onto the exercises to for proper core training 

Front Plank  :

Start in a push up position, move the forearms to rest on the floor. Use the core bracing technique. Pull your shoulder blades towards your low back, tighten the lats, tight the  glutes. Hold for 30 seconds and release onto your knees. Lat activation is important in all pressing and pulling movements as it stabilizes the shoulder.

Psoas Stretch  Start in a half kneeling stretch with the back leg, fell the front of the hip to  stop it from rotating. Stand in a lunge position, stretch the iliacus and hip portion of the psoas muscle. 

Janda situp Start on your back, place a stability ball under your legs. Pull your heels to your butt through the stability ball, as you sit up. The sit up is from bottom of the chest up, the whole thoracic piece comes up as one. Do not lead with the head.

Bird Dog  Get on your hands and knees, brace your abs. raise the opposite arm and leg hold for a count of 3 repeat on each side three times.

Glute Bridge  Lie on your back with your knees bent, dig your heels into the floor. Squeeze your glutes at the bottom, press your hips upwards off the floor into extension by contracting the glutes. There should be a 90 degree angle between the upper and lower leg. 

Glute March It’s the same principle as the glute bridge, you extend one leg straight out one at a time, hold for two counts, switch legs. 

Russian Twist  Sit on the floor knees bent like in a sit up position, keep the feet together and slightly above the ground. Keep your torso straight with the back at a 45 degree angle. Hold your arms together away from the body, grad a medicine ball with both hands move from side to side touching the ball to the ground on each side.

A strong core is the center axis from which all movement will take place. Imagine the body as a wheel, the core would be the hub and the limbs would be spokes. Hopefully this article has opened your eyes to the importance of the core, and how to train the core properly. On the agenda for tomorrow is the top ten stress relievers to keep that stress down for a beautiful weekend. We will back again on Sunday with another article looking at Sweeteners. Please share this blog and sign up for the mailing list.

Think he has a strong core?