do we need to train the 'Core'?

So the quick answer is YES we do need to train the 'core' but most of us go about it the wrong way and probably don't really know what 'the core' really consists of. 

The majority of training regimes focus purely on the visible muscle groups, a hangover from the bodybuilding revolution that shapes the traditional commercial gym... 

While some of us appreciate that there is a relationship between different muscle groups, we fail to understand that these muscles require a strong foundation to be able to work off effectively. ​

That foundation is known as the core...

Core stability provides control over the centre of the body and allows you to maximise the strength and power, which can be derived from other muscles, particularly those of the legs and arms. It is possible to have large muscles but a weak core, meaning that you cannot reach your potential in terms of strength or power. 
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I like the analogy that your core is similar to the chassis of a car, your shoulder and hips are the engines, you can have big engines but a weak chassis will mean poor energy transfer between the two and therefore a 'leaking' of energy. 
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Your core consists of your back and deep abdominal muscles, but also stabilising muscles in the hip and shoulders. If these core muscles are weak, then the body will compensate by finding different ways to support itself.

​This might look like collapsing knees in a squat or rounding of the back - not good places to be under load. In addition to loosing power in these positions you also put yourself at. huge risk of injury. 

IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MUCH WEIGHT TRAINING YOU DO, YOU ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS YOUR WEAKEST LINK.

How can core stability improve performance?

• More efficient use of power, less effort lost through compensating movements needed because of a weak core.
• Decreased risk of injury, forces are sent to parts of the body which are able to deal with them, rather than those which are stepping in because of a weak core. 
• Increased ability to change direction.
• Greater speed generation ability.
• Improved balance and muscle co-ordination.
• Improved posture. 

BASICALLY... YOUR BODY WILL BE ABLE TO PERFORM MORE EFFICIENTLY WITH LESS RISK OF INJURY, what more do you want?

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HOW TO TRAIN THE CORE

Most people associate abdominal training with training a strong core, which is correct to a point, strong abdominals will help to stabilise the core.  

However, if you only perform sit ups or crunches to train your core, then you are training the abdominals to create motion rather than as stabilising (you also shorten the hip flexor which can contribute to lower back pain). A far better way to train the abdominals is to train them to stabilise, which would support and hold against the forces of other moving limbs. 

We also need to train in multiple 'planes of movement,' many of the movements we perform are done in one plane (direction) at a time, for example, the bench press machine, or any other weight machine, does not really transfer into any real life application or sport. 

Think about it when would you need to lift a weight without needing to stabilise it? 

Many sports require constant combinations of rotation, often multiple directions and limbs. The core is responsible for controlling these rotational forces. However, it does not get stronger by training in one plane of movement. Exercising on an unstable base like an exercise ball can help wake up these stabilisers and stimulate multi-directional control and wake up the core stabilisers! 

CORE STABILITY & LOWER BACK PAIN

While it is not the only contributing factor, a weak core is often associated with lower back pain. The muscles which support the lower back are often the ones which have stopped working effectivly when pain is present. 

Development of the core and a strong trunk are essential to recover from back injury or pain.

​There will be some 'brain work' to do, this is developing a relationship between muscles that you may not have consciously tried to work before. This is not always easy and will require mental focus to begin with, but over time this will develop and begin to activate automatically. 

Most people I have worked with also are tight in the hipflexors or quads, so effective stretching of these is also required. Avoid over stretching of the hamstring, even though it feels tight. 

*WARNING LONG WORDS ALERT*

THE CORE MUSCLES

The Abdominals are not just one muscle but are made up of the following: 

- Rectus Abdominis
- Transverse Abdominis &
- External Obliques 

The situp or crunch trains the Rectus Abdominis, add in a twist and you get the External Obliques, but what often gets left out is the Transverse Abdominis, which wraps around the entire trunk and has the primary role in keeping the lumbar spine and pelvis stable during movement. ​

THE GLUTEALS (AKA YOUR BUTT)

The muscles around your hip and butt are not for sitting on!

They are the POWER generators. The 'glute max' is activated by any movement which involves the bending or straightening of the hip. The Gluteals are key in the development of speed, lifting, jumping, controlling a landing and balance. 

So having a strong butt is pretty important.  

Weak glutes can often be associated with pain in the knees or back, they also mean an increased risk of injury and unable to perform at their maximum potential. 

Other smaller muscles in this region, in particular, the glute medius is responsible for side to side stability of the hips and sideways leg movement. Without these muscles functioning properly, you cannot stand on one leg without your pelvis tipping to one side, bending your spine and excessively stressing the lower back, this decreases efficiency and risks injury.  

There are numerous other small muscles in the hip region which have important roles to play in stability & throughout the core workout they also will need to be activated to assist the larger muscles to control your hip and knee position. 

UPPER BODY STABILITY

The upper body core stability muscles are just as important, if you move your arm, you need a stable base to move it from. This base is your shoulder blades or scapular. To be able to do this effectively the scapular must be fixed to the trunk in some way. Otherwise, the force will be lost. 

The muscles responsible for scapular control are the upper and lower trapezius. Poor control of these muscles has two effects, the first is that there is a loss of power in the arms and forces are sent to different areas of the neck. The second is that injury risk increases, both in the joints of the neck and shoulder.

Summary

To effectively train your core for stability, it helps to identify your objective.  

It could be that you want to improve your general posture or reduce back pain, it could be that you want to train for a specific sport in order to avoid injury and increase performance. 

It also helps to develop a basic understanding of how the body works, which muscles are where and what they do. This will help with identifying what needs strengthening or engaging depending on what activity you are about to partake in. 

Incorporating tools such as the swiss ball, or BOSU into your training can be invaluable in stimulating your bodies stabilising muscles, the ball will allow you to train various functions of the muscles, not just increasing strength. If you are training for strength and want to prevent injuries, the return you will get on focusing on the core will be well worth it. 

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