Today we are going to talk “Core Training” and go over its benefits and how to get the most out of your “Core Exercises”. Before we do that we have to define what your “core” is. To keep things simple your core is all of the muscles that surround your spine and help stabilize your spine, aka your “abs”.

 

Let’s start off by debunking an age-old training myth, spot reduction. No matter how many abdominal exercises you do you cannot target where you lose fat and no exercise or supplement will “melt the fat away”. Your muscle will get stronger but to lose fat your diet needs to be in check, which is outside the scope of this blog.

 

So why is training your core so important and how do we do it a little bit differently here at Core Principles than some other gyms.

 

A strong core is extremely important for things that take place both inside and outside of the gym.

 

Numerous studies have shown that back pain is correlated to core strength.  A strong core helps to stabilize your spine, your spine was meant to move but not under load. This can be when you are at home picking up a box, picking up a kid, or playing with your kid. If you do not have the proper strength to stabilize your spine you may end up bending awkwardly, twisting and hurting yourself. A strong core is extremely important for sports, especially rotational sports such as golf, tennis, paddle, ect. Having a stronger core will help you hit the ball further harder and move better.

 

So how do we do things a little bit differently here at Core Principles? Well, we think about core exercises as Anti-exercises. You’re probably wondering what the hell is an Anti-exercise? All that means is, during the exercise the force we are working against is trying to bend, twist, or rotate our spine and we have to use our core muscles to prevent that movement, hence, Anti These anti- exercises are important because we put less wear and tear on our vertebrae, as opposed to the more traditional thought about core exercises like sit ups and crunches. Now while crunches and sit-ups do have a place in the heart of core exercises, these anti-exercises keep our body healthy and strengthen our muscles just as much, if not better than the latter. Now, we know that if you do a few sit ups your back is not going to explode however we do know that repeated bending of your back increases the stress on your vertebrae which we should try to avoid.

 

There are 3 main types of Anti- exercises. They are Anti-extension, Anti-rotation, and Anti-lateral flexion. Below are three exercises that you may have heard of that employs these thoughts and should be practiced regularly. Remember, the goal here with each of these exercises is to try to prevent as much movement as possible

 

Anti-extension (anti- overarching your lower back)

 

Plank

 

Anti-rotation (anti-rotating your back)

 

½ Kneeling cable anti-rotation press

 

Anti-lateral flexion (anti-side bend)

 

Trunk Lift

 

There are many different exercises for each of these categories these were just a few. Remember, a strong core means a healthy and happy back, it will help keep you safe when lifting things or playing with your kids, and will help improve any rotational sports that you play.