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"More to Core Than You Think"

By Geoff Kalmbach

Ask anyone just coming out of a "core" conditioning class at the health club how there erectors feel and most likely you will get a blank stare or slapped depending on how you asked. It seems like a fair question to ask since they just finished working that group of muscles but most people have no idea what in the world you're talking about.

Core training is the hottest thing in fitness and millions upon millions of dollars have been thrown into the fitness fad fires of "core" training. Before we go any farther please understand that core training has been around for nearly a hundred years; it just never had a fancy name (core) until about 15 years ago.

Core training refers to working the core musculature not just the abs like a lot of people think. Core training includes the muscles of the trunk and pelvis ( External, Internal Obliques, Rectus Abdominis, Transversus Abdominis, Iliospoas, Quadratus Lumborum and Erector Spinaes). Think of your core as an internal girdle made of muscle.

These muscles are responsible for maintaining the stability of the spine and pelvis and are critical for the transfer of energy from large to small body parts during many sport activities. Any and all activities involve core muscle so, if your core is weak you must train to strengthen it.

The easiest way to understand how your core muscles work is to focus on posture. Right now as you read this column slide to the very edge of your seat. Make sure your feet are flat on the ground and your toes are pointing straight forward. Now bring your shoulders back and draw your stomach in nice and tight. Your back should be in a neutral position (natural arch).

This is perfect posture and the only way to maintain this position is with your core muscles. Try sitting like this for 5-10 minutes without breaking form. Believe it or not this is an example of core training, and once you understand how your core engages you will soon understand how the majority of exercises performed all involve core.

Another example to help you better understand how the core works is to hold a push up position (up) for as long as you can. The first place you start to feel muscle fatigue is in the shoulders and triceps, but the key muscles responsible for maintaining this position are the core, and once they give out your stomach drops and you lose the ability to hold form without risking injury.

For your next workout try performing all your exercises in a standing or seated position like we just discussed. Perfect posture must be maintained throughout the entire movement with a full one thousand one, one thousand two rep tempo up and down (concentric/eccentric). Each and every exercise you choose to perform I assure you involves core when executed correctly.

Remember there is a great deal more to core than abs. Core training alone WILL NOT give you a visible 8 pack of abs so you MUST include better eating as well as muscle sparing cardio.

Too many of you out there bust your butt getting your muscles hard and just leave it at that. Why not go the whole nine yards and trim off the body fat so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor? You've come this far haven't you? . . Finish it!

About the Author:

Geoff Kalmbach is a Fitness Expert, columnist, speaker, and Certified Fitness Professional. Geoff has incorporated health and fitness into thousands of lives all over the world. Sign up for his FREE monthly newsletter at http://www.getfunctionallyfit.com