Core

It is a consistent goal and major target area for most people it to get a flat stomach.  Whilst doing ab work will certainly work, core stability or working the core, takes a little bit more imagination than just doing crunchies.  This piece looks at how the core works and tomorrow I will repost the ab workout and video.

There are 5 main muscles that fire together to make the “core”.  Much like an apple core, they sit in the centre of your body and “control internal strength.  

These muscles are the diaphragm – separating the lungs from the abdominal contents, these muscles contract to help you breathe out by pulling the edges of your ribs closer together and slightly downwards. These form the top part of the cylinder that makes the core strong.  The bottom part is then the muscles of the pelvic floor and we hope that these contract inwards and upwards as the core fires (or not as the case may be and so you may fart when you cough or wee when you sneeze!!).  The main muscle around the body is the deep abdominals, connected around the ribs and hips, insert onto each of the lumbar spines (lower back) and insert into the central part of the stomach muscle in the middle of the body. These work with the internal obliques (which attach to the bottom part of the ribs and front of hip) to compress abdomen on the out breath and pull the ribs closer to the back (giving you a FLAT stomach).  Finally a muscle called Multifidus which sits in the grove of the spine holding one vertebrae to the next and “stiffening” the spine when the core fires (protects back). These are the main muscles of the core although your trapz (upper back), Lats and gluteals all work to a lesser extent – those of you who come to my pilates session know I am always banging on about these and about how the core is more than just your stomach.......

The core muscles work as a team and each muscle works with the others to provide strength and stability at the centre. This helps all kinds of sport and exercise and should be trained in the following way.

In the first instance all core training should be done on a still and stable base. If you deep abdominals don’t fire initially, you will use what is known as the “global” muscles surrounding the trunk – hence why we can have some fit athletes with a “weak” core. 

Still Stable Exercises – Held sit up, plank (on knees first then straight legs), side plank – see the abs post about how to do these or the video, “swimming” (Pilates) where you are on all four and lift opposite arm and leg – the abs should pull away from your t-shirt – lift a little to begin with and then work on extending away from the body. Squat and hold 10 sec, in all of the holding exercises, keep breathing, don’t hold breath. Once you can maintain these positions for about 40 seconds, then move on to the next stage.

Moving Core Stability – in plank position initially lift and hold an arm or leg off the floor. Hold for about 6 seconds and then change. Side plank – lift and lower hips or lift arm overhead and back to hips. Sit-ups – lift legs off floor and then move whilst maintaining a still back and hips (any wiggle means you are not being effective so go back to still position). Initially these can be with bent legs and then move on to straighter legs once you can maintain a flat stomach and still back (no arch). Squats - use dumbbells in front or side – single leg squat, lunges, kettle bell swing, squat and stand on one leg, add overhead press (arms in line with ears chin tucked in).

The main give away that the core is not firing is that the back arches - hence ribs lift (no firing of deep abs and obliques). If this happens you must stop. A) It is no good for your back B) complete waste of time as you are not teaching the core to fire. I see little point in training in the wrong position.

 These can be done everyday and should be done a minimum of 3 times a week – and you can do as little as 5 minutes.....brill