Introduction
So what
exactly is the connection? Think of your
body as one long chain with each muscle group representing a link. The core muscles (rectus abdominus, obliques,
transverse abdominus, latissiumus dorsi, hip flexors, and a few others) connect
the upper and lower extremities and serve as an energy transfer segment from
the one end of the “chain” to the other.During
activity, a muscle lengthens before it contracts (shortens), which is called a
transformational zone (TZ).
During athletic movements TZ are necessary for
locomotion. In the core, TZ are at the
end range of torso extension, lateral flexion and/or rotation and it is very
important to train through these TZ to minimize injury risk and maximize
strength.
Practical Application
Envision a baseball pitcher – the legs and hips generate a
great deal of force during the wind up which is transferred through the core to
the shoulders and finally to the hand where the ball is released at high
velocity. A pitcher further relies on
the core to decelerate the arm and body during follow through. Pitchers, therefore, must go through several TZ
in one pitch, all involving the core to either enhance loading (lengthening) or
unloading (shortening) of muscles in all three planes of motion. A strong core will maintain proper posture and
maximize energy transmission, whereas a weak core is a poor energy conductor that
compromises technique which further decreases pitch velocity or increases injury
risk. Also consider how often a pitcher
stops moving all other muscles and performs an abdominal crunch motion. This crunch, or any isolated muscle movement,
does not occur in sport. Obviously,
throwing a baseball greatly differs from running a marathon, but the concept of
sports-specific training applies to all athletic movements. During running, energy transfer works from the
top of the chain down, i.e. the arms, shoulders, and chest generate force that
is transferred through the core to the legs and finally to the ground. Likewise a weak core, or a core with poor
endurance, can decrease performance by compromising form.
When selecting core exercises, make sure at least 75% are
ground-based (standing on your feet) and performed at speeds mimicking the
sport (e.g. baseball and football players should perform core exercises
explosively). Also understand that
numerous exercises will engage the core without isolating it – push ups,
squats, lunges, standing shoulder press, and nearly any other ground-based,
free-weight exercise requires core stability.
Yoga, Pilates, and Mat Exercises
Yoga has been around, well longer than you and me and maintains
its popularity through improving mind, body, and spirit. Similarly, Pilates improves core strength, flexibility,
and mental focus but neither practice alone improves running-specific strength. Has a running coach ever encouraged you to
move as slow as possible as a Pilates instructor might? Have you ever run while lying on your back?
Yoga, Pilates, and traditional
“abs” exercises should account for the other 20-25% of your core training and
are best performed on active recovery days or at the end of a workout. They complement training well, but lack sport-specific
adaptations.
Summary
Training the core involves a lot more than just working the
abs. Crunches will increase abdominal
strength and may help you get a six-pack, but as an athlete (elite or
recreational) sport-specific strength should be the priority. To achieve this sport-specific core strength,
perform the majority of your exercises:
1) While standing on the ground
2) In all three planes of
motion (sagittal, frontal, transverse)
3) Through the full range of motion
(into each TZ)
Mat-based exercises have their place in training, but alone
are not effective in improving athletic movement.
Click Here for Exercise Examples (and print version of this article)
Justin Robinson, MA,RD,CSSD,CSCS,FAFS
Coach - Catalyst Endurance Coaching
Director of Strength &
Conditioning - RU Sports Performance Center
