“Core strength” is a buzzword in the fitness industry that is not totally understood by most people. Some might just think it means doing situps, some think we’re born with it, or some might not know how to work on core strength at all. I work it into all exercise programs and tailor the skill level to each client, and I will give some general tips here. Want to test your core strength? Read on.
Briefly, core strength involves having the proper musculature in your trunk or midsection to properly carry the body. That includes “abs” (rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis), obliques (internal and external), back (erector spinae). And since we move in 3 dimensions – side flexion , extension and flexion (front to back), rotation – this is a very functional and important concept for everyone. You may have heard that the rectus abdominis (the long flat muscle that runs from your pelvis to your ribs) is one of the bigger muscles in your body – which is great for burning calories – but it only moves you one way in trunk flexion. This is what you work when you are doing crunches.
Now, here’s the test: does your ab routine consist only of crunches? If so, you may be sacrificing strength in the other core muscles, which causes an imbalance and places you at risk for injury – like low back pulls/spasms, pain in other joints, or even oblique tears if you play sports that involve rotation (golf, softball). Most injuries occur in the rotational plane because it is rarely trained well, if at all. Just go look in a gym and see how many people are doing any trunk rotation exercises; you’ll probably see 4 people doing crunches on a mat before you see one person doing seated trunk rotations. But this type of motion is very common every day, whether you are hurling a bowling ball, sweeping/raking, or lifting a child (think about it – do you only lift boxes or kids that are right in front of your toes?).
I said in the beginning that I tailor core exercises to the skill level of each client – so don’t immediately go do 100 trunk rotations and woodchops because I made you feel guilty! The first tip is to think really hard about how balanced your core muscles are.
Here is a demonstration of a seated trunk rotation with a medicine ball, a fairly good exercise for beginners to focus on core strength (the more beginner, the lighter the ball). The focus is on form at first, not weight – this uses all core muscles in either stabilization or action, so it’s important to get it right. If you can do 3 sets of 12 reps for 4 or 5 workouts, you’re in good shape to progress to a more challenging seated angle or medicine ball weight. If you are too weak in some or all of the muscles used, you may want to work each muscle in isolation. Here’s how you’ll know:
- if you cannot do 8-12 reps without keeping your back straight (ie, your back curves into a “C” shape and your shoulders slump forward), your erectors (low back) are weak. Work on those for several weeks by doing Supermans.
- if your feet lift off the floor while you are rotating to each side, then either your abs or obliques is weak. Try a lighter or no medicine ball (you can hold each end of a light weight, too). If that doesn’t help, isolate the muscles for several weeks with Side Planks (only as shown here, with bent knees and elbows).
Once you build up strength and coordination, you will be able to move from seated trunk rotation to Standing trunk rotation, and so on. There is no limit to what you can do, you just need to start with the basics so you are training the proper form and focusing on strengthening the correct muscles. In fact, many advanced movements that work core stability can also give you a pretty good cardio workout too! Core strength is crucial to avoid injury and maintain balance and good posture, so I encourage you to add a little more “core” to your day!
