The “core”. It’s a word commonly thrown around, but often misused and misinterpreted. What exactly is it? How do we train it?
As complex as our “core” is, core training today has somehow been relegated to abdominal training – namely, crunches and situps. In my opinion, the core is literally everything between our upper and lower extremities – the hips, torso, and midsection.
Now, let’s take a look at each of these individual regions and their respective anatomical designs. The lumbar spine (lower back) can safely rotate approximately 13 degrees, which is an extremely minute range of motion. It is also an area that is prone to injury when exposed to repeated flexion and extension. Why are we training an area that so obviously craves stability by crunching, bending, and twisting under load? Here’s a quote from physical therapist Shirley Sahrmann in her book Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes:
“During most activities, the primary role of the abdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and limit the degree of rotation of the trunk which, as discussed, is limited in the lumbar spine.” (Sahrmann, p. 70)
When we train for core stability, we are actually training for spine stability. Now, if this is true, why do I believe that the hips and torso are part of the core? Why not just the midsection? This is definitely where the line starts to get blurry. Where does training for hip mobility and stability, as well as thoracic spine (trunk) mobility have any place in a “core” training program? This is where we need to start thinking outside the box.
Each of our joints (feet, ankles, knees, hips, low back, upper back, shoulders) need a certain degree of mobility (how well a joint moves) and stability (how well a joint resists movement). When a baby is born, they are one big ball of mobility . They can’t even stand, let alone walk. But as they move around and develop some strength throughout their joints they start to crawl, stand, and eventually walk. Ever see a baby squat down to pick up some toys?
Picture perfect mobility
Now, fast forward this same exact child 30+ years. Picture him in a cubicle working over 40 hours a week sitting at a desk job hunched over his computer. Our bodies and tissues start to adapt or “creep” to this caveman posture. What used to be a ball of mobility eventually turns into a stiff board of stability!
Our bodies are masters at compensating. When a joint like the knees lacks stability (more mobility), the joints surrounding the unstable joint (the hips and ankle) are forced to “lock up” to prevent further instability throughout the body. The same goes for a joint like the hip that is mostly meant for mobility but for whatever reason (sitting for long periods of time for example) starts to stiffen up and become more stable. The joints (knees and lower back) surrounding the hip pick up the slack and become more mobile.
Now, what this tells us is that without proper hip mobility, the lumbar spine is not able to hold itself in a stable position. What about the thoracic spine? Unlike the lumbar region, the t-spine has close to 70 degrees of range of motion compared to the 13 degrees in the lower back. Ever watch an athlete rotate through their lower back? Probably not. If they’re good and injury-free, they probably swing through their upper back and hips.
Look at Tiger Woods and Albert Pujols. Different sports, but same mechanics. Both are rotating perfectly through their trunk and hips while maintaining a solid midsection. In athletic or functional settings, having a strong core will allow the body to transmit force from the ground to the upper extremities. In the event that an athlete showed a weakness at any point throughout that transfer of force, a series of “energy leaks” would present themselves that would seriously limit the potential of elite performance.
So why are we still prescribing exercises like russian twists and cable chops where the emphasis is rotating through the lumbar spine rather than attempting to preserve the stability in the midsection?
Now, if having proper hip and trunk mobility is so crucial for lumbar spine stability then why aren’t we considering them as part of our “core” training? Why do we only insist on training our “six-pack” muscles? If we dont re-evaluate how our bodies actually function, then we’re crunching and twisting our way to future lower back issues.
Part 2 will discuss safe and effective exercises to train the core. Until then,
Train Hard!
Jason
