Core Training is More Than Just Crunches…
It’s incredibly common to see the term “core training” used as a synonym for “ab training”, when in fact they’re very different from each other. The abdominals (think of a six-pack) are made up of the rectus abdominis, and their primary job is to bring your rib cage and/or your pelvis closer to your belly button (spinal flexion), as well as resisting the extension, or arching, of your lumbar spine (referred to as anti-extension).However, your “core” consists of all of the various muscle groups that provide stability and movement at the spine, including muscles like the internal and external obliques, the transverse abdominis, the erector spinae, and (arguably) even the glutes, and involves all of these functions:
- Flexion (crunches, leg raises)
- Extension (lumbar crunches, cobras)
- Lateral Flexion (side crunches)
- Trunk Rotation (Russian twists)
- Anti-Flexion (Sorenson holds)
- Anti-Extension (planks, ab wheel rollouts)
- Anti-Lateral Flexion (side plank, unilateral carries)
- Anti-Rotation (Pallof holds)
- Hip Extension (glute bridges)
- Hip Flexion (banded hip marches)
All of these various muscles come together to help move the spine when it needs to be moved, and to prevent the spine from moving when it shouldn’t, and that’s not even including a discussion on the muscles that play a role in simple things like respiration (breathing).
You’ll notice that there is a ton of different types of exercises – what’s important to note is that you DON’T NEED TO DO THEM ALL AT ONCE. Instead, just recognize the importance that variety in training will provide you – whether you rotate your movements throughout your training week or stick with the same movements several weeks in a row, it’s important to cover your bases when looking at your training in the long term.Need some new core training ideas? You’ll find a few ideas below that will hopefully help to inspire your training and aid in creating a comprehensive program.
Give these a try and tell me what you think in the comments below!
