Train the core is a hip thing right now. Many workouts and programs are all about training the core and creating a good looking set of abs. The beauty is you ALREADY have that 6pk! It’s a muscular structure; the bad news is it’s often covered up by a layer or two of fat :). Since we don’t have to worry about creating the aesthetic portion of the muscle let’s look at how to create a strong core so you can continue to build a program to help you reduce your body fat % rates so you can see it.
The core is actually a bunch of different muscles that wrap and hold the body, protect the abdominal cavity, and is the source of all our movement. Training of the core is an approach to training that allows you to connect deeply to the stabilizing muscles of the body. These muscles (including your rectus abdominis-the 6pk one, transverse abdmoinis, the obliques, your psoas, hip flexors, hip extenders, and spinal muscles) are involved when you do any major lifting, walking, running, twisting, and especially when you are working to balance. They are part of a larger chain that allows you to move, reach, and compensate for a variety of movements that shift your center of gravity.
Having a healthy core set is important because it allows you to lift stronger, harder, and move faster. As you are better able to do these movements your workouts burn more calories and whala! That layer of fat covering up the coveted 6pk begins to reduce, pants fit better, and you feel more confident. When the core is weak, it can be difficult to create more challenging workouts without injury.
The best way to train your “core” is using full body, multi-plane movements. Some examples are: planks of all kinds, arm balances – like the ones in yoga, but also when you are using a ball, wheel, Spiderman walks, mountain climbers, bear crawls, and movement done on an unstable surface – a BOSU, airex pad, ball, balance disk, etc. Just standing on one foot can increase your core engagement during your movement. Do it now, pick up your foot, pull your belly button toward your spine, make yourself tall by lengthening your spine releasing your tailbone toward the floor, and notice how the middle of you feels. Next, go up on your tip toes, press through your big toes and notice where you feel the muscle engagement. Pay attention to your inner thighs, up through your hips, into your lower back, what happens with your shoulder blades, neck, and head.
These are simple exercises to show you how connected your whole body is, all the time. Begin to use this paradigm when you work out and you’ll increase your core training with every exercise and reap the benefits of a stronger and longer workout.
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