WHAT'S THE CORE FOR? (It's Not About the Six Pack)

Everyone wants to work on their core. Most of us do it for the wrong reasons.

Would it be cool to have a washboard stomach and a six-pack? Sure. But if you want that, you probably need to overhaul your nutrition instead of doing 1,000 situps a day.

When we talk about the core, we're actually talking about four layers of abdominal walls that criss-cross your midsection and work together to support your spine, prevent back pain, improve posture and help you execute daily activities safely.

Any well-designed exercise program will emphasize core training, especially when someone is just getting started. Asking someone to perform a loaded squat or deadlift before they have the core strength and ability to support the load would be irresponsible.

THE THREE FUNCTIONS OF YOUR CORE

There are three practical functions of the core, and three types of exercises to improve those functions:

Anti-Extension: The goal here is to strengthen the muscles that allow you to avoid extension of the spine. These exercises include Dead Bugs, Ab Wheels and Med Ball Overhead Slams.

Anti-Rotation: Here, we're training the abdominals to avoid rotation through the spine. These exercises include a Pallof Press, Plank Shoulder Taps and Medicine Ball Anti-Rotations.

Anti-Lateral Flexion: For this function, we're trying to avoid misalignment of the hips (side-bending). These exercises include Side Planks, Loaded Carries and Offset Loaded Carries (holding weight on only one side).

THE REAL TAKEAWAY

Sure, having a strong core could also lead to a flat stomach and maybe even a six pack. But don't think doing endless situps and crunches is going to make your abs magically appear. Flattening your stomach has more to do with your calorie burn and your diet.

There's more to the core than just appearance. It serves a vital purpose if you want to live a healthy, pain-free life.

If you're not sure where to start with core training, that's exactly what I help my clients figure out. A well-designed program builds the foundation first, so everything else you do in the gym is safer and more effective.