Independent
Articles & Videos About:
1. Core Strength Training
2. Core Exercises
3. Functional Exercises
Learning About Body Core Conditioning
By Nicky Pilkington You rely on your body to get get out of bed,
to lift your children, to perform your job and to take you places everyday.
If you appreciate what your body does for you, you will provide it with
nutritious food, hydrate with water and be sure to add some activity into
your day.
While our limbs provide mobility, reach and strength it is our body core
that provides the basis of each movement. Sedentary lives can cause our
body core muscles to weaken and become subject to strain or injury. Even
if you workout or participate in sports you may not be working the body
core muscles you rely on to perform.
WHAT IS MY BODY 'CORE'?
Your body core is the midsection of your body, from your groin to your
shoulders. The core includes the pelvis, abs, back and chest muscles. It
is this core that offers stability, balance and flexibility. Every movement
you make originates in the core - whether you are reaching for your toothbrush
or running a marathon. If the core is not properly conditioned it will limit
your physical abilities.
Working the muscles in your body core will improve the effectiveness of
movements in your limbs. Most exercise routines focus on building muscle.
By creating a stable, strong base for those muscles you can optimize the
strength and flexibility of each limb.
HOW DO I STRENGTHEN MY BODY CORE?
There are many exercise routines and products that work the muscles of
the body core. Professional trainers create customized routines to enhance
an athlete's abilities by developing the proper core muscles. However, there
are also many programs developed for individuals who wish to incorporate
it into their fitness routine or to begin one.
The exercises and products developed to strengthen your body core do so
by creating resistance or instability so that the core muscles must respond
to maintain balance. The exercises are gentle on the body but are intense
and beginners will quickly 'feel' the muscles being used. Proper alignment
is key so having a trainer to check your position will help identify the
safest and most effective way to perform an exercise.
Body core exercises often imitate moves that we employ in daily life or
sports and thus train the body to rely on the core and reduce the strain
we put on our limbs. Two popular forms of exercise that develop core body
strength are Pilates and the Swiss ball.
Pilates uses the body as its own form of resistance. Learning to breath
properly and perform slow, controlled movements allows a person to isolate
and strengthen core muscles.
The Swiss ball (also known as a Fitness ball) is an easy and fun way to
strengthen the body core. While there are many exercises that can be performed
with the Swiss ball, simply sitting on it will create the instability needed
to engage the core muscles to maintain balance.
Good core strength is important at every age and fitness level. Whatever
your goals, find a way to incorporate body core conditioning into your routine
to reduce fatigue, avoid muscle strain and improve your strength and mobility.
Pilates Exercise: More Than Just a Core Workout
By Jamie Clark It's a common misconception that Pilates method exercise
is really only good for strengthening and stretching the core muscles of
the body. Many people use it to tone their abs and improve their posture
but, in reality, Pilates can do much more than that. In fact, when combined
with an aerobic "cardio" exercise component (e.g., jogging or
Spinning) Pilates can provide you with a fantastic full-body conditioning
workout!
Pilates Exercises for Strength-Training
Many Pilates exercises are great muscle-toners that work large muscle groups
beyond just the abs and lower back. The Plank position, for example, effectively
works the chest and triceps muscle groups. Leg kicks work the glute and
hamstring muscles very well. Free squats are one of the best lower-body
exercises around, working the quadriceps, the hamstrings, and the glutes.
And don't think these are "sissy" strength-training exercises.
Many of the world's top martial artists practice them on a daily basis to
toughen their bodies and reduce the chance of getting hurt.
Pilates Equipment
When it comes to workout equipment, it's hard to beat Pilates devices like
the Reformer and Wunda chair. Not only do they stretch and strengthen muscles
-- providing great full-body conditioning -- but they "teach"
you how to use the different parts of your body together efficiently. Efficient
body movement is a key to great overall fitness, injury prevention, and
high-level sports performance. Portable Pilates equipment like resistance
bands and the Pilates circle are also effective fitness tools. They're inexpensive,
easy to travel with, and can easily be incorporated into many of your current
muscle-conditioning routines for increased benefits.
Mind-Muscle Benefits
The muscle-control and mental-focus gained from doing Pilates on a regular
basis can help you in all areas of fitness. This is one reason why so many
professional athletes are now taking Pilates classes. Few exercise system
help you to coordinate your mind and body as well as Pilates. The benefits
of this coordination are increased strength, improved posture, alleviation
of pain, improved mental focus, and (obviously) improved physical coordination...
to name just a few!
Putting It All Together
Simply put, Pilates exercise is a highly-effective method of total-body
conditioning. No, it won't put slabs of new muscle on your body. But it
will make the muscle you have look great, while providing an array of benefits
that typical weight-training can't give you. Throw in some good cardio training
and you've got a complete solution for great fitness and health!
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Jamie Clark is a fitness expert, researcher, and "health nut" who enjoys Pilates exercise and writes for PilatesMethodExercise.com.
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Core-Principles: The Function of Functional Training.
By Kurt Hurley Okay…okay…okay! Enough already!!! It seems
like with every new term, every new invention or just about anything that
is seemingly not "Everyday" that we all become flustered and assume
we know nothing, which is both a testament to our lack of faith in ourselves
and also a reflection of our ever-growing dependence on externals to give
us a little reassurance where our natural instincts should be in high gear.
My intention with this article is not to offend anyone especially those
that whom, without their continual support I would surely be seeking a new
line of work, and yes I am referring to my clients, so please don't feel
like I'm bashing "you" if I ever refer to any particular individuals
or events, no names will be mentioned though. Okay so…a while back,
a client that I really respect and admire as a person had a dilemma that
caused quite a bit of frustration for him and the other party that was involved…his
daughter, also a client. What happened (an avoidable sport related injury)
was tough on all involved, including myself, which, for me was my integrity
as a fitness professional, something that I don't take lightly and also
a profession where in today's world either has a negative connotation or
if viewed positively, "we" are all equally educated and equipped
to handle all aspects of fitness when it comes to the customers specific
and infinite diversities; be it post-rehabilitation, specificity of sport,
special populations or general fitness concerns or needs... All fitness
trainers are not "professionals" (imagine that!) nor are they
equal in their abilities and hardly ever do you find a fitness trainer with
expertise in a variety of different specialties! It takes many years of
education, study, application with thousands of delicate intricacies (people
are complex) that make us all, well…'us", minutely distinct.
It also requires an understanding of unique differences in personalities
and the ability to cope with a multitude of unknown, potential disasters;
not to mention…likes, dislikes, opinions, lifestyles, cultures, beliefs
and so on… And it's not just a general understanding of anatomy, physiology,
exercise-science or athleticism… It also includes an aptitude in psychology,
communication and a deep desire to help others and to serve your fellow
man with all that propels you forward…or at least that is what it
is to me!
I'm a pretty sensitive guy especially when it comes to my client's needs
and the fulfillment of their needs and when something strikes to the bone
such as this particular incident, I become so absorbent of their concerns
it usually drives me to really dig deep into myself and hopefully I become
a better resource for my clients out of these situations, which ironically
if you read on is why I am writing this piece in the first place. The previously
mentioned sport related injury of a talented young athlete is what motivated
me to put pen to paper, she is very gifted and posses the kind of personality
that we desperately need as role models in modern day athletics. But she
was injured by a degreed professional and it seemed like there wasn't anyone
around that could see 'the picture' clearly: The "DIAGNOSIS"…rehab-therapy
mingled with the rigors of hard-core team training…this boggled me;
rehab always precedes specificity (sport) training, build, repair and then
if recovery is attained, hit the hard-core stuff, plain and simple because
re-injury will surely squelch the spirit and possible prevent true talent
from ever recognizing it's infinite potential.
This article is actually on core training or as I'll title it… Kore-Training,
but what is really functional training and not just abdominal/tummy training
or training the body from it's core center of gravity or even training the
body beginning with it's proximal musculature moving outward toward the
distal focal point. The big misconception with core training is that it
is just mid-section training and all you have to do is some quick crunches
or even worse hyperextensions and your "core" will be stronger
and leaner. I hear this all the time and it still puzzles me, its one thing
for the customer seeking fitness to not be 100% sure what core training
is, but a professional should know better! Guess what? Too many fitness
trainers, sports and conditioning coaches and other so-called "professionals"
have no idea that core training is! In essence it is just functional training
and 'functional' simply translates to the training of function/daily uses
of the body or just training our bodies as they were designed to move. This
obviously varies from person to person, athlete to athlete and the specific
uses of each and every individual. Now, for a little tech-talk…
If you wanna get down to nuts and bolts, the primary vicinity of the core
is called the…are you ready for this? Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip-Complex and
in order to enhance the integrity of the core, what we are really doing
is developing better dynamic postural control, increasing muscular balance,
a greater degree of neuromuscular and bio-mechanic efficiency and building
or rebuilding structural endurance and stabilization strength and power.
And that's core training… What does this mean to the layman? Crunches?
Sit-ups? No! It means something different to each and every one of us. Are,
ab exercises part of core training? Perhaps, if the lumbar region is strong
enough to endure these exercises, but usually crunches are performed so
poorly that a greater potential for injury will nullify what positive effects
the crunches might possibly provide. So, the answer is both yes and no,
depends on who is asking and your particular conditioning level, however
rather than sticking our bodies in odd looking machines we should use movements
that are relative to our activities or our sport or more specifically we
should just use movements that keep our bodies free to move through space
as we target various muscle groups, and if pondered, it doesn't take a genius
to figure that out. The truth is both the Greeks and Romans trained for
competition like this thousands of years ago, not to mention the fact that
our bodies have not changed that much biologically, biochemically or physiologically,
we are made of the same material as they were then.
Common sense is the key, move our bodies as they were designed to function
and allow them to improve through progression and repetition. If we are
looking to rehabilitate, repair or strengthen debilitations or genetically
pre-disposed weaknesses then my advise would be…consult a qualified
professional and by professional I mean someone who has a back-ground in
this specific area of 'application' or applied expertise: this "expert"
should give an assessment and then a prescription of a detailed movement
protocol for the individual, what you should be weary of is the "professional"
that eagerly dispenses a standardized penciled-in work-out sheet that resembles
your…'Free-Introductory-Work-Out' card at "Jack's Work-Out Shack".
Also, if any of these "professionals" hurt you… Then, they
simply are not "PROFESSIONALS"! Final note, I am adamantly opposed
to "knocking" hard working, well intended others of my particular
profession as well as those of the medical community, but when injuries
are concerned, we should always do our selves justice and seek more than
one (1) 'professional' opinion…degrees, credentials and "leg-up"
opportunities aside…and I know you don't need me to tell you that.
I, applaud each and every one of you that chooses the right choice, because
the right is merely an echo of truth!
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Kurt Lee Hurley's clients refer to him as the "Secret Weapon" and after over 3,000 weight loss successes, his Provo, Utah Wellness Facility has become known as a "Results Factory" a "Living Laboratory" of Achievement, Enhanced Human Performance and a place to congregate for Empowerment and of course, the Success of attaining Weight Loss RESULTS!
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Stabilizing the Core to Eliminate Low-Back Pain
By Rich Lauro Stabilizing the Core to Eliminate Low-Back Pain
By Rich Lauro MAT, MES, PRS
This is the first article of a series of articles to follow. In this article
I will be addressing one of the main core stabilizing muscles of the lumbar
spine and its role in back pain, as well as specific exercises that should
be performed to prevent and recover faster from your back pain. You should
make these exercises part of your everyday routine, just like brushing your
teeth.
Words of wisdom before performing these exercises:
· Consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program or
if you're experiencing radiating pain.
· Don't stop your exercise program just because your back feels
better. Continue exercising to keep your back pain from returning.
· Where most rehabilitation programs fail is in the selection and
repetitions they prescribe to their patients. People with weak back muscles
should not only strengthen these muscles but should concentrate on building
muscle endurance since these muscles are at work all day long.
· Consider working with a Muscle Activation Technique Therapist
to identify and correct muscular imbalances and to make sure all muscles
are functioning properly.
Core Stabilizer:
Transverse Abdominal (TVA) is a very important stabilizer of the low-back.
It is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and the only one that runs horizontal.
It activates prior to the muscles of the hips and thorax. When contracted
it flattens the abdominal wall and compresses the viscera. The TVA is required
for all integrated movements. If the TVA is weak it will allow bulging of
the anterior abdominal wall increasing lordosis in the low-back and will
also create a lateral bulge in (forward bending) or extension (back bending).
Researchers used EMG activity to identify the timing of the TVA and the
multifidus contraction, compared to other abdominal muscles, during movement
of the upper limbs in response to visual stimuli. They found that, in subjects
without lower back pain, the first active muscle was the transverse abdominis
contracting prior to the upper limb. The model they developed "identified
a consistent dysfunction of transverse abdominis in people with low-back
pain.
Isometric Exercises Explained:
Before we get into the specific exercises for the TVA I would like to explain
why isometric exercises are so important.
In order to activate the TVA muscle fibers or any other muscle for that
matter, a weak muscle must first be "jump started" using MAT Therapy
or by using isometric exercises before you can strengthen it through exercise.
If a weak muscle is not first jump started, then the body is forced to compensate
and use other muscles to perform the desired movement.
Isometric exercises solve several problems that Rehab programs and weight
lifting activities do not solve:
Problem #1: A weak muscle will not contract with most strengthening exercises
because dominant muscles will compensate for weak muscles.
Problem #2: When the body senses instability in the joint, it will tighten
up to protect the joint. Stretching a tight muscle will only create a temporary
release and could result in a more vulnerable joint.
Problem #3: Muscle imbalances may occur through repetitive use of the same
muscle, or through injury, causing the body to go into "protective"
mode.
When performing isometric exercise contractions, the contraction should
be held for 6 seconds and repeated 6 times. This allows time for peek tension
to develop and metabolic changes to occur in the muscle. The muscle should
be placed in its shorthend position. In this position the muscle is at its
weakest. The intensity of each isometric contraction should increase. By
the 6th contraction, greater range of motion and neural input should occur.
Exercises for the TVA
· This exercise is critical in re-estabilishing good communication
between the brain and the key stabilizer muscles (TVA). Progressing to advanced
abdominal exercises when your body is not prepared will only magnify muscular
imbalances that can cause injury and pain.
· Lie on your back and cross your left leg over right leg. Your
left heel should be next to the right knee. Rotate right approx 30 degrees
your left hip will come off the ground several inches. Push knee into the
ball or wall 6 times for 6 seconds. Start lightly and increase pressure
each time. If you feel cramping in the inner thigh you are pressing too
hard. This exercise will activate the TVA and should be followed up by regular
abdominal exercises.
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