Core Stability: Part 1

by brandon gallagher 

July 19, 2018

When talking about the core we can get confused as to what it is comprised of, what its function is, and how to train it. Due to those misconceptions, training faults tend to arise. Part 1 of this series will be what core stability really means, its function, and what it consists of.

Let’s first talk about what core stability really means. Core stability is the ability to resist movement at the spine. Squatting, deadlifting, pressing, twisting, turning, you name it. The function of the core is to make sure when we are going through these movements that you keep the spine in a neutral position— (neutral spine is a range due to slight degrees of shifting movements when adding weight). This becomes most important in patterns such as the squat and deadlift. When we are unable to resist movement of the spine and we put ourselves in compromised positions, this is when things go bad and injuries occur. To resist force we must be able to know what parts of our body do what, and what is considered part of the core.

What does the core consist of? It is a common misconception that the core is just your abs. The flashy muscles that get all the praise. That may be a valid argument if you are going for aesthetics, But for those of us who are performance/strength-based athletes and just regular day-to-day gym goers who are training functional-movement patterns with the goal of longevity, the core is a whole lot more. A true full-functioning core creates stability from many different points on the body. Essentially, if the core’s main function is to resist massive shifts of movement under stress at the spine, everything that connects to the spine is part of the “core”. Not only your abs(rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis), but your pecs (chest), serratus/rib cage (connective tissue that wraps around the rib cage), hip flexors, erector spinae, lats, traps and glutes. Yes, there is a lot more to the core than just your abs. Let’s take a look at the deadlift, for example, considering this is where we see core stability at its finest. The deadlift demands core stability that is not seen in many other movements. Lifting hundreds of pounds off the floor creates such low margins for error that if one thing goes wrong we can really hurt ourselves. This is why creating stability (resisting movement) of the spine is crucial for the deadlift. Stability for the deadlift is created by many different areas: bracing the core, pecs, rib cage and erectors to resist the back rounding that can occur in a deadlift; creating tension through our lats and upper back to keep the bar in a straight path that creates the most advantageous position for us to lift the most amount of weight, and, finally, creating tension in the glutes through the deadlift to resist movement and pressure on the lower back. This is why when training for core stability we must attack it from all different angles.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you thought this helped in any way, share it with a friend. If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact me through facebook or instagram @brandon_Thrivefitnesswellness or @thrivefitnesswellness!!! Thanks for the support!

Next week’s post will be on how we go about training the core for its FUNCTION!