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Core / Abs Conditioning Course - Intro
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Having a strong and conditioned core not only looks good but is imperative for posture, movement and staying injury free.
What is the core? The core can roughly be defined as the muscles in the main torso of the body, both front and back. If you think its just about 6 pack abs and obliques then you are only scratching the surface. The Core's intricate collection of muscles work and connect with one another in order to provide support and protection for the spine and also to provide a solid platform for your limbs to work off. Having a weak core, as Paul Chek once said "is like firing a canon from a canoe". There is no magic Bullet when it comes to core and abs training. You need to take a scientific and systematic approach to your training. These are the areas that need to be addressed: Breathing Most people provoke a stress response when breathing. Breathing too shallow through the chest is a survival mechanism that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and releases the cortisol hormone that promotes an increase in blood sugar but ultimately fat storage, especially around the gut. Breathing deep through the diaphragm not only strengthens the core but is an integral part of the inner core. Inner Core Consisting of the Diaphragm, Pelvic Floor, Multifidus, Transverse Abdominis, together these make up a compression chamber that works to protect the lower spine. Through excess sitting, shallow breathing and incorrect exercise technique these areas tend to be dysfunctional resulting in saggy guts and lower back problems. Outer Core Now we turn to the global core muscles and the ones slightly more familiar; Rectus Abdominis (6 pack), Internal and External Obliques, Lats, Quadratus Lumborum, Erector Spinae, Glutes, to name just a few. These are the muscles that will look good but also have a huge postural influence. Once you understand the core and how it works then you can start to program your exercises correctly. For example, science now shows us that the majority of core muscles are designed to prevent movement not produce it. What the Core is really designed for Think about running, the core muscles provide a stable vertical platform for the limbs to work off. Yes some core muscles do assist through our natural sling systems but ultimately their job is one of stability. Runners with weak core muscles often injure their lower backs. How about our Rectus Abdominis (6 pack) muscles? Yes they do assist when you sit up in bed but ultimately their main role is to prevent extension of the spine. In other words, stop us bending to far backwards and breaking our own backs. It's a natural defence mechanism. All this begs the question, why are we doing "sit ups" or "crunches" or using an "ab roller". Not only are we training the muscles backwards but we are also reinforcing the bad postures that we develop hunched over at our desks everyday. So now we know that we must train our core to resist movement not promote it. We also know that we must develop our breathing, inner core and outer core. This is where we need to start. Lets Begin Over the next 8 weeks we are going to progress from one exercise to the next building a rock hard core systematically and scientifically. You will need no equipment and can follow along at home. All Members can watch the videos and start Session 1 here. |