Core training is one of the most popular and often misused phrases in the fitness world today. For some people, core training means doing crunches until their abs cramp. For others, core training means doing all sorts of complicated moves on various pieces of equipment that look better suited for a circus than a gym. There have been volumes written on core training with almost every author offering a different theory (some research-based, others are pure fiction) on the best way to achieve the elusive six-pack. With all of this information, it can be difficult for the average fitness professional to
determine the most effective core training program for a client. The big question is, “which way is the right way to do core training?” To get to the solution, we must first have an understanding of what the core muscles actually do during upright movement patterns.
The musculoskeletal structure of the human body is designed in such a way that it operates most effectively when standing upright while reacting to the forces caused by gravity and ground reaction. In general, the core refers to the center of gravity which, in most people, is just below the belly button. To fully understand how the muscles of the core are designed to function, all we need to do is observe the human gait cycle.
Just like a computer has a default operating system to make it work, the default operating system of human movement is the gait pattern. When watching the gait cycle, notice how the pelvis and thoracic spine rotate opposite of one another; as the right arm swings forward, it causes the rib cage to rotate to the left on the thoracic spine while the left leg is simultaneously swinging forward causing the pelvis to rotate to the left. The muscles of the core are designed to facilitate this multi-planar action to make it smooth and efficient. That’s right; the actual purpose of our core muscles is to work effectively and efficiently while the body is in an upright, vertical position...
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