Core

Core

It is kind of ironic, since the title of this article is a word that I absolutely despise. The reason is this. I think that every "Joe Shmoe" out there who is trying to sell a fitness product will attach the word "core" or "functional" to it and “wa-la” you have a ground breaking apparatus that is really a piece of crap. In addition to that, having a strong core does not equate a six pack or visa-versa, nor does it mean that you are a great athlete. OK I know that I have digressed a bit, but I think you see where I am coming from. The only reason that I use the term, “Core”, here is so that way everyone can relate and know exactly what I am talking about.
First of all I think that it is important to talk about what exactly the core does, and what muscle groups it is made of. Generally speaking the core is where the power of the body is initiated for almost all athletic movements. In addition, this is where our support comes from as we carry out our athletic endeavors. Your core is also where the majority of your balance comes from. The muscles that make up the core are most notably the abdominals, but also include the lower back muscles, your hip flexors, hamstrings, and all of the glute musculature. It is easily seen in the diagram below; the most important muscles are those in the center, and as we work our way out the muscles become less important.
After identifying the musculature, the next step is to look at how it works, especially when we are in the midst of athletics. Obviously in basketball we use our hip flexors, hamstrings and glutes in jumping and sprinting. Some other musculature that I did not mention earlier would be that of our hip abductors and adductors, which are critical in all lateral movement. So for the most part all of these muscles do quick explosive movements, thus they should be trained using quick explosive movements. Some examples of these are Olympic lifts; clean, jerk, and snatch. Also plyometrics work very well for developing quickness in muscles.
Finally, I would like to touch on the muscles of the abs and low back. These muscles function quite a bit differently than those mentioned before. Their primary action is an isometric contraction otherwise known as a static hold. They do not need to lift vast amounts of weight, but do need to be able to support and stabilize your body all day long and while performing in athletics. In my opinion the best way to train these muscles is to do overhead lifting. Anytime you do a lift where you use your upper and lower body at the same time you are required to use you "core" in order to connect them together.
As for balance I will touch on that in a later article specifically about the topic, and how to improve it. Questions and comments always welcome, tkolb@northernmichigansportsmed.com.