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Core Training – Overrated or Underrated?July 8, 2009 on 10:03 am | In Strength Training | 8 CommentsI’ve been posting videos up like a mad man, but its time to get back to some dialogue on the site. QUESTION: Generally speaking, do you think core training is underrated or overrated? Post your thoughts in the comments. _____________________________________________ I will get to my answer, but first today’s video – #8 of the 30 day challenge. Hanging Iso Hold Leg Raises – “Scissors” This is a very difficult exercise to control. It requires tension in the core, while promoting movement of the hip flexors. To make it harder, we used the hanging and rolling pull up bar. To increase difficulty use a weight on the foot or retract the shoulders. My Opinion On Core Training: You could really defend either position on this one. I would say its overrated by the general population. Every time I hear someone say “I just want to tighten up my midsection with some crunches” it makes me sick to my stomach. However, I think its underrated by high school coaches. It is a popular trend to say that your core is “just mirror muscles.” I’ve heard coaches ay that exact thing to athletes many, many times. In reality the core is essential for the transfer of energy from the lower body to the upper body – ie swinging a bat, throwing a football, hip explosion into an upper body movement, etc. My Core Strength Story, or lack thereof I remember “coming out of retirement” my senior year in college to pitch a baseball game for Colgate’s club team. I hadn’t pitched a game since senior year in high school, but I threw a couple in the back yard, thought I still had the velocity. I pitched the first 5 innings like I was back in my hayday. We were up 7-0 and I was rolling. Going out for the 6th inning I started to feel my left oblique tighten up. Midway through the inning my core was on fire and I could barely put any movement or velocity on the ball. It wasn’t my arm that was sore, it was my core! After that inning I was pulled from the game with the score tied up at 7-7. The next day I could barely stand up straight because of the delayed onset muscle soreness on the left side of my core. Had I been training the core properly, my throwing would have not fallen off a cliff, and I would have had a much happier ending to the story! We lost 10-8. Post your thoughts in the comments! Joe Hashey, CSCS
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Joe,
I have to agree with you that core training is overrated with the general population. All you have to do is look at all the crappy products sold on TV the past 15 years to understand most people don’t have a clue.
Core training is a requirement in any training program, but with anything else, you can do too much. You directly and indirectly work your core everytime you do compound lifts, so hitting a few sets of a core exercise at the end of your session should be enough. Some people may not even need that depending upon what they are actually doing in their routine.
With everything though, we are all different and have different strengths and weaknesses. Soem may need extra work, some may not. I think I am going to go get my Abs of Steel video out of the attic and get to work!!!
Comment by Josh M. — July 8, 2009 #
Joe,
I’ll agree with you and Josh about core training being overrated by the “general population” but I’ll go a bit farther and say that it is probably overated in the rehab world as well. Just like flexibility. Sure both are needed but you just gotta balance out everything.
Comment by Bill Jones, MS, PT, CSCS — July 8, 2009 #
Bill, good point about the rehab setting. I’ve learning some great information from physical therapists….and some stuff that wasn’t so good. Just like everything else I guess!
Comment by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS — July 8, 2009 #
I think core training is very important, but in another way the television commercials tells humanity. Let say I have a back problem ( In reality I do) Training my core, and parts of the back, can bring back the pain with 80% and it gives me a change of doing more things then without core training.
But it
Comment by John — July 8, 2009 #
The importance of core strength cannot be over rated. Weather you are a golfer or a powerlifter, you will never be able to fully and efficiently transfer force without developing strength through the core.
Comment by JR — July 8, 2009 #
Coach Hashey,
Stuart McGill often mentions how elite athletes in certain sports are experts at “double pulsing” where they have the initial rigidness to transfer the power initiated in the hips and then are almost relaxed until contact (with a golf ball, baseball, opponent’s face, etc.) when there is a second pulse. This is clearly a crucial quality, but core training certainly gets bastardized by so many in the popular media.
Comment by Jack — July 8, 2009 #
I know it’s generic but I agree with all the responses above. I think core training in the big box gym IS overrated b/c it usually consists of hundreds of bosu ball crunches and ab lounge type exerices.
But, for folks that KNOW how to train it can’t be overrated. Again without a strong core you have no power.
Bill, the rehab aspect is an excellent point!
What’s that 800-number for the ab circle pro again?
Comment by Jamie Sulc — July 8, 2009 #
From what I’ve seen, functional core training such as most of the exercises you post that are directed towards athletes are underrated by most of the population. They are usually reserved for elite athletes because they teach the muscles to move the way they were meant to move and they prevent injury and enhance performance. However, most of the population need to do these exercises to prevent injury in their everyday lives. Most people shovel snow, pick up boxes, children, move things around etc. They often suffer from back problems due to muscle imbalances and weak “core” muscles. The general population use exercise machines because they are easier but these machines do most of the work. They do not teach the person to engage their stability muscles. Usually, they just sit there and isolate one muscle. To me, that is a waste of time. They could be doing multiple joint exercises that engage their stabilizers and more muscles at one time. Also, working one muscle at a time can cause imbalances due to people only using their favorite machine. When it is moving day, they don’t activate the muscles they should and their backs blow out. Also, some people think that core training is some fluffy boring trend that only pilates and yoga geeks do. It is overlooked because it is not seen as something that burns calories and brings cosmetic results. It is often misinterpreted as something easy that is only meant for people in rehab. People don’t realize that it can be done with weights, tires, chains etc.
Comment by Rhea Morales — July 10, 2009 #