There are 3 phases of Core Training. When you perform core exercises you can focus on 3 things: stability, strength, or power. Although stability, strength, and power are all related you can emphasize a certain benefit by choosing specific exercises and performing them in a specific way.
Stability refers to the ability of your muscles to maintain a joint's position, posture, and alignment. Strength refers to the ability of your muscles to move a certain amount of resistance through the full range of motion. And power refers to the ability of your muscles to move your body with speed.
Core stabilization is best developed by isometric exercises. Isometric exercises are exercises in which the core, pelvis, and spine have little to no movement. Core power is best developed when you perform exercises in a fast and explosive manner.
Core strength is best developed when you move through the full range of motion in a controlled way and sometimes against resistance. In this article I want to talk about developing core strength.
Stabilization is the foundation of core training, but as soon as you master stability exercises like the drawing in maneuver and the plank, you should then focus on exercises that challenge your abdominal muscles and lower back muscles through a greater range of motion. Crunches on a ball and lower back extensions on a ball are both good core strengthening exercises.
Let's talk about crunches. Crunches on the floor are a good exercise for developing strength, but on the floor your range of motion is limited. Because of decreased range of motion on the floor many physical therapists and personal trainers recommend doing crunches on an exercise ball.
When you perform crunches on the ball, your hips and spine are slightly extended, and this gives you more range of motion. In regards to strengthening any muscle, the greater range of motion you use the greater gains in strength you will achieve.
Okay, now let's talk about working the lower back muscles on the ball. The same issues hold true when comparing back extensions on the floor and back extensions on the ball. You have less range of motion on the floor, so you may not achieve the same improvement in strength. If you don't have access to a ball, back extensions on the floor are still a great lower back exercise, but you can enhance the range of motion using a ball.
When you think about core strength, your goal should be to develop your abdominal and lower back muscles through the greatest range of motion possible. Of course, never compromise form, and always move in the pain free range of motion.
Here's another tip for developing core strength. If you want to maximize your strength gains, you must increase or add resistance to your core exercises once they become easy. The abdominal muscles are just like other muscles. In order to break strength plateaus, you must increase the challenge by adding resistance. You can add resistance to your core exercises in many ways. You can use dumbbells, weighted plates, cables, tubing, or ankle weights.
You can use dumbbells or weighted plates across your chest to add resistance to your crunches. In addition, you can use cables or tubing to add resistance to your crunches or perform functional moves such as standing rotations, lifts, or chops. You can even use ankle weights to add resistance to core moves that involve the legs.
Remember, that before you rush off to challenge your core muscles with resistance, you should first develop stability. Also, begin light when you start to add resistance and build up slowly. More resistance means more pressure on your muscles and joints, and more pressure can increase the risk of injury, especially if you have incorrect form or posture.
After you have developed adequate core strength, the next step is to develop your power and speed. If you participate in sports developing speed is essential to performance and injury prevention. However, if you are not an athlete, you might put less emphasis on developing power and more on stabilization and strength.
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