What is core?
“It is the ability of your trunk to support the effort and forces from your arms and legs, so that muscles and joints can perform in their safest, strongest and most effective positions.”
With all these in mind which are vital in most field sports every athlete wants top have a strong core.
Many new training devices have been devised to train core stability and have had a great value to athletes if used properly. The idea behind the stability ball, for instance, is that by forcing an athlete to perform movements while on an unstable surface, the deep abdominal wall will need to control the trunk to successfully perform the movements. This can be extremely effective, but should be used in its proper context. Not every exercise needs to be done on an unstable surface all the time.
Medicine ball training is also an effective training tool, especially for developing trunk power. Compound free-weight exercises, such as squats, Olympic lifts and snatches are also extremely demanding on the trunk because there is a lot of weighted movement going on that the body has to stabilize and adjust. Some "stationary" types of the exercises, such as planks, can be useful, since the trunk's main function in sport is many times to be a stabilizer, not a flexor or extensor.
Athletes must be aware of his or her time spent in order to get the proper training. What's the position? In what phase of training is the athlete? The answers to these questions dictate what exercises get chosen and how much or how little of each should be done. The trainers at setanta fitness help athletes incorporate the right core workout into an overall strength and conditioning program that takes their game to new levels.
By training the core, you can improve:
• Muscle power
• Improved posture
• Agility
• Speed generation
• Muscle co-ordination
• Improved balance
• Decreased injury risk
Neutral posture
A fundamental component of core stability and core stability training is neutral posture- this allows your muscles to perform efficiently and reduces your risk of injury.
‘Neutral alignment should be maintained fort the most effective use of stabilising and mobilising muscles. Poor posture is the root of many preventable sports injuries and weak performance. Identifying signs are excessive ‘arch’ in the lower back and ‘slouching’- both are side effects of weak core musculature.
