When we talk about core muscles most of the people tend to imagine plank and ab and spine exercises.
But first of all, core muscles are needed for postural stability, which is, however a dynamic thing.
Their primary role is to fire just before any other limb movement is done. And this is not a voluntary control. They should be strong enough but their firing time is even more important.
Core muscles are about timing and sequencing.
What are core muscles
Let’s look closer at them:
- Transversus Abdominis (TVA)
- Multifidi, plural (Multifidus – singular)
- Diaphragm
- Muscles of the pelvic floor
In this article you’ll read how to train Transversus Abdominis and Multifidi with a stress on awareness of them first.
Core Muscles Training Video
Learning proper multifidus contraction.
Learning proper transversus abdominis contraction.
Some in-depth concepts of muscle stabilizing from Gray Cook in this article.
An excerpt:
First, you must understand that the brain recognizes movement patterns and not simply muscle groups. Yet, many professionals are still stuck in isolation training or muscle group training. Understanding movement patterns is a little more in-depth and complicated than simply understanding muscle groups. You need to understand the role of stabilizers and the role of movers. You need to understand the most basic patterns of human movement and how they build upon each other in a neuro-developmental sequence starting in infancy and developing through childhood. You also need to understand that the most fundamental activities of the human body revolve around simple and basic movements of running and climbing. Running demands that a spine is stable and transfers energy from one leg to the other as well as deal with the counterbalance movement of the arms as they swing whereas climbing requires that the spine be mobile, adaptable and dynamic. These are two fundamental movements of the human body; yet, in contrast in their demands of the core.
