Core Training - The What, Why and How: Part 1
The human body is a wonderful, complex and organised machine. Movement is at the heart of everything we do from 60” box jumps to sitting down breathing watching game of thrones. Movement is achieved by the interaction between bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and of course the brain. With so much attention placed on certain exercises to improve the strength and function of certain muscles, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of movement. These include the origin and insertion of certain muscles and the roles and functions that those specific muscles have. Understanding these concepts are key to understanding the why and how behind movements and not just the what.
Origin – This is the attachment of a muscle tendon to a stationary bone.
Insertion – The opposite end to the origin. The attachment point of the muscle.
Insertion – The opposite end to the origin. The attachment point of the muscle.
Figure 1. Diagram of the upper arm including the origin and insertion points of the biceps.
Muscles exert their function by either shortening (bringing the insertion closer to the origin) or lengthening (moving the insertion further away from the origin.). Muscles will always move in the way the muscle fibres run, this gives us an even further insight into what function each muscle has.
To illustrate this concept let’s talk about the ‘core’. The core is always a hot topic when it comes to sports performance. From coaches who want to finish their sessions with ‘a bit of core’ to players who want that elusive 6-pack (unfortunately you won’t find any ‘shortcut to 6-pack tips’ here). But what is it? How do you train it? What is its relevance to overall sports performance?
It is important to gain a little understanding as to the implications it has for health first before discussing anything else. Principally those muscles are there to contain the organs and help with breathing and digestion, but there not really that important, are they?
The beauty of the abdominal muscles and the ‘core’ is that it provides us with the stability to walk on two legs instead of four. By compressing the abdomen to increase intra-abdominal pressure, it keeps the spine from flexing (falling forward) and produces movement without our bodies caving in on itself.
It is important to gain a little understanding as to the implications it has for health first before discussing anything else. Principally those muscles are there to contain the organs and help with breathing and digestion, but there not really that important, are they?
The beauty of the abdominal muscles and the ‘core’ is that it provides us with the stability to walk on two legs instead of four. By compressing the abdomen to increase intra-abdominal pressure, it keeps the spine from flexing (falling forward) and produces movement without our bodies caving in on itself.
So you’re going to get a little anatomy lesson today. Commonly the ‘core’ contains the muscles ranging from the sternum (breast bone) down as far as the pelvic region. However, it also contains muscles on the rear of the body and could also contain the glutes to some extent. For ease of explanation and to allow you to follow it much easier we’re going to split it into sections, covering bones, connective tissues, muscles (front and back of the body), their origins and insertions and their functions. This will give you a really thorough understanding of the ‘core’, how to train it effectively and will also set you up for following discussions.
Anatomy:
The images below show the bony structure of the chest and the pelvic region. Areas of curiosity are the xiphoid process (the bony structure in the centre of your chest), the iliac crest and the pubic symphysis. These areas are the major attachment points for the muscles that make up our core.
Anatomy:
The images below show the bony structure of the chest and the pelvic region. Areas of curiosity are the xiphoid process (the bony structure in the centre of your chest), the iliac crest and the pubic symphysis. These areas are the major attachment points for the muscles that make up our core.
Figure 2. Anatomical represenatation of the chest cavity (top), and the pelvic region (bottom).
Connective Tissue
These are the most basic types of tissue in the body. They’re main job is to bind and support, hence the name. Think of tendons and ligaments as types of connective tissue. There are two main pieces of connective tissue in the abdomen. These are the linea alba and the thoracolumbar fascia, see the diagrams below.
The linea alba is most visible in athletes that have a well-developed 6 pack as it is the line of connective tissue that seperates the left and right sides of the abdominal muscles. This is different in every person. While some people have a relatively small one, others can be rather large. This accounts for some of the differences in visual appearance of the 6-pack. It also provides an attachment point for several abdominal muscles.
The linea alba extends from the xiphoid process (sternum) and attaches to the pubic symphysis (the joining of the right and left side of the pelvis). The thoracolumbar fascia is found to the rear of the body in the lower back. It runs from the iliac crest and surrounds the deep muscles of the back, attaching to the vertebrae of the spine and continues up to the neck.
While there are numerous more tissues present, these will create a suitable foundation for the next section.
These are the most basic types of tissue in the body. They’re main job is to bind and support, hence the name. Think of tendons and ligaments as types of connective tissue. There are two main pieces of connective tissue in the abdomen. These are the linea alba and the thoracolumbar fascia, see the diagrams below.
The linea alba is most visible in athletes that have a well-developed 6 pack as it is the line of connective tissue that seperates the left and right sides of the abdominal muscles. This is different in every person. While some people have a relatively small one, others can be rather large. This accounts for some of the differences in visual appearance of the 6-pack. It also provides an attachment point for several abdominal muscles.
The linea alba extends from the xiphoid process (sternum) and attaches to the pubic symphysis (the joining of the right and left side of the pelvis). The thoracolumbar fascia is found to the rear of the body in the lower back. It runs from the iliac crest and surrounds the deep muscles of the back, attaching to the vertebrae of the spine and continues up to the neck.
While there are numerous more tissues present, these will create a suitable foundation for the next section.
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Muscles of the ‘Core’
Front
We are going to work from deepest to most superficial muscle here. Starting with the muscles closest to the spine and finishing with the muscles closest to the skin. The main core muscles in the front of the body are the quadratus lumborum, transverse abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques and rectus abdominis. These will be broken down in the following table.
Front
We are going to work from deepest to most superficial muscle here. Starting with the muscles closest to the spine and finishing with the muscles closest to the skin. The main core muscles in the front of the body are the quadratus lumborum, transverse abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques and rectus abdominis. These will be broken down in the following table.
Figure 3. Breakdown of the abdominal muscles including the transverse abdominis, internal/external obliques and the rectus abdominis.
The above table is a summary of the muscles, origins and insertions and actions of each muscle. By knowing the origin and insertion of each muscle, you can begin to have an appreciation for what each muscle does. Once you know what each muscle does, it becomes clear how to effectively train that muscle to make it stronger.
Taking a brief look at the table you can see that the primary function of the muscles on the front of the body is to compress the abdomen, flex the pelvis (think bring ribs to hips or vice versa), and flexion and rotation of the spine. If we are going to target these muscles, then our training must reflect these movements.
Taking a brief look at the table you can see that the primary function of the muscles on the front of the body is to compress the abdomen, flex the pelvis (think bring ribs to hips or vice versa), and flexion and rotation of the spine. If we are going to target these muscles, then our training must reflect these movements.
Figure 4. Image showing the origin and insertion of the erector spinae muscles in the back of the body.
To provide adequate stability in the trunk the muscles on the back of the body obviously have to work in opposition to the front. The erector spinae (above) are the major muscle group that act on the spine to provide extension and lateral/medial flexion. While they originate from various areas around the lumbar region of the body, they attach in numerous locations ranging from the lumbar region to the cervical spine and into the base of the skull. The reason the glutes (mainly the gluteus maximus) was included in this article is that it originates from the iliac crest and attaches to the top of the femur and its main role is to the extend the hip.
Now, we have a basic understanding of what the core actually is and a brief introduction to why it is important from a health point of view.
Stay tuned for part 2 where we will discuss it's importance in relation to sports performance and athletic development!
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