Core strength is necessary for weight training to improve performance and prevent injuries. According to Vern Gambetta, director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems in Sarasota, Florida, if your core is strong, then you will be strong and stable enough to lift weights and maintain your form without injury. Combining your core workout with your weight training will improve your results and save you time.
Function
According to Gambetta, your core works as a support for your body, much like the foundation of a skyscraper. It involves all muscles and tissues below your chest and down to your upper thighs. Your core includes your buttocks, pelvic floor, back, and all of the deep, small muscles that support your spine. When you move your body, your core stabilizes its position to prevent misalignment or overstretching. It also transfers force from your lower body to your upper body to produce strength, especially in weight training.
Types
Weight training comes in many methods, which includes resistance-training machines, free weights, or your own body weight. Machine-based training provides an environment for optimal muscle growth and allows you to lift a lot of weight because your body is in a fixed position to isolate a muscle group. However, this type of training does not strengthen your core or improve athletic performance.
When you do free weight and body weight training, you use your own body to support yourself. You can do exercises that mimic a sport skill and improve your core strength. For free weights, you can use dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, barbells or clubbells.
Benefits
Gray Cook, who is a physical therapist and founder of Functional Movement Systems in Danville, Virginia, a strong, says that a stable core prevents injuries to your back, hips and shoulders. It also prevents joint and muscle diseases and ailments, such as arthritis, bursitis, spondylosis, and joint strains and sprains.
Weight training not only improves your strength and stability, but also increases muscle size and definition, which in turn increases your fat-burning capabilities.
Expert Insight
According to Cook, one of the best ways to improve core strength while weight-training is to exercise standing up. By changing your leg positions and moving in different directions, you are training to maintain your posture and balance which is what your core does. For example, if you are doing a standing shoulder press with dumbbells, you can stand with your feet hip-distance apart, with one leg in front of the other, or kneel on both knees or one knee.
Misconceptions
Many people believe that core training has to do with training your outer abdominal muscles. However, according to both Gambetta and Cook, your core cannot be consciously activated because it functions reflexively when you move without effort. Core strength is about maintaining your balance and posture when you move in different directions and speeds while generating strength and power.
References
- "Essence of Program Design"; Juan Carlos Santana; 2004
- "Athletic Development"; Vern Gambetta; 2006
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