Core strength-training increases the size of muscles, which support your spine and pelvis. Core strength-training exercises involve contracting your core muscles and building strength by progressively imposing increased resistance on your body. Strengthening your core should involve short, intense muscle contractions because the objective of core strength-training is increasing the amount of force you can generate from core muscle contractions.
Core Muscles
Strengthening your core involves exercises that recruit muscles around your hips, spine and midsection. Your hip muscles include the ilioosoas, pectineus and gluteal muscles. Muscular structures that support your spine, such as the erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, paraspinals and psoas muscles, are part of your core. Core strength-training also targets your abdominal muscles, which include the internal and external obliques, rectus abdominus and transversus abdominus.
Stability
Core stability requires supporting the trunk of your body with dynamic and static positions by contracting your core muscles. Strength-training for your core develops increased skeletal and joint stability in your pelvis and spine. Core strength provides a more stable platform for the actions of muscles in your shoulders, arms and legs. Athletes can benefit from core strength-training because increased core stability improves your ability to absorb blows, such as contact with an opponent. Core strength reduces your risk of injury that might occur from falls and high-impact collisions.
Energy Transfer
Physical activities involve the transfer energy among muscle groups. Stronger core muscles increase the efficiency of energy transfers between different muscles. For example, core strength-training can help basketball players transfer energy from the legs to the arms when shooting. You can direct more energy to your limbs with a stronger core because increased stability prevents inadvertent spine and pelvis movements when exerting force with your arms and legs.
Power Output
Core strength-training increases your power output during strenuous physical activity because you can generate more power by stabilizing muscles in your core and limbs. Fitness expert David Robson explains that fighters generate arm and leg power from core muscles. Core strength can increase power output with arm and leg movements by helping you maintain lower and stronger center of gravity, which gives you more leverage when exerting force. Generating power requires stabilizing your arm, shoulder and leg muscles.
Core Strength Exercises
Holding a weighted plate while performing Swiss ball hyperextensions and crunches strengthens your abdominal and lower back core muscles. Holding a dumbbell during side-bend exercises builds strength in your abdominal obliques. Hanging and lying leg raises strengthen your lower abdominals and hip muscles. Swiss ball hyperextensions, and barbell good-morning exercises, strengthen core muscles in your hips, lower back and gluteal muscles.
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