The core is a muscular system that provides the force to stabilize and move body segments. The core could be considered the link between the upper and lower extremities, Jeffery Willardson wrote in the December 2007 issue of "Strength and Conditioning Journal." You should know the various muscles that make up the core before planning exercises to train this group.
Abdominals
Tracy Handzel, in his article "Core Training for Improved Performance." identifies the abdominal muscles as a key part of the core. He breaks down the abdominal muscle group--or abs, as they commonly are called--as comprising the rectus abdominus, the transverse abdominus and the internal and external obliques.
Hips
Paul Goodman, in his article "Connecting the Core" in the November 2004 issue of the NSCA's "Performance Training Journal," identifies the lumbo-pelvic-hip area as a complex conglomeration of 29 muscles that attach to the core. This musculature, Goodman says, is responsible for stabilizing, transferring, reducing and producing force when your feet are in contact with a solid surface.
Back
Handzel says the muscles of the back--such as the erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, paraspinals and the psoas major, to name a few--are included in the muscles of the core. These muscles, he says, are responsible for supporting postures, creating motion and coordinating muscle actions, and for maintaining stability.
Core Responsibility
Handzel states that regardless of the type of movement or activity, the center of the body, or core, is responsible for the process and outcome. Based on the overall responsibility of the musculature, the need for appropriate and adequate training for your core should be a fundamental part of your exercise program.
References
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Core Stability Training for Healthy Athletes: A Different Paradigm for Fitness Professionals; Jeffery Willardson, Ph.D., CSCS; December 2007
- "NSCA's Performance Training Journal"; Connecting the Core; Paul Goodman, MS, CSCS; November 2004
- "NSCA's Performance Training Journal'; Core Training for Improved Performance; Tracy Handzel, CSCS; December 2008
