The Truth About Core Fitness

I think there are always two good measures of knowing what is happening in the industry. Because I am usually in my training facility, I don't get to see the mainstream training ideas as much as I use to. Also, I can't look at too many websites or magazines without feeling a little sick to my stomach.

Having traveled quite a bit the last few months it has been interesting to see how people are interpreting still one of the hottest concepts, core training. Scientists and coaches all seem to have their ideas of what core training means. Some are quite complex and other are crude. Hard to say who is right or wrong, most often I tend to think everything is about the context of the individual.

The core training of an elite powerlifter hopefully is different than the housewife that hasn't worked out in 20 years. So, I think it is good to have a philosophy of core training, but progression and appropriate implementation are crucial!

Core training can be hard to nail down because the trunk is a complex structure, add in the hips and you definitely have a lot going on. That is because of all the muscles involved as well as all the nerves that innervate the trunk. So, it isn't as simple as "training the abs", "working the obliques", or "activating the glutes".

See how I break down core training in the new L.I.F.T. certification....