Core strength training

Importance of core strength training

Core muscles are the center of your body’s strength. Core muscles are those found between the top of the legs and the chest line. Core muscles consist of the oblique, abdominals, lower back, and the gluteus.

These four areas of the body are the ones that mostly frame the posture of a person. Good posture reflects a good condition of these muscle areas. Having strong core muscles will make you physically more powerful, it will help you to maintain balance in physical activities. All explosive body movements start in the core region.

Core muscles have three main tasks:

1. Generating movement of the body

2. Protecting and supporting the spine

3. Protecting the internal organs

Are You Tired Of Doing Crunches and Situps With Little Or No Progress?

Combat core is a training program that offers innovative core strengthening and stomach flattening exercises adopted from martial arts training. These exercises can even be easily plugged into your current training program.

Strong core has nothing to do with a six pack

If someone has a ripped six pack it doesn’t certainly mean that he/she has strong core muscles. Mostly it only shows that this person has a low level of body fat, nothing more. People often underestimate the importance of strong core musculature, especially abdominals. For many people a six pack is just a way to show off. They do cardio exercises to burn the stomach fat but don't do any core region strengthening exercises.

To improve core strength you need to use full body movements, in other words - you need to make your workout as functional as possible. This is exactly what TacFit commando does. No fooling around, just a thorough workout in order to improve ones strength and physical abilities for real life applications.

Different core muscles have different tasks

To put things simple there are two types of muscles in the core region. The first type is inner muscles. These are the muscles that surround the spine. Their task is to support the spine and hold it at a certain pose. Strength of these core muscles directly affects the condition of the spine. The other type is the outer muscles. These are the muscles that we are able to contract. Their task is to generate movement.

Core strength training exercises

Considering that there are two different types of core muscles with different tasks, it is obvious that training all these muscles at the same time is complicated. That is why a good core strength training program should consist of exercises for both types of muscles.

For inner muscle training you should use static exercises. It means that you will be holding one pose (for example - a standard plank) for a set period of time. These static exercises train your balance, increase muscle endurance and make your inner muscles much stronger. For outer muscle training you should use exercises like crunches and leg rises. These exercises will make your muscles bigger and more powerful.

Of course training with specific exercises for core will improve your strength but to get a really functional core you have to train your core muscles indirectly. If you train with advanced bodyweight exercises you may not need to do any additional exercises because almost any bodyweight exercise incorporates core muscles. If you train with weightlifting in a gym, a good idea is to work with free weights like kettle bells and sandbags, because while performing such exercises the core muscles work as stabilizers.

Functional core strength

Core muscle training definitely doesn’t stop at crunches, sit-ups and hyperextensions. Doing those exercises will help to strengthen your core but it isn’t the best nor the only way to do that. Strength in general should be considered as a unique skill. Different movements require different kinds of strength. The world record holder in sit-ups certainly doesn’t possess the incredible strength and impact absorption abilities of an MMA fighter. On the other hand the MMA fighter doesn’t have the balance and coordination skills of a freerunner - the list could go on and on.

George St. Pierre - UFC champion

A man performing the human flag

MMA fighters, gymnasts and parkour practitioners – they all possess functional core strength. You can choose in which direction you want to develop your strength, but you have to remember one thing – you won’t obtain functional core strength by doing only crunches, sit-ups and leg raises.

If you ever want to perform such advanced exercises like human flag or L pull-up you have to progress to more advanced and versatile exercises.

Core training is for everyone

It doesn’t matter if you are an elite athlete, housewife, or office rat working from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Anyone can and will benefit from regular core muscle exercising. It is never too late or too early to start exercising. Believe me - a strong core will also make everything you do easier.

Exercising and stretching core muscles as a part of a workout routine will help you greatly in maintaining and improving balance, physical independence, health and strength.

Functions of the spine

To understand the importance of strong core muscles, it is essential to comprehend the functions of the spine:

1. Carrying, holding and supporting the body

2. Protecting spinal cord and spinal nerves

3. Movement function

Due to the spinal discs and joints, a limited movement is possible between all vertebras. The part that moves the most is the area of lumbar vertebrae which consists of only five vertebrae. It's common that untimely wear of joints and spinal discs occur in this spinal area. Therefore this area needs some extra support from core muscles.