How to Train The Core

Have you ever heard someone say “Engage the Core!” and wondered, what does that even mean? Well, this post will help you find out.

To understand how to engage the core, you first need to know (1) What the core is and [2] Why you should care about engaging it. With this knowledge, you can then easily learn [3] How to engage and train it properly

[1] The Core Details

Anatomically, the core refers to the group of muscles around the torso region but the specific muscles changes according to which health care professional or trainer you ask. Generally speaking, your core includes:

• rectus abdominis (six pack muscles)
• internal and external obliques
• erector spinae
• quadratus lumborum
• transversus abdominis
• diaphragm
• pelvic floor muscles
• multifidi

Functionally, the core can be divided into two groups: the Outer Core and the Deep Core (the italicized muscles).

Outer Core

Everyone knows the Outer Core muscles because everyone wants them. The six-pack muscles. The obliques. It’s what everyone trains first because these muscles look really good when they are strong and defined.

Besides making you look good, these muscles are prime movers, meaning they generate force to help move your core in different directions like bending forwards and backward, side to side or rotating. For example, if you are swinging a golf club, you will need to use your outer core. To be fully effective though, the outer core needs to work in conjunction with the deep core (also known as inner core).

Deep Core

The Deep Core is the functional stability unit of the core. Unlike the outer core, its role is to keep the core from moving. In other words, it stabilizes so that prime mover muscles (like the outer core, arms and legs) can have a platform to generate force.

Think of your core like a boat and your arms and legs are like cannons

In essence, when you use your arms and legs, it’s like firing a cannon off your core (boat). If you have a “weak” or poorly controlled core, your core is like a rowboat. A cannon fired off a rowboat is going to wreak the boat. If you have a strong or well controlled core, your core is like a pirate ship and the actions of your “cannons” do not affect your core much at all. In fact, it will actually help your arms and legs generate more force and be more accurate in their actions if your core is strong.

In a more scientific explanation, think of Newton’s third law of motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

For you to push open a door, your arms need to generate force and an equal force will be generated against your core. The deep core is responsible for stabilizing that force. If it doesn’t do its job, your outer core muscles will have to move AND stabilize at the same time which can lead to injury. Speaking of which…

(2) Why should you care about engaging the core?

Simply put, an engaged core, specifically the deep core, helps you prevent injury, maintain movement and enhance performance!

Engaging the deep core does this by:

• Not allowing the prime movers to pull on your spine in ways that cause injury
• Allowing your prime movers to do its job only and not have to stabilize the core. When prime movers like the back, hip and knee muscles are doing double duty, overuse or overload injury can occur
• Transferring force from your legs to your upper body more efficient (ie golf swing or tennis serve)
• Allows generation of force from arms and legs to be more forceful and efficient (no force lost by unstable core)

(3) Engaging and training the core properly

Core training should start from the deep core to the outer core but most people start the other way around. Starting deep is not the most glamorous but it is the safest and most functional way to engage your core.

“Engage that core” really means deep core activation

Master the deep core activation first before progressing to training your outer core. Once you do, going back to the more “hard core” exercises (like planks, sit-ups, hanging leg raises, etc) will be much easier.

For a deep core training program, watch our video below.

Deep Core Training Program

After you have mastered control over you deep core while breathing and moving, training the outer core becomes much easier. It’s like having a solid foundation to build a house on.

Interested in learning how to train the outer core? We will have another post with an outer core training program soon! Subscribe to our blog or follow us on social media (facebook/ twitter/ instagram) to get the program when it comes out!

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Physio,
Manni (@ptmanni)