Core Training is a waste of time.

Posted on | February 26, 2009 | 9 Comments

“Core” is rapidly joining “functional” as a buzzword that is so overused its becoming meaningless. I wanted to attempt to reclaim it a little bit, and decided to try something new here. Below is a little video rant followed by a demonstration of one of my favorite midline stability exercises, Sandbag Turkish Get Ups.

I trip over my tongue a few times in the video below (and I no longer have the winter attempt at a beard) but decided to put it up “as is”.

To summarize some of my positions here. Core training is NOT ab training. It’s intended to enable the core to better transmit force generated in the extremities (usually the lower body). This can involve the visible abs, the transverse abs, the obliques, spinal erectors, etc.. In short any muscle around the midsection.

Stop wasting your time doing foo-foo ab isolation exercises. If you’re concerned with aesthetics, focus on your diet. If you’re concerned with performance, focus on your diet, then do some heavy lifting that forces the core to do its job and stabilize your body.

The problem with most traditional “ab exercises” is that they force the muscles through concentric or eccentric contractions. In the real world most stabilization is isometric. There is certainly some carry over, but how much? On the other hand, the issue with a lot of the techniques intended to train stabilization (ball exercises, slosh pipes, etc…) is that the force you can generate is too low to achieve a good training effect. In my opinion both of the above approaches have their place, but it is a limited one.

My answer is to think of big compound lifts, that still require a lot of stabilization. Think movements like front squats, deadlifts, overhead squats, get ups, etc..
I welcome disagreements and intelligent debate and discussion on this.

Thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/adriarichards/2798736890/ for the promo image.

Diggdel.icio.usRedditStumbleUponTechnorati

Category: Critiques and Rants

Comments

9 Responses to “Core Training is a waste of time.”

Son of Grok
February 26th, 2009 @ 11:34 am

I can’t disagree with that. Who really likes doing thousands of crunches anyways? I get a kick out of everyone talking about “core strength” and the imporantce of “working the core”. The fact of the matter is if you are working out right (compound movements and such) then your “core” is gettting plenty of work as it is! So throw away the ab twister and pick up a parbell for some heavy front squats or deadlifts. Good post Chris and I like the new look of the site!

The SoG
David at Animal-Kingdom-Workouts
February 26th, 2009 @ 11:38 am

I agree with you. When you perform an isolation movement like crunches, you’re not working your body as a whole. This does not help you transfer power from one section of your body to another.

I think you did a good job in the videos, btw.

Cheers,

Dave
Kelly Turner
March 12th, 2009 @ 9:48 am

well, crunches only work the superficial muscles anyway- the rectus abdominus. The core muscle are the transverse abdominus, so someone that says they do crunches for their core doesnt know what they are talking about anyway.

all you gotta do to strengthen your core is focus on TVA when you lift. Think belly button pulled into spine, and hips tipped backwards- thats it.
cmason
March 12th, 2009 @ 10:07 am

I agree – the title “Core Training Is a Waste of Time” was more intended as an attention grabber than anything. I don’t think core work is worthless, but that the way most people go about it IS a massive waste of time and effort.

I’m not sure I know the TVA acronym though.
What does that stand for?
Kelly Turner
March 12th, 2009 @ 11:08 am

Transverse Abdominus. abdonimis? I dunno, but its the muscle fibers that wrap around your internal organs and spine horizontally like a girdle. it just makes it easier to say- so you can throw around that fancy PT lingo and impress your friends.

mine usually just tell me to shut up.

But those are the deepest muscles, you “core muscles” then your rectus admonimis are the 6-pack muscles on top that run vertically, and then you have a bunch more that run diagonally for your obliques
cmason
March 12th, 2009 @ 11:15 am

Yup. I’m famailar with these, hadn’t heard that abbreviation before. I might start using that, since any latin anatomical name usually requires extensive spellchecking before use.
Greg Alario
March 13th, 2009 @ 8:25 pm

I like your site, and your attitude. I disagree with the title but agree with the article. True core training, done in and integrated, and balanced approach has many benefits. What the fitness community views as core training, is, as you have stated, completely distorted, and nothing more than a pursuit of ripped abs, to be sexy. In the pursuit of health, daily exercise is needed. Heavy training has it’s place but is only beneficial and capable of continually progressing if it is balanced with the needed recovery and regeneration.

Whether done on off days, or incorporated as part of your workouts, balanced , integrated, true core training is needed for optimal performance ability.

With all the ignorance in the fitness and health community, I think a rant now and again is good for the soul.

Keep up the good work, my brother.
cmason
March 16th, 2009 @ 9:27 am

To be honest, I think the title could’ve been better chosen as well. Like many of me other articles, I wrote this when I was in bit of a mood to provoke and chose it accordingly. It’s crossed my mind before that it doesn’t really accurately reflect my thoughts though.

Thanks for the feedback, it’s always good to hear opinions on my rambling.
Build Muscles
April 9th, 2009 @ 11:03 am

I am currently recovering from an illness that I’ve been suffering for the past year or so. It’s called Crunchers Disease. Crunchers Disease is a horrible malady that I have recently diagnosed myself with while training with a TKD fighter. You might have this disease if all you do for abs are bodyweight crunches, situps, leg lifts, and various other high rep exercises that focus mostly on the abs and hip flexors.

Because of articles like this, I am experiencing what I like to think of as a re-enlightenment, wherein I am again aware of the fact that you don’t get a concrete core by doing bodyweight crunches. It is time to move forward in our ab training by including moves like get ups, overhead lunges, and zerchers. Great post.