Core Training

Build an athletic "core" and keep low back and knee injuries away at the same time






Core training is so much more than sit-ups, side crunches, and back extensions.  All of the aforementioned are fine exercises - but they're limited in their ability to transfer into the real world.  And sometimes, if you saturate your program with exercises that lack transferability - it can actually deaden your ability to perform.  Ask the crunch and sit-up aficionados to run with appropriate forward lean and optimize their hip extension in the drive phase.  No chance... you'll get someone who is hunched over thinking he's staying low and short stepping his acceleration because his hips and adductors are too tight and his glutes are latent.
All this to prove my point - train your core to deliver on "Gameday."
 - If you like to lift big weight, train your ability to maintain an abdominal brace.
 - If running's your thing, teach your core how to remain engaged while respirating naturally.
 - If your changing directions and reacting in your sport, then get your core trained to be able to transition it's ability to stabilize and mobilize within those various demands.
Here's the good thing about the above video... it's good for all the demands listed above!  Furthermore, it isolates motion within the transverse or rotational plane.  Better yet, it teaches you how to decelerate in that plane.  Highly needed since upwards of 90% of all back and knee injuries typically happen as we try to decelerate or slow down within this transverse plane of motion.
Hit the Rhythmic Stability exercise before, during or after any type of training.  It works for everyone, regardless of sport.  Just start controlled and slow - learn it, own it, then condition it!