In Part
I of this series, I discussed the different muscles that make up the core
or torso region and highlighted those most important to proper function, health
and peak performance. As mentioned in Part I, all movement is initiated
with the core musculature. The deep (local) abdominals are recruited
first to help stabilize the spine and make the subsequent movements – those with your limbs - more efficient
(no wasted energy).
The
Problem with Traditional Abdominal Training
You must first consider what an athlete
needs in the mid-section. Your core/torso is your power center through which
power is transferred from the ground or other fixed point of leverage, up and
down the body. Without a strong core, strong arms and legs cannot apply their
power on the playing field. If you want athletic power, train your body from
the inside out: core first, then torso, then
arms and legs.
Most abdominal routines focus on developing a
six-pack, the rectus abdominus, as it’s the most
visually noticeable abdominal muscle. Countless reps of crunches will only
result in a minor increase in abdominal strength
and a minimal decrease in the girth of the waistline. Most athletes do not understand
that the six-pack has nothing to do with a flat stomach or tight gut. The
function of the six-pack is to flex the trunk so that your rib cage moves
toward your pelvis. In doing so, it causes the stomach to bulge, never become
flatter. There’s no mechanism by which the six-pack can flatten your gut: its
fibers run the wrong way! Remember a strong core has nothing to do with low
body fat levels. Abdominal definition is the result of diet, not torso work.
Another key issue when training the same movements
over and over is that you can cause shortening and tightening of certain
muscles, which lead to kinetic chain disorders caused by muscular
imbalances. A classic example of this is when athletes perform hundreds
of sit-ups and develop lower back pain over time. The problem with sit-ups is that the rectus
abdominus is only active for the first 10-30 degrees of the exercise; the rest
of the movement is aided by the hip flexors. Excessive shortening of the
hip flexors causes the pelvis to have an anterior (forward) tilt. This
tilt over-exaggerates the curve in the lumbar spine (lower back), and also
shuts down your glutes (butt) due to the phenomenon of reciprocal inhibition.
Reciprocal inhibition is essentially when a muscle on one side of a joint (agonist)
is active; the opposing muscle on the other side of the joint (antagonist) must
relax to allow the agonist to perform the movement. In our case, since
our hip flexors are so tight and overactive, the glutes are relaxed and shut
down. So when you need to fire your butt to run, jump, or walk, the body
will call upon the muscles of the lower back to perform the movement because of
the inactive glutes. There are a host of other issues that go along with
tight hip flexors that are beyond the scope of this article.
Ok, let’s get back on track with how to train the
torso. We must first go back and reevaluate how we are training the
abdominal region:
·
Are we doing countless repetitions of the same movement?
·
Are we stimulating all of the different muscles of the core?
·
Are we performing movements with appropriate set and rep schemes?
·
Are we using non-functional positions?
·
What are we accomplishing from this work?
·
Are we reaching our goals?
·
Are we getting better!?!?
I’ll admit that I used to do whatever I was taught
and go for the “burn” too. It was only when I asked myself why that
I got on track to become a better coach, trainer, and athlete.
Torso Movements
The core has five different functions, and it is
important that we perform specific exercises for each movement at least once a
week to ensure proper development and balance. The five functions are:
1.
Flexion
2.
Extension
3.
Rotation
4.
Lateral Flexion
5.
Stability
Flexion Movements occur
primarily in the sagittal plane and are characterized by the movement of the
shoulders toward the pelvis (trunk flexion) or the pelvis toward the shoulders
(hip flexion). Most coaches typically use flexion-based exercises to
train the abdominals. Examples of exercises in this category are
crunches, reverse crunches, leg lifts, and leg raises.
Extension Movements occur
primarily in the sagittal plane and are the exact opposite movements of flexion
movements. They are characterized by either bringing the shoulders away
from the hips (trunk extension) or the hips away from the shoulders (hip
extension). Examples of exercises in this category are hyperextensions,
supermans, and reverse hyperextensions.
Rotation Movements occur
primarily in the transverse plane and can be found in everyday motions and
sporting movements. Rotational movements can be performed by the upper
body rotating while the legs are fixed or by the lower body rotating while the
upper body is fixed. Side touches, hip crossovers, and Russian
twists are good examples of rotation movements.
Lateral Flexion Movements occur
primarily in the frontal plane; these motions are very under-trained.
These movements target the obliques and quadratus lumborum. Lateral
Flexion can occur by the trunk when the feet are fixed, and also by the hip
when the trunk is fixed. Examples of exercises in this category are elbow
obliques, off bench obliques, and side bending.
Stability Movements is
actually a misnomer because there is no real movement. Nonetheless,
stability exercises should form the foundation of your torso program.
Strength can only be built upon a stable platform, and stability exercises need
to be emphasized if torso strength is a priority. The deep abdominals
(local) are primarily recruited with stability exercises, and help to stabilize
the spine and each vertebrae. Examples of exercises in this category are
Prone (face down), supine (face up), and side bridges.
Training the Torso
You must train the torso just like you would
regular strength movements such as the bench press or the squat; the same
principles of program design (i.e. rest, tempo, sets, reps, and load) apply to
the torso area. When training the torso region, it is important to stay
away from the “burn” principle (it’s only working if it burns!). It is
important to feel your muscles working and notice that they are put under
stress, but you must not let your technique break down when performing any type
of exercise. This will help to ensure proper muscle recruitment and
development, as well as reduce the chance of injury.
There are a number of options that you can decide
to use when designing workouts. You can decide to pick 1 exercise from
each category and perform 1-2 sets of each, pick 2-3 exercises and perform 2-3
sets of each, or perform one movement each day with a number of exercises for
that movement. Once you have decided a method to use, the next step is to
put together modules. A module is a group of exercises that are grouped
together and can be plugged into your template. Modules are a great way
of organizing training and a concept that we picked up from Vern
Gambetta. Below is a sample of a typical 3 Day Torso Program with
modules.
|
Mon |
Wed |
Fri |
|
Core
1A |
Core
1B |
Core
1C |
|
Lying
Draw In 2x5x10 sec |
4 Pt.
Draw In 2x5x10 sec |
Swiss
Ball Crunches 2x20 |
|
4-Way
Elbow Bridge 2x20 sec |
Draw-In
Bridges 2x10x2 sec |
Side
Touches 2x20 |
|
Elbow
Obliques 2x10 ea |
Floor
Hypers 2x10x2 sec |
Elbow
Obliques 2x10 ea |
|
|
|
|
A few key points to note when designing modules are
to make sure that a) there is balance among the movements, b) the exercises are
progressed over time, and c) if there needs to be extra emphasis on one
movement, to do more of that movement. In the example above, stability is
emphasized more than the other movements. There are 3 stability
exercises, 2 extension exercises, 2 lateral flexion exercises, 1 rotation exercise,
and 1 flexion exercise. This is an example of an abdominal program that
would occur in the early off-season when we want to emphasis stability and
create a solid foundation for subsequent torso training.
Progression
Exercise progression is an often-overlooked
variable in many programs. Missing steps is a key factor in the cause of
many injuries. Don’t worry if the exercise looks easy; the athlete must
be able to perform the exercise flawlessly with the right amount of
control. Don’t jump your athletes straight to level 4 exercises if they
can’t perform level 1 exercises perfectly. You will see some pretty cool
and interesting exercises out there, but you have to consider why you are
performing the exercise and whether or not your athletes are ready to handle
them.
The main progression we use designing torso
programs is pretty simple and is outlined below:
1.
Muscle-re-education of the deep abdominal musculature
2.
Increase torso stability – initially progress exercise by lengthening time of
the hold
3.
Integrate more dynamic movements – focus on abdominal stability and control
4.
Move from stable surfaces to unstable surfaces (e.g. airex pads, Swiss balls,
balance boards)
5.
Move from simple to complex exercises; change base of support or limb
involvement – e.g. one-arm, one-leg, split stances
6.
Move from non-functional (on floor) to functional positions (on feet)
7.
Move from slow/controlled movements to fast/explosive movements
Summary
The
goal of this two-part series was to shed some light on torso/core/abdominal
training that has been missing in many training programs and that does not get
much time devoted to it. Hopefully, you can see why training the torso is
so important and how beneficial it can be. We hope you can use these
principles and implement them into your training programs.
SBCC's Core Exercises for Health and
Performance CD-ROM and Mike Boyle's Torso Training Video show a multitude of exercises and
progressions that further explain Torso Training.
I would
like to thank Mike Boyle for enlightening me on how to train the torso and
athletes.
Brijesh Patel, MA, a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (NSCA) and USA Weightlifting Club Coach (USAW), has been a Strength & Conditioning Coach at the collegiate level since 2000. Currently employed at the College of the Holy Cross, Brijesh has also worked with Mike Boyle at his professional facility in Massachusetts, the University of Connecticut, and with the Worcester Ice Cats of the AHL (American Hockey League). Brijesh has trained a variety of athletes ranging from middle school to the professional and Olympic levels. Brijesh has been published in magazines and has presented on the regional level.
Check out his website at www.sbcoachescollege.com
To contact Brijesh email him at brijesh@sbcoachescollege.com
The articles at GolfFitnessProducts.net are for informational purposes only and are not intended to substitute for direct examination and exercise prescription by the appropriate health professional. It is strongly recommended that you do not perform any exercise program without the consent of your personal physician.
