When it comes to sport performance the role of the core should be stabilization/bracing to resist unwanted motion in various planes and be strong in order to transfer power between the lower and upper body. If you’ve heard of Mike Boyle’s joint by joint approach, the needs for the body are as follows: Ankle-Mobility, Knee-Stability, Hip-Mobility, LUMBAR SPINE- STABILITY, Thoracic Spine- Mobility, Scapula-Stability, Gleno-Humeral (Shoulder)-Mobility. Key emphasis there on lumbar spine stability. All of this means doing 100’s of crunches is not the way you want to go about building a strong core. Besides the unwanted motion at the lumbar, think about this: Would 100’s of bodyweight squats be enough to build a strong, powerful lower body for sport? Probably not. So, it’s not going to be enough for core training either. Below are examples of anti-extension, anti-lateral flexion, and anti-rotation. (Hint: These are also probably your best bet for a 6-pack)
Anti-Extension:
Front Plank: Upper arms straight down from the shoulder. Flat back. I like to hold with palms facing up.
Barbell Rollout: The ab wheel can also be used instead of a bar. Keep the knees and feet in contact with the ground the whole time, extend the knees and hips to extend the bar out. Brace and keep the rib caged tucked to keep the back flat and avoid creating a valley the whole time. The most common mistake I see is extending the bar all the way out just for the sake of going all the way out. Go until you feel you are about to lose good posture/flat back, then bring the bar back in.
Anti-Lateral Flexion:
Picture one: Side Plank. Straight line from shoulder to heel. Keep the hips up.
Picture two: DB Suitcase Hold. The dumbbell is obviously going to cause you to favor the holding side. Brace with the opposite side to keep a neutral body and posture.
Anti-Rotation:
Palloff Press. Pull the band and hold it right at the sternum. Punch it straight out and brace to keep yourself from rotating. I like to punch hard going out, then control the band slow coming back in.
Superman with Shoulder Taps: Begin in superman plank position (arms extended, hands higher than a push up position). Slowly take one arm across your body and tap the opposite shoulder, then set it back on the ground. The point is to keep the body from rocking back and forth.
Follow Coach Nate:
Instagram and Twitter: @NateWilliamsSC
Facebook: Facebook.Com/NathanWilliamsStrength