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By
Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS
Director, Staley Training Systems |
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In sports training jargon, the
abdominal and low back musculature are often referred to as
the "core" of the body. The importance of these
muscles to athletes is that they transmit forces— either
from the lower extremities to the upper extremities (such
as when a boxer executes a punch against the heavy bag), or
from the upper body to the lower body (such as when a martial
artist delivers a spin crescent kick).
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The core musculature also plays a
significant role in stabilization during almost every movement,
from squatting in the weight room, to running, throwing, and jumping.
Additionally, the abdominals play
an important role in protecting the body during moments of extreme
exertion, such as lifting a very heavy weight, or in absorbing an
impact (such as a fall during judo practice). Specifically, during
such an exertion, the athlete will instinctively exhale against
a closed glottis, called the valsalva maneuver. This exhalation
creates greater intraabdominal pressure, which acts to stabilize
the lumbar spine from the inside.
In his popular and informative training
seminars, abdominal training expert Paul Chek makes the point that
when the stabilizer muscles possess inadequate strength, the motor
cortex of the brain will not allow the prime movers to contract
to their expected potential. This is simply a protective mechanism—
if the body realizes that it can't stabilize a certain movement,
it simply won't allow the movement to be performed.
My experience working with athletes
in a variety of sports collaborates Chek's sentiments. In fact,
an easy way to make almost anyone stronger is to improve abdominal
strength. Many martial artists intuitively recognize this fact,
but our experience reveals that most martial artists (and athletes
in general) cling to outdated and ineffective methods for training
the core muscles of the body. In the following section, I will present
methods (and justifications for these methods) of training the core
musculature.
Core Musculature Function
The core area of the body can be be
categorized into five groups of muscles, according to function:
1) The trunk flexors (the rectus abdominous)
2) The trunk extensors (the erector spinea) 3) The side flexors
(quadratus lumborum) 4) The flexor-rotators (the internal and external
obliques) 5) The hip flexors (the illiopsoas, illiacus, and rectus
femoris)
Training the Trunk Flexors
The primary trunk flexor is the rectus
abdominous. This muscle originates at the diaphragmatic arch, and
inserts into the pubic symphysis of the pelvis. Since the primary
function of this muscle is to flex the trunk (such that the sternum
and pelvis are drawn toward each other), the most direct and effective
exercises are those which cause trunk flexion. Any form of crunch
or reverse crunch serves this function best. All abdominal muscles
are composed of predominately slow-twitch fibers, and as such, tend
to respond best to high repetition sets.
The trunk flexors may also be trained
through "hanging leg-raises" and related movements, as
long as the exerciser maintains a 90 degree angle between the thighs
and trunk. Since this is extremely difficult— even for very
strong athletes— we generally recommend avoiding this type
of movement.
During crunches and similar movements, the athlete can modify arm
position in order to manipulate the level of resistance. The least
resistance occurs when the arms are straight and outstretched along
the side of the body during the movement.
A more difficult variation is to cross
the arms against the chest during the exercise. The most difficult
variation is to place the hands such that the fingers are touching
the head at a point just behind the ears. Avoid interlacing the
fingers and clasping behind the head, which can strain the cervical
vertebrae, and encourage co-contraction from other muscles. Additional
resistance (in the form of a medicine ball or weight plate) can
be used when the athlete's bodyweight is no longer sufficient to
cause an improvement in strength. Note: Avoid anchoring the feet
and extending the legs, since these practices tend to shift the
exercise stress away from the trunk flexors and onto the hip flexors.
Training the Trunk Extensors: The
erector spinae are the predominant trunk extensors. Strong trunk
extensors are necessary to balance the strength of the rectus abdominous,
and to maintain efficient postural stabilization and control. They
are most commonly trained through the use of the back extension
exercise, performed on a specialized apparatus designed for this
purpose. However, in order to minimize co-contraction from the gluteals
and hamstrings, the athlete should be positioned in such a way that
the navel is directly over (not in front of) the pad or bench. With
this positioning, the pelvis is stabilized, allowing the exercise
stress to fall directly onto the erectors.
Training the Side Flexors and the Flexor-rotators
One of the most common "ab"
exercises seen in commercial gyms and health clubs today is the
dumbbell side bend. Most proponents of this movement recommend it
as an exercise for the obliques, but in reality, it is an exercise
for the quadratus lumborum— the primary side flexor. For martial
artists who rely heavily on kicking skills, the side flexors should
be systematically trained. But most other athletes (who don't have
a reason) should avoid training this muscle, since over-developed
side flexors have been associated with low back pain. Further, performing
side bends has no significant effect on the waistline, since the
quadratus lumborum is such a deep-lying muscle.
Training the Flexor-rotators
The flexor-rotators are the internal
and external obliques. These muscles cause trunk flexion as well
as rotation when they contract unilaterally (one side at a time),
but cancel each other out, causing only trunk flexion when they
contract bilaterally (both sides simultaneously). Thus, uni-lateral
exercises, such as twisting crunches, are most effective for developing
these muscles.
When performing twisting crunches
and their variations, use the same guidelines that were presented
in the section on trunk flexion, with the exception that the exercises
should curl the trunk up and diagonally, such that the left armpit
approaches the right hip, and vice versa. Avoid touching elbow to
opposite knee, as this encourages too much cervical and hip flexion.
Training of the flexor-rotators should
be prioritized over the pure flexors, since most athletic and day-to-day
activities involve rotation with flexion, as opposed to pure flexion.
Training the Hip Flexors
Many people excessively train the
hip flexors thinking that they're training the abdominals. Sit-ups,
leg raises, "flutter kicks," and hanging leg raises are
all primarily hip flexor exercises. That doesn't necessarily make
them bad, but most people tend to have chronically short hip flexors,
which can compromise the structural dynamics of the lumbar spine.
Short hip flexors are also associated with low back pain. Of course,
martial artists must have strength in these muscles, but normally,
time spent drilling with kicks is sufficient for this purpose.
Many martial arts techniques involve
simultaneous hip flexion, trunk flexion, and rotation. For this
reason, I recommend using a wide variety of exercises. An excellent
tool is the "physio-ball"— an oversized "beach
ball" which can be used
for a variety of core exercises, including crunches, sit-ups, back
extensions, and many more. With a little experimentation, you can
devise dozens of multi-planar exercises which have a high degree
of transfer to your sport techniques. Medicine balls are also an
invaluable tool for core training.
Many exercises can be developed using
the medicine ball and physio-ball together. An example is to sit
on the physio-ball (feet anchored by heavy dumbbells), and perform
medicine ball sit-ups with a partner. The unstable environment provided
by the physio-ball, combined with the ballistic, multi-planar aspects
of the medicine ball throws, makes this a fruitful exercise for
those desiring sport-specific strength.
Core training can be periodized over
the training cycle. Early in the cycle, exercises tend to be single
plane, of a slow, steady tempo, and conducted in a stable environment.
Another goal during the early stages of the training cycle is to
eliminate weaknesses, so special attention is paid to muscles which
need extra conditioning. Gradually, the emphasis shifts to multi-planar,
ballistic exercise conducted in a less stable environment.
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Abdominal
training and bodyfat deposition
Abdominal training does not
significantly affect the layer of fat which oftentimes covers
these muscles. Many people become a slave to crunches, situps,
and TV info-mercial devices, when the real issue is bodyfat,
not abdominal conditioning. In fact, many of these people
probably have superbly conditioned abs. Bodyfat is reduced
through a comprehensive training program incorporating resistance
training and caloric manipulation— NOT abdominal training!
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About The Author
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His colleagues call him an iconoclast,
a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The
Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches
miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled
in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’
methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious
results. His counter-intuitive approach and self-effacing
demeanor have lead to appearances on NBC’s The TODAY
Show and The CBS Early Show.
Currently, Charles competes
in Olympic-style weightlifting on the master’s circuit,
with a 3-year goal of qualifying for the 2009 Master’s
World Championships.
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