Want More Core? Do This!

I like doing things that maximize my return on something. I like when I sit down with Ben and he points out an investment strategy that saves me money in one area and makes me more in another. I like when you are travelling somewhere foreign and a local gives you some inside knowledge to save time, beat the crowds and have an overall better experience. And when I'm training I like to find small tweaks and changes we can make that give me better results for my efforts on the gym floor. Basically I guess if you had to sum it up I really like efficiency and getting a great return on investment. And the opposite of this would be spinning your wheels or worse going backwards. And the best ways to increase your return and get better results is through finding modifications to the things you are doing already. Sure it's great to learn that working out another hour per day will allow you to burn an extra 500 calories. But wouldn't you be more excited to find ways to burn those extra calories without extra time or effort? I know I would. And that's what today's topic has to do with. Not burning calories in this case but spinal stabilization and core development. Here's how it works. When most people who go to the gym and workout, core training is one of the most popular elements included in their programs. And those who are well informed know that there more potential for core development by lifting a load with optimal technique than there is to do endless crunches on a stability ball. But here's where it gets interesting. Our core works harder at the ends of our range of motion. In other words when our extremities are further from our center we have to work harder to stabilize in order to allow this motion. Try the following drill to test this out. Place your heels, hips, shoulders and head against a wall. Next put your hands up in a 'stick up' position. And slide your arms up and down without changing the position of your neutral spine or allowing the hands to come away from the wall. When your hands reach the top position pause for a second. Then reach your hands even higher. What did you notice? Specifically through trunk and 'core'? Did you notice the muscles of your torso tighten up? Did you brace through the mid-section? Did your posture improve? Most likely you noticed some if not all of these effects simply from reach as high as possible. As well you probably didn't think at all about contracting your core at all when you reached, did you? This is an important point to keep in mind when working out. That is if you want to develop your core maximally pause at the end range then extend as far as possible. This can be done for lower, upper and core specific exercises. You're probably going to do a number of these lifts and exercises anyways. Why not get a little better return on investment while you're at it. Go give this drill a try and let me know what you think in the comments section below. Chris                                                                                                                                                                                       okanaganpeakperformance.com 'always moving forward'