Core Training and Balance

1. Core Training and Balance

2. The Core • Defined as the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, thoracic and cervical spine • Where the body’s center of gravity is located • Beginning point for movement • Necessary for muscle balance and movement throughout the entire kinetic chain

3. The Core • 29 muscles that attach to the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex • Divided into two categories: • Stabilization • Movement • Stabilization: • Responsible for stability of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex • Movement: • Responsible for movement of the core

4. The Core • You must work the core from the inside out: • Stabilization Movement • This would be analogous to building a house without a foundation • An individual must be stable first to move efficiently

5. Muscles of the Core Stabilization • Transverse Abdominis • Internal Oblique • Multifidus • Pelvic Floor Muscles • Diaphragm • Transversospinalis Movement • Rectus Abdominis • External Oblique • Latissimus Dorsi • Erector Spinae • Iliopsoas • Hamstrings • Hip Adductors • Hip Abductors

6. Importance of Properly Training the Core • If the movement muscles are strong and the stabilization muscles are weak this will lead to compensation: • Example: performing a lunge, squat, or overhead press with excessive spinal extension • This results in unwanted motion of vertebrae and may lead to low back pain and injury

7. Importance of Properly Training the Core • Performing abdominal exercises without stabilization has been shown to increase pressure on the disks and compressive forces on the lumbar spine • Performing low back hyperextension exercises without stabilization has been shown to increase pressure on the disks to a dangerous level • These unsupported exercises can cause damage to the ligaments supporting the vertebrae • Fitness professionals must strengthen the stabilization muscles before the muscles that move the spine

8. Solutions For Stabilization • Draw-In before core training: • Pull in the region just below the naval toward the spine • Maintain the cervical spine in neutral position during core training • Do not allow the head to protrude forward during movement • Maintain the eyes level during movement

9. Solutions to Stabilization • The core stabilizing muscles consist primarily of slow-twitch, type 1 muscle fibers: • They respond best to isometric contractions • 6-20 seconds Abdominal Drawing-In Maneuver

10. Designing a Core-Training Program • There are three levels of core training: • Stabilization • Strength • Power

11. Designing a Core-Training Program • Execise Selection: • Progressive: • Simple to Complex • Known to Unknown • Stable to Unstable • Systematic: • Stabilization • Strength • Power • Activity or Goal Specific

12. Designing a Core-Training Program • Exercise Selection: • Safe • Proprioceptively Challenging: • Stability Ball • BOSU Ball • Dyna Disk • TRX • Foam Roller

13. Designing A Core-Training Program • Variables: • Plane of motion: • Sagital • Frontal • Transverse • Type of Resistance • Stability Ball • Medicine Ball • Cable • Tubing • Bands • Dumbbells

14. Designing a Core-Training Program • Variables: • Body position - Speed of motion • Supine - Duration • Prone - Frequency • Side-lying - Amount of Feedback • Kneeling (fitness professional cues) • Standing • Staggered stance • Standing on an unstable surface

15. Stabilization • Exercise involves little motion through the spine and pelvis • These exercises are designed to improve the stabilization muscles • Exercises include: • Quadruped Drawing In • Posterior Pelvic Tilt • Supine Bridge • Prone Plank

16. Strength • Core-strength exercises involve more dynamic eccentric and concentric movements of the spine throughout a full range of motion • Exercises include: • Cable/Tube Rotations (high-to-low, low-to-high, and 90 degrees) • Push-Up (SB, TRX, BOSU, MB) • Supine Row (SB, TRX) • Jackknife (SB, TRX)

17. Power • Core-power training exercises are designed to generate force • Exercises include: • MB Chest Pass • MB Chest Pass to a Burpee • Tube Running • Lateral Tube Running

18. Core Training Program Design • Stabilization: • 1-4 exercises • 1-3 sets • 12-20 reps • Slow tempo (4/2/1) • 0-90 sec rest

19. Core Training Program Design • Strength: • 1-4 exercises • 2-3 sets • 8-12 reps • Moderate tempo (3/2/1) • 0-60 sec rest

20. Core Training Program Design • Power: • 1-2 exercises • 2-3 sets • 8-12 reps • Fast but controlled tempo • 0-60 sec rest

21. The Importance of Balance • Whether walking down stairs, supine on a stability ball, or playing basketball, balance is key to all functional movements • Balance should constantly stress an individual’s limits of stability • An individual’s limit of stability is the distance outside of the base of support that he or she can go without losing control of their center of gravity

22. The Importance of Balance • Training functional movements in a proprioceptively rich environment (unstable yet controllable), with appropriate progressions facilitates maximal sensory input to the central nervous system • Balance training focuses on functional movement in a multisensory, unstable environment

23. Goals of Balance Training • Improves joint stabilization: • Ability of the kinetic chain to stabilize a joint during movement • Examples: • Rotator cuff stabilizing the head of the humerus while performing a push-up • The hip abductors and adductors stabilizing while performing a squat

24. Goals of Balance Training • Continually increase the client’s awareness of his or her limit of stability or kinesthetic awareness by creating controlled instability • Example: • A 65-year-old client balancing on one foot on the floor • A 25-year-old client balancing on one foot on a BOSU

25. Designing a Balance-Training Program • Three levels of balance training: • Stabilization • Strength • Power

26. Designing a Balance-Training Program • Exercise Selection: • Safe • Progressive: • Simple to complex • Known to unknown • Stable to unstable • Static to dynamic • Bilateral to unilateral • Eyes open to eyes closed

27. Designing a Balance-Training Program • Exercise Selection: • Safe • Proprioceptively Challenging: • Floor • Stability Ball • Dyna Disk • BOSU • TRX

28. Designing a Balance-Training Program • Variables: • Planes of motion • Sagital • Frontal • Transverse • Types of resistance: • Body weight • Dumbbells • Tubing • Bands • Cable

29. Designing a Balance-Training Program • Variables: • Body position: • Two-Legs Stable • Single-Leg Stable • Two-Legs Unstable • Single-Leg Unstable • Speed of motion • Duration • Frequency • Amount of feedback • Visual, Verbal, and Tactile Cueing

30. Stabilization • Exercises involve little joint motion • They are designed to improve joint stabilization • Example Exercises: • Single-Leg Balance • Single-Leg Balance with Eyes Closed • Single-Leg Balance Reach • Single-Leg Balance on Disk • Single-Leg Balance on Disk

31. Strength • More dynamic eccentric and concentric movements • Movements involve dynamic control in mid-range of motion, with isometric stabilization at the end-range of motion • Example Exercises: • Single-Leg Squat • Single-Leg Squat and Reach • Single-Leg Deadlift • Step-Up to Balance • Lunge to Balance

32. Power • Exercises are designed to develop high levels of eccentric strength, dynamic neuromuscular efficiency, and reactive joint stabilization • Exercise examples: • Squat jump with stabilization • Multiplanar hop with stabilization • Single-Leg hop with stabilization

33. Balance Training Program Design • Stabilization • 1-4 exercises • 1-3 sets • 12-20 reps • Slow tempo (4/2/1) • 0-90 sec rest

34. Balance Training Program Design • Strength: • 1-4 exercises • 2-3 sets • 8-12 reps • Moderate tempo (3/2/1) • 0-60 sec rest

35. Balance Training Program Design • Power: • 1-2 exercises • 2-3 sets • 8-12 reps • Controlled-hold the landing position for 3-5 sec • 0-60 sec rest