An Introduction To The Core
Every muscle in your body relies on your abs, hips, and lower back. Your core is your base - and your center of strength. Here are three things that you need to know about your core:
1. You can strengthen your core without moving a muscle. Whereas most muscles propel you, your core resists movement - for instance, to protect your spine when you twist your torso. So don't be surprised by how hard it is to stay still in your core workouts (especially in the exercises I will be posting for the next 6 days - that's right, a week dedicated to the core). You're conditioning the core to do its job more effectively.
2. Slouching sabotages your six-pack. Training your core helps to correct poor posture. But an hour a week of core work can't compensate for 50 hours spent slumped over your keyboard. The fix: stay tall through your hips and keep your head up and your shoulder blades back and down all day long.
3. Core muscles contract first in every exercise. All the energy you exert originates in your torso, before being transferred to your arms and legs. So a weak core reduces the amount of force you're able to apply to a barbell. When you hit a plateau in presses, squats, or any other strength move, ask yourself if you are training your core as much, or hard, as you should be.
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