Core Training: 3 Major Benefits of a Strong Midsection

When it comes to training for sports, most athletes have all of the bases covered… most. Speed, agility, strength, conditioning, and endurance are the major focus of the typical athlete’s training regimen. Often overlooked is a solid core strengthening program or routine. By the end of this article you will know the importance of the core, exercises to help strengthen it, and the ways that having a strong core positively impact performance.

Athlete’s often only consider abs when they think of the core. There are, however, more parts of the body that it consists of. The mid-lower back, obliques, hips, gluteus maximus, and every other muscle connected to the spine and pelvis are also considered to be core muscles. Considering how vast this portion of the body is, each muscle within it must play a crucial role in athletic performance.

Why is training the core essential for athletes?

There are three primary reasons why core training is paramount for athletes: power, stability, and balance.

Power

All sports require some output of power. Tennis, golf, and baseball athletes need a powerful core to produce maximum force and velocity as they connect with the ball when they swing. Basketball players need one to jump and grab a rebound. Football players exert powerful force when tackling a ball carrier or blocking a defender. The examples are endless. Developing power from the core should be one of the first objectives when an athlete starts to build a regimen.

Here are some workouts designed to build power:

• Barbell Twists
• Dead Lifts
• Med Ball Slams
• Med Ball Tosses
• Mountain Climbers

Stability

The primary benefit of building stability is increased flexibility and injury prevention. Most athletes will deal with an injury at some point, but injuries related to a weak midsection can be nagging and even debilitating. Training for strength and flexibility is a sure-fire way to reduce your chances of significant injury. In order to excel in athletics, players need to have great mobility, flexion, range of motion, and body control. Developing these attributes begin with having a strong, stable core.

There are a number of exercises that you can do to increase core strength and stability. Here are a few that you can start with:

• Back Extensions
• Bicycle Kicks
• Flutter Kicks
• Russian Twists
• V-Ups

Balance

Balance is a function which creates and maintains movement patterns. All athletics require efficient and effective movement in order to perform. Improving your ability to stay balanced while playing sports will also eliminate wasted movements. This will allow you to react quicker and play faster. Having a lack of core strength makes it more difficult to transfer power through your lower and upper body, which will cause you to lose balance.

These workouts are great for developing balance while activating your core muscles:

• Ball Planks (Med Ball, Stability Ball, etc.)
• Birddogs
• Single Leg Deadlift
• Single Leg Squat

Core training extends far beyond exercises that only target the abs. Your midsection equates to about sixty percent of the body. Whether they are basic or dynamic, almost every movement you make requires the core to be activated. Every athlete should include an intense core training regimen within their in-season and off-season plans if they plan on maximizing their performance potential.

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