Jes Reynolds…Your Fitness Coach

Core strength training is a popular term with a few very different definitions. Athletes and coaches tend to look at core exercises as a method of improving athletic performance, while general fitness enthusiasts and body building oriented people tend to use core strength training as a means to develop the look of six pack abs.

The two only overlap because the core does consist of the rectus abdominus (six pack ab area) so ‘working the abs’ is a part of core strength training. When training your core for athletic performance you train yourself to activate muscles used to stabilize the spine, hips, and pelvis while performing other tasks such as weight lifting or explosive movement.

Core Musculature

Abdominals: Rectus Abdominis, Transverse Abdominis, Internal and External Oblique’s
Spine: Erector Spinae, Quadratus Lumborum, Iliopsoas, Psoas Major, Trapezius

These are not the only muscles used in core strength training but they are the muscles that work together to stabilize the spine. The theory behind strengthening these muscle groups through both conditioning and weight training (core strength training) is to maximize upper to lower body (or lower to upper body) transfer of strength during many sporting activities.

General Benefits of Core Strength Training Benefits

• Improved proprioception (body awareness)
• Improved balance & stability
• Increased total power output
• Reduced risk of injury

Benefits of core strength training to the athlete
Core strength training differs from many traditional weight training routines by working the lower back, abdominals, and spinal stabilizers in unison with strength movements of the upper and/or lower body.

During athletic movement the whole body works as one unit to complete its intended task, whether it be running, throwing, catching or shooting. Core strength training is a method for replicating the simultaneous muscular stimulation required to perform these tasks. By replicating these movements in the gym, the athlete trains his/her nervous system and musculature to fire the appropriate muscles in the appropriate sequence, with more strength and power than before.

Core Strength Training Steps for the Athlete
If you would like to use core strength training to improve your performance for a specific sport, I recommend the following:

• Analyze your sport and see what different types of tasks are required.
• Does your sport require speed, power, agility, vertical jump, etc.?
• Once you break down the different skills required in your sport, begin to include them in your weight training and conditioning routine.  Additionally, be sure to include strength exercises that challenge the core while simultaneously isolating other muscle groups.

To learn more about core strength training, stay in touch with me by becoming a Facebook fan, I periodically post general health and fitness articles of interest as well as offering basic fitness tips for fans. If you would like to create your own core strength training program, send me an email at jes@jesreynolds.com.

It’s hard to describe exactly how thrilling it is to have the words “Perfect Client” associated with your name on Jes’ blog. Of course, it’s probably only for as long as it takes her to get back from vacation. Oh well, into each life a little rain must fall.

But on to the real topic of this post: my nutrition, which in the past has been far from perfect but has now attained a pretty reasonable level. Here’s my story in a nutshell:

• Eleven years ago, I thought an improved diet meant getting a frosty with my Wendy’s triple cheese burger and biggie fries instead of a coke product. After all, a frosty had dairy, which had to be better for you than the pure chemicals found in coke products.
• Then I had to have emergency surgery for an infected gall bladder and literally took years getting through all the consequences.
• During that time, I started working out intensively with an aim to lose some of my 220 lbs. I made some progress.
• Feeling stalled in weight loss, I turned to the Atkins diet. It worked. Jes tends to eschew Atkins, but if you think Wendy’s frosty drinks are a step toward better nutrition, you have to count Atkins as a much better step in the right direction.
• Atkins worked. I lost a lot of weight and did well for two years.
• Eventually, I found myself at then Gold’s Gym, now Arbor Fit, training with Jes. When I announced my decision to get back on the Atkins’ bandwagon after having been off for a while, well you can imagine the reaction. She actually told me I would not be allowed to train with her. While I thought that was over blown, she seemed so ernest that I decided to pay her some mind.
• And, I’m glad I did! Jes turned me on to On Target Living, founded by her mentor, Chris Johnson. That was a revelation. I enjoined Chris in an extended email exchange the end result of which was him sending me the book he advertises on his site … for free! He probably just wanted to stop the constant email stream (I get a lot of things that way).
• The book is great, and I still use it. I actually eat vegetables and salads now and no longer view Wendy’s frosty drinks as a nutritional step forward.
• Recently Jes turned me on to Lance Armstrong’s Live Strong site, a great place to track nutrition. The nice thing about this site is that, instead of tedious food logs, you just start to type what you ate, and you usually find a good match, with seemingly accurate macronutrient information. Easy, which is critical.

My current approach is to follow on-target principles with Lance Armstrong tracking. It seems to be working. I’m maintaining a good weight.

In the last three years, Jes has been a great resource in all of this, offering all sorts of good ideas, so much so that I finally convinced my wife to take the plunge with her. I’m extremely satisfied. Yes, as you might guess, we butt heads, but Jes’ analyses and knowledge are spot on. She’s the best trainer I’ve known.