Ask most people how to train your core and you’ll either get a laundry list of exercises or hear a line like, “I train my core through heavy squats and deadlifts. That’s enough.”
Instead of arguing, I’m simply going to share my thinking:
There are some basics that most everyone should be able to do. Like plank for a minute. But if you train with us, you’ll notice that hardly anyone is ever asked to do a conventional plank. Mostly because there are much more interesting and productive ways to get the job done.
Your core is often (but not always) in between the generation and the expression of force. If you are holding the uprights of a sled with your hands and have your feet on the floor AND the sled is moving, well, your core is active.
When your core creates enough stiffness and/or pliability to match the task, energy is transferred efficiently. If not, then the opposite happens and it takes more work to get the same job done. There may be some risk that comes along with that too.
Three speeds, three types of core exercises
This is nerdy but I’m sharing in case you’re interested. You can be static – just holding a position; you can move with control (fast or slow); or you move explosively – nothing held back.
But what are you moving – and why? This question answers itself for athletes. You throw the weight, your run the bases, you spin the foosball thingee. In the real world, we chase the bus, move the couch, and vacuum the curtains. Let’s call these integrated movements. In the exercise world, we support these functions with exercises that bridge the gap (please note my image choices below are not all synced up with each other). Let’s call these specific because they tend to use the same energy systems and positions as the things we’re supporting. And then there’s just good, old-fashioned general work. It may or may not look or feel like something else and that part doesn’t really matter as long as it contributes to general capability.
Here’s how it breaks down:
What about squat and deadlifts? Do they train your core or not? There will always be plenty of core engagement on heavy lifts. But here’s my most controversial idea of the day: if the loading and complexity of the task are within the boundaries of your existing core strength, then you’re doing an effective core exercise. However, it’s entirely common for a person’s leg strength to exceed what their core can handle. What happens then? It takes you into passive structures in your body. That isn’t automatically bad, by the way, provided that you have enough time to adapt. However, it’s not core training.
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