PEAK

PEAK SPECIAL REPORT

PERFORMANCE
CorePERFORMANCE
Muscle Training
SPECIAL REPORT

Core Muscle Training supportive ‘bag of air’ reduces the compression

and shear forces acting on the spine. Research
Core
by Muscle
Raphael Training
Brandon, consultant and shows that‘bag
supportive
weightlifting
and shear forces
IAPofincreases
air’ reduces
exercises (3)
acting on the
before
andspine.
and during
the compression
also Research
during
specialist in sports fitness training
running
shows that
(2)
, lending credence before
IAP increases to the idea that it
and during
by Raphael Brandon, consultant and
Strengthening the back extensor muscles is a
specialist in sports fitness training
useful preventive approach for low-back pain.
plays a crucial role
weightlifting
Research
running (2)
in lumbar
exercises
also demonstrates
, lending
(3)

credence tothe
stability.
and also during
thesignificance
idea that of it ‘Core training
stability
However,
Strengthening
fitness
the current
training is to
useful preventive
'core stability'
the back vogue
approach
training, which
in physiotherapy
extensor
focus onfor what
muscles is
is known
low-back
in specifically
anda
pain.
targets
as
the
playsparaspinal
a crucial role
important
act
Research
the with
and
stabilisers.
a static contraction
deep lumbar
in lumbar
It is likely the
also demonstrates
stability.muscles as
thatsignificance
these muscles
to resist muscles
any lumbar
of ‘Corespecifically
stability
training
However, the current vogue physiotherapy and paraspinal and deep lumbar as targets the
the smaller
fitness training andisdeeper
to focus lumbar
on whatspineis and
known trunk as extension and rotational
important stabilisers. forces.
It is likely that The paraspinal
these muscles specifically
muscles. The aim
'core stability' of core
training, whichstability training
specifically is to
targets muscles
act with a– static
Interspinalas
contraction and toIntertransversarii
resist any lumbar– lumbar spine
targets the
effectively
the smaller recruit and deeper the trunklumbarmusculature
spine and trunk and provide
extensionanand individual
rotational stabilising
forces. The effectparaspinal
on their and trunk
lumbar spine
’
then learnThe
muscles. to control
aim of core the position
stability of the lumbar
training is to adjacent
muscles –vertebrae,
Interspinalas actingandinIntertransversarii
a similar way to –
spine during dynamic the movements. This article ligaments
provide an . individual
The deep lumbar muscle – multifidus muscles
and trunk
(4)
effectively recruit trunk musculature and stabilising effect on their
will
thenreview
learn the theory and research of that underlies (MF) – has been shown to beinactive throughout
way toa
’
to control the position the lumbar adjacent vertebrae, acting a similar
core
spine stability
during dynamic training movements.
and suggestThis a simple
article full range(4).ofThe
ligaments motion
deep lumbarof the muscle lumbar– spine and
multifidus muscles
exercise
will review progression
the theorytoand enhance
research thisthat
function.
underlies during
(MF) –movements
has been shown of theto lower and upper
be active limbs (5)a.
throughout
Hodges
core stability and training
Richardson and have
(1)
suggestdescribed
a simple the full range of motion of the lumbar spine and
lumbar
exercise spine
progression area as 'inherently
to enhance thisunstable'.
function. In Deep trunk muscles
during movements of the lower and upper limbs (5).
practical
Hodgesterms, this means
and Richardson (1) the lumbar spine
have described the From this brief explanation of the anatomy and
relies
lumbarforspine stability
areaon as the muscles unstable'.
'inherently that actively In Deep
research trunkinto the muscles
muscles of the lumbar trunk
support
practical the terms, area.this This means'active'
thesupport
lumbar comesspine area,
Fromitthis
is clear
briefthat the deep-trunk
explanation of the muscles
anatomy– and TA,
from
relies forfour stability mechanisms;
on the muscles tension from
that actively MF, IO, paraspinal,
research into the muscles pelvic floor of the – are key to
lumbar the
trunk
theracolumbar
support the area. fascia;This intra-abdominal
'active' support pressure;
comes active
area, it support
is clear that of thethe deep-trunk
lumbar spine. musclesThe– TA,co-
the
fromparaspinal muscles; and the
four mechanisms; deep lumbar
tension from contraction
MF, IO, paraspinal,of these pelvic
muscles floorproduces
– are keyforces via
to the
extensors
theracolumbar
(2)
. fascia; intra-abdominal pressure; the TFLsupport
active and IAP ofmechanism
the lumbar which
spine.stabilise
The the co-
theThe theracolumbar
paraspinal muscles; fasciaand(TLF) can provide
the deep lumbara lumbar
contraction spine, and muscles
of these the paraspinalproduces forcesand MF via
tensile support
extensors (2)
. to the lumbar spine via deep- muscles
the TFL act anddirectly to resist the
IAP mechanism forces
which actingthe
stabilise on
trunk muscle activity.
The theracolumbar fascia (TLF)The can Transversus
provide a the lumbar
lumbar spine,spine.and the paraspinal and MF
Abdominis
tensile support (TA)toand thethelumbar
Internal Oblique
spine (IO)
via deep- Further
muscles actstudydirectlyshowed
to resist that theitforces
is notacting
just the on
muscles
trunk muscle both attach to the The
activity. TLF. Transversus
This fascia recruitment
the lumbar spine. of these deep-trunk muscles but how
'wraps'
Abdominis around (TA)the andspine, connecting
the Internal the deep
Oblique (IO) they are recruited
Further that is important.
study showed that it is not Hodges
just andthe
trunk
muscles muscles
both attach to it. When to thetheTLF. TA contracts
This fascia it Richardson
recruitment showed of thesethat the co-contraction
deep-trunk muscles butofhow the
increases
'wraps' around the tension
the spine, in TLF which, the
connecting in deep
turn, TA
they and MF muscles
are recruited that isoccurred
important.prior Hodges to and
any
transmits
trunk muscles a compressive
to it. Whenforce the TA to the lumbar
contracts it movement
Richardsonof the limbs.
showed Thisco-contraction
that the suggests that of these
the
spine,
increases enhancing
the tension its stability.
in TLF In addition
which, in turn,the muscles
TA andanticipate
MF muscles dynamic occurredforces whichprior mayto anyact
increased
transmits atension compressiveof the forceTLF compresses
to the lumbar the on the lumbar
movement spine
of the andThis
limbs. stabilise
suggeststhe area prior
that these
Erector Spinae (ES)
spine, enhancing and Multifidus
its stability. In addition(MF) the to any movement.
muscles anticipate dynamic Hodges and forces Richardson
which mayalso act
muscles,
increasedencouraging
tension of these the TLF to contract and resist
compresses the showed that thespine
on the lumbar timing andofstabilise
coordination the areaof these
prior
spine
Erector flexion
Spinae forces. (ES) and Multifidus (MF) muscles was very significant,
to any movement. Hodges and andRichardson
that back injury also
The intra-abdominal
muscles, encouraging thesepressure to contract mechanism
and resist patients
showed that werethe unable
timing to recruit their TA of
of coordination andthese
MF
(IAP) can provide
spine flexion forces. a supportive effect for the muscles was earlyvery enough to stabilise
significant, and thatthe back
spineinjury
prior
whole
Thelumbar area. A co-contraction
intra-abdominal pressure of the pelvic
mechanism to movement.
patients were unable The to onset
recruit of their
the TA contraction
and MF
floor,
(IAP) TA, canIO and lowa back
provide muscleseffect
supportive increases
for the before
musclesany early force can act
enough on the lumbar
to stabilise the spine spine is
prior
IAP
wholewhich,
lumbar inarea.
turn,Aexerts a tensile force
co-contraction of theon the
pelvic essential
to movement. for these Themusclesonset to of acttheascontraction
stabilisers.
rectus
floor, TA,sheath.
IO and Thislowsheath enclosesincreases
back muscles the Rectus the Furthermore
before any force Hides canetactalon found
(5)
the lumbar that the
spine MF is
Abdominus
IAP which, in (RA)turn,muscle
exertsand attaches
a tensile to the
force on the IO muscle showed
essential for these poor recruitment
muscles to act inasback injury
stabilisers.
and
rectusTA,sheath.
surrounding This sheaththe abdomen.
encloses The the tension
Rectus patients, againHides
Furthermore showing et alhow (5) the recruitment
found that the MF of
of the rectus(RA)
Abdominus sheath increases
muscle and the pressure
attaches within
to the IO these
muscledeepshowed trunkpoormuscles is very important.
recruitment in back injury
the
and abdomen
TA, surrounding like a the pressurised
abdomen.balloon.The tensionThis Interestingly,
patients, as earlyhow
again showing as thethe recruitment
1920s Joseph of
of the rectus sheath increases the pressure within these deep trunk muscles is very important.
the abdomen like a pressurised balloon. This Interestingly, as early as the 1920s Joseph BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Page
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY1
SPECIAL REPORT
Pilates talked about developing a ‘girdle of
strength’ by learning to recruit the deep-trunk
muscles. Even without a complete knowledge of
anatomy and the benefits of the latest muscle
activity research, he was aware of the importance
of these deep muscles and their supportive
effects.
Having identified the key muscles and how
they act, the next step is to establish how best to
train them. As with any type of strength and
conditioning training, the protocol for improving
the function of the deep-trunk muscles must be
specific to the task required. This specificity of
training must take into account the type of
contraction, the muscle fibre type and the
anatomical position required.
By definition, the deep-trunk muscles act as
‘stabilisers’ and are not involved in producing
movements, but instead use static, or isometric,
contractions. Furthermore, they must act as
stabilisers continuously during everyday activities
as well as sport, and so require very good
endurance of low-level forces. These muscles do
not need to be very strong, but they must be
correctly coordinated and capable of working
continuously; in addition, they must hold the
lumbar spine in the neutral position – the correct
alignment of the pelvis that allows for the natural
S-curve of the spine. These characteristics
underpin the following deep-trunk muscle
training programme.
The basics...
Core stability training begins with learning to co-
contract the TA and MF muscles effectively, as
this is key to the lumbar-support mechanism. To
do this you must perform the ‘abdominal
hollowing’ technique with the spine in the neutral
‘ Having
identified the
position, as follows:
● Start by lying on your back with knees bent.
Your lumbar spine should be neither arched up
key muscles nor flattened against the floor, but aligned
normally with a small gap between the floor and
and how they your back. This is the ‘neutral’ lumbar position
act, the next you should learn to achieve.
● Breathe in deeply and relax all your stomach
step is to
muscles. Breathe out and, as you do so, draw your
establish how lower abdomen inwards as if your belly button is
best to train going back towards the floor. Pilates teachers
’
describe this as ‘zipping up’ – as if you are
them fastening a tight pair of jeans.
● Hold the contraction for 10 seconds and stay
relaxed, allowing yourself to breathe in and out as
you hold the tension in your lower stomach area.
Repeat 5-10 times.
Sounds easy? Well maybe, but it is absolutely
vital that you perform this abdominal hollowing
exercise correctly; otherwise you will not recruit
the TA and MF effectively. The following tips will
help to ensure your practice is correct.
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Do not:
● let the whole stomach tense up or your upper
abdominals bulge outwards, as this means you
have cheated by using the large rectus abdominus
muscle (the six-pack) instead of TA;
● brace your TA muscle too hard; just a gentle
contraction is enough. Remember it’s endurance
not max strength you are trying to improve;
● tilt your pelvis or flatten your back, as this
means you have lost the neutral position you are
trying to learn to stabilise;
● hold your breath, as this means you are not
relaxed. You must learn to breathe normally and
maintain the co-contraction of TA and MF.
Do:
● use your fingers on either side of your lower
abdomen to feel the tension in the TA muscle.
Once you have mastered the abdominal
hollowing lying on your back, practise it lying on
your front, four-point kneeling, sitting and standing.
In each position get your lumbar spine into neutral
before you perform the hollowing movement.
The next step...
Having learned to recruit the TA and MF muscles
correctly in various positions, which can take
anything from one session to one month or more,
it is time to move onto simple core stability
exercises. These may also involve the oblique
muscles, other lumbar muscles and gluteals to
assist the TA and MF in maintaining the lumbar
spine in a stable neutral position. I have chosen
two very useful examples, but there are many
others included in Pilates lessons and used by
trainers and physiotherapists that can be
incorporated at this stage of core stability learning.
Lying leg-lift stabilisation
Lie on your back with your knees bent, ensuring
your back is in neutral and placing your hands on
your hips for biofeedback;
● Breathe in and relax. Breathe out and, as you
do so, perform the abdominal hollowing or
zipping-up action;
● Once you have established some TA tension,
slowly slide your left leg out along the floor until
it is straight, then slide it back. Your back should
not have moved, and your pelvis should not have
tilted as you performed this action. If your back or
pelvis moved, you did not achieve the correct
stability. Remember the coaching points above,
and ensure you follow them, otherwise you will
jeopardise the training;
● Repeat for the other side, 10 times each leg.
The waiter’s bow
● Stand up with good posture, knees soft, lumbar
spine in neutral, head up and shoulders back and
relaxed;

● Breathe in and relax. Breathe out and, as you
do so, perform the abdominal hollowing action;
● Keeping the tension, slowly lean forward from
the hips at an angle of 20û and stop, in a posture
like a waiter’s bow, keeping your back completely
straight and long as you lean. Hold the lean
position for 10 seconds – you will feel your TA
and MF supporting you if you hold the correct
position;
● Keeping the tension and the alignment, slowly
return to your start position. Repeat 10 times.
Again, remember the coaching points above.
These exercises are two examples of how you
can learn to keep the spine in neutral, using slow
and controlled static contractions of the trunk
stabiliser muscles. Technique is vital and the aim
is to build up the time you are able to maintain
good stability.
Getting functional...
The ultimate aim of core stability training is to
ensure the deep-trunk muscles are working
correctly to control the lumbar spine during
dynamic movements, such as lifting a heavy box
or running. Therefore it is important that once
you have become proficient in the simple core
exercises you should progress to achieving
stability during more functional movements. I
have chosen two examples.
The lunge
A classic exercise which, performed slowly and
with care, can teach you a great deal about body
awareness and core stability. Interestingly, it is
used by Alexander Technique teachers to help
establish better movement patterns.
● Stand with feet hip-width apart in front of a
mirror. Ensure your lumbar spine is in neutral
and your back is tall with your shoulders back and
head up;
● Lunge forwards, bending your knee only half
way down. Ensure that your front knee is in line
with your toes and your back remains upright,
with your lumbar spine in neutral and your hips
level;
● Push back up, initiating the movement by
pushing down into the floor with your front foot.
The force from your legs should bring you back
up quickly and easily to your start position. Your
back should have remained totally still and your
hips level as you performed the push back.
Many people wrongly initiate the up
movement by pulling their heads and shoulders
back first; this extends the lumbar spine, losing
the neutral position. Others have problems
keeping their pelvis level while performing the
lunge. You must learn to use your deep trunk and
gluteal muscles to hold your lumbar spine in
neutral and your pelvis level as you perform the
movement up and down. The movement should
SPECIAL REPORT
The lunge References:
(side view) 1. Spine, 21, 2640-
2650
2. International
Journal of Sports
Medicine, 1(4),
November 2000
3. Zatsiorski (1994).
Science and practice
of strength training.
(1994). Human
Kinetics: Champaign
IL
4. Palastanga et al.
(1994). Anatomy of
human movement.
Butterworth
Heinemann: Oxford.
come only from the leg muscles. 5. Physiotherapy,
36, 6-11.
The press up 6. Spine. 21, 2763-
Another classic exercise which, more often than 2769.
not, is performed with questionable core stability.
● Start on all fours – even if this means it is easy
for your upper body – in order to learn the
correct technique. Your hands should be slightly
further than shoulder-width apart and your
shoulders and your head in front of your hands.
Lift your hips so that there is a straight line from
your knees through your pelvis and lower back,
through your shoulders and all the way to your
head. Ensure your lumbar spine is in neutral,
using a mirror or a partner/trainer to help you. To
maintain a neutral spine and a straight back
during the exercise, the trunk muscles must
provide active support;
● Slowly lower down, bending your arms all the
way to the floor. Keep your head still, with your
neck in line with your back;
● Push up, initiating the movement by pressing
down into the floor with your hands. Your back
should remain still and straight and your lumbar
spine in neutral throughout.
Many people allow their lumbar spine to arch
and sag downwards as they perform the press up;
this is because they are not using their trunk
stabilisers to support the body.
These two exercises, used in a non-traditional
manner, enable you to learn core stability while
performing dynamic movements. By reducing the
resistance – ie doing only half lunges and knee
press ups – you are able to focus on the trunk
stabilisers and achieving perfect technique rather
than working the major muscle groups. The whole
essence of core stability training is quality of
movement and relaxation. The more you practise,
the easier it becomes until you can control your
lumbar stability at all times, during complex as
well as simple movements.
Raphael Brandon
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