The Endurance Handbook by Maffetone Philip Prazak Tawnee

Author:Maffetone, Philip, Prazak, Tawnee
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

The Myth of Core Muscles

The above discussion of abdominal muscles is all about the body’s central balance. It also involves a lean waist. These factors are the real core of a balanced body.

When most people hear the word “core,” thoughts of grueling strength sessions, sweat, and six-pack abs come to mind. Many think that so-called core muscles are comprised only of anaerobic fibers and the abdominals, and bulking them up is how to have a great looking, sexy power core. Workouts include crunches and sit-ups, with a bunch of weights thrown in, all with a high-rep, fatiguing approach, the 48-hour rest, then doing it all again.

Most of this is either wrong or unhealthy. Let’s look at the big picture, better terminology, and a definition.

Core Is Out

The once tidy little name was a great marketing tool, but is now connected with communication breakdown. It’s too restrictive, a vague and confusing term, and without sufficient consensus. Central balance refers to the muscular control of the entire trunk. Impairment here can be the cause of many types of injuries throughout the body.

Another central issue is a lean waist. Too much stored fat, especially in and around the abdomen, poses serious health and fitness consequences.

Two of the most significant abnormal findings common in the world today are poor central balance, and an overfat abdomen. These problems are often related, and always serious. Both affect posture and gait, contribute to spinal pain, foot and knee problems, and many other exercise-related injuries. And both usually have metabolic consequences too, including lower energy, chronic illness, and increased body fat. I will discuss each below.

Central Balance

When standing up straight, a balanced body’s center of gravity is in the pelvis, just in front of the sacrum (the bone that connects the bottom of the spine to the two large pelvic bones). But this central balance point is always changing, sometimes drastically, because we move so much. The muscles in the trunk, under control of the brain, control these changes and regulate central balance.

Let’s better define our central body, without seeming too simplistic. Our anatomy is primarily composed of a) a central component, and b) all the rest:

• The central component is the trunk, our hub, whose functional parts include the abdomen from chest to pelvis, and the back from the bottom of the neck down to the pelvis. It includes the sides of the trunk, too, and more than just the main outside muscles, the abdominals and sacrospinalis. Deeper muscles such as the psoas are just as important. Our hub plays a vital role in stabilization and movement, maintaining proper posture and gait, and protecting organs, glands, and nerves (including the spinal cord). The central body’s many potential motions help coordinate the arms, legs, and neck to move well.

• In the rest of the body, our arms, legs, and neck attach to the central part like tentacles sensing the world. Our feet feel the ground to better propel us, and our fingers sense the environment above. The information received is sent up through the neck and into the brain.

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