Trunk Training: The Core of Conditioning

By Bruce Cohn
Boston Globe, August 19, 2004
 
When many young athletes think of training for their chosen sport they tend to focus on the body area most obviously needed in that sport. If a sport requires pushing, pulling or throwing movements there is a natural tendency to focus strength training on the upper body. Some lower body strength training will usually follow. In sports that emphasize jumping, sprinting or kicking this order of training is usually reversed. In both cases trunk training (conditioning the muscles of the abdomen, back and hips) is usually left to the end of the workout or omitted altogether. This is a critical mistake because you cannot develop your complete strength and power without focusing on trunk training. That is because all movements are either originated or joined together in your trunk.

The muscles of the trunk (which we refer to as the core) flex, extend and rotate the spine which gives us the ability to bend, straighten and twist. Current muscle research has proven that before a muscle in your extremities can contract, e.g. raising your arm to the side, your core muscles will contract first. This is consistent with how you first learn to move as a baby. Movement skills begin in the muscles of the trunk and proceed outward to the arms and legs. Moreover, as athletes generate force from the ground to be extended out the upper extremities, it is the trunk muscles that join these actions to create powerful and efficient movements. A well-developed core means more power output, more efficient movement, less loss of energy and less chance of injury.

This is why we always emphasize trunk-training exercises with our athletes. If your core is not strong enough to maintain good posture, your movements during exercise will be less powerful, less coordinated and more likely to lead to back injury. Young athletes are taught to draw the belly button in towards the spine because this activates deep abdominal muscles that help support your back and maintain your center of gravity during training and game situations. Athletes should be taught exercises that involve bending, twisting and straightening the trunk in a variety of positions. Core work must be done on the floor, on stability balls and in standing positions to mimic the different angles and force demands that sports place on the trunk muscles. Whether doing these exercises with body weight or added resistance, correct body alignment must always be maintained. You should never sacrifice form to increase resistance, repetitions or sets. If your goal is to improve your athletic performance, then a well-designed trunk-training program must be your starting point.

Bruce Cohn is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Middlesex School in Concord. He runs FIT-TO-GO Total Sports Conditioning and is a nationally certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Bruce can be reached at 781-316-0061 or brucegym@rcn.com.