Core Stability

Core stability training aims to effectively recruit the trunk musculature and then learn to control the position of the lumbar spine during dynamic movements.

The Muscles

The deep trunk muscles, Transversus Abdominis (TA), multifidus (MF), Internal Oblique (IO), paraspinal, pelvic floor, are key to the active support of the lumbar spine. The co-contraction of these muscles produces forces via the "thoracolumbar fascia" (TLF) and the "intra-abdominal pressure" (IAP) mechanism which stabilises the lumbar spine, and the paraspinal and MF muscles act directly to resist the forces acting on the lumbar spine.

It is important not just the recruitment of these deep-trunk muscles but how they are recruited. Research (Hodges and Richardson, 1997)^[2] showed that the co-contraction of the TA and MF muscles occurred before any movement of the limbs. This suggests that these muscles anticipate dynamic forces that may act on the lumbar spine and stabilise the area before any movement. Hodges and Richardson (1997)^[2] showed that the timing of coordination of these muscles was very significant.

Training

Having identified the key muscles and how they act, the next step is to establish how best to train these muscles. As with any strength and conditioning training, the training protocol for improving the function of the deep-trunk muscles must be specific to the task required. This specificity of training must consider 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 involve static or isometric contractions. . Furthermore, they must act as stabilisers continuously throughout everyday activities as well as fitness and sports activities, requiring excellent 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. Also, we want these stabiliser muscles to act by holding the lumbar spine in the neutral position, which is the correct alignment of the pelvis that allows for the spine's natural 'S' curve. These characteristics underpin the following deep-trunk muscle training program.

The basics

Core-stability training begins with learning to co-contract the TA and MF muscles effectively, which has been identified as key to the lumbar-support mechanism. To perform the TA and MF co-contraction, you must complete the "abdominal hollowing" technique with the spine in the neutral position.

To do this, use the following guidelines:

Start by lying on your back with your knees bent
Your lumbar spine should be neither arched up nor flattened against the floor but aligned normally with a small gap between the floor and your back. This is the "neutral" lumbar position you should learn to achieve
Breathe in deeply and relax all your stomach muscles
Breathe out and, as you do so, draw your lower abdomen inwards as if your belly button is going back towards the floor. Pilates teachers describe this as "zipping up", as if you are fastening up a pair of tight 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

You must perform this abdominal hollowing exercise correctly, otherwise you will not recruit the TA and MF effectively. Bear in mind the following points:

Visualise the deep abdominal muscles as a corset that wraps around the abdomen
Place one hand above the umbilicus (belly button) and one below
Slowly draw in the lower abdomen, below the umbilicus, without pulling in the upper abdomen
Hold the contraction while breathing normally
Aim for a 10-second contraction, repeating it ten times
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 abdominal muscle (the six-pack) instead of TA
Do not brace your TA muscle too hard; a gentle contraction is enough. Remember it is endurance, not max strength, that you are trying to improve
Do not tilt your pelvis nor flatten your back, as this means you have lost the neutral position you are trying to learn to stabilise
Do not 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
Use your fingers for biofeedback on either side of your lower abdomen (below the umbilicus) to feel the tension in the TA muscle

Once you have mastered the abdominal hollowing lying on your back, practice it lying on your front, four-point kneeling, sitting and standing. In each position, get your lumbar spine into neutral before yperforming 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 exercises 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.

Lying leg lift stabilisation

Lying on your back with your knees bent
Ensure your back is in neutral
Place 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 and 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
Repeat for the other side ten times each leg

Variations include the same exercise with knee lifts and knee drops out to the side. Again, the aim is to retain a stable lumbar spine in a neutral position as the legs move.

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 20° and stop, 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 ten times

These exercises are two examples of learning how to keep the spine neutral, using slow and controlled static contractions of the trunk stabiliser muscles. Notice how the technique is vital, and the aim is to build up the time you can maintain excellent 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, e.g. lifting a heavy box or participating in any sport.

Therefore, it is vital that once you have achieved proficiency in the simple core exercises, you must progress on to achieving stability during more functional movements. Try the following two exercises.

The lunge

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 forward and bend your knee only halfway down
Ensure that your front knee is in line with your toes and your back has remained 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 still, and your hips level as you performed the push back

Many 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. It would help if you learned to use your deep trunk and gluteal muscles to hold your lumbar spine at neutral and pelvis level as you perform the movement up and down. The movement should only come from the leg muscles.

The Press-up

Start from your knees, even if this means it is easy for your upper body to learn the correct technique
Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders, and your head must be 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 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 to the floor. Keep your head still with your neck straight relative to your back
Push up, initiating the movement by pressing down into the floor with your hands

Your back should remain straight, and your lumbar spine in neutral throughout the exercise.

These two exercises enable you to learn core stability while performing dynamic movements. By reducing the resistance, i.e. making only half lunges and knee press-ups, you can focus on the trunk stabilisers and achieve perfect technique rather than working the major muscle groups. The whole essence of core stability training is the quality of movement and relaxation. The more you practice, the easier it becomes until you can control your lumbar stability at all times and during complex movements.

How do you monitor core stability?

We all believe that core stability work is vital as it reduces injury and improves performance, but what scientific evidence supports this belief.

A study by Chaudhari et al. (2011)^[3] with a group of 75 healthy professional baseball pitchers used a measurement device to observe that professional baseball pitchers with poor lumbopelvic control (core stability) did not perform as well as those with better lumbopelvic control providing us with some scientific evidence to support this belief.

Control and strength of the body's back, abdominal and hip muscles are essential to achieve maximum athletic performance, but how can we tell if core stability is maintained?

The measurement device used in the Chaudhari et al. (2011)^[3] study provides audible feedback to alert the user when core stability is not maintained and the body goes out of alignment. The device, a "Level Belt Pro" or "Level Belt Lite" iPhone application, a package can be from the iPhone "App Store". If you do not have an iPhone, then a package can be obtained from the Perdect Practice website. This simple device is easy to use and is a breakthrough in core stability testing and training.

Core Stability Workouts

The following are examples of core stability workouts:

Article Reference

The information on this page is adapted from Brandon (2002)^[1] with the kind permission of Electric Word plc.

References

BRANDON, R. (2002) This exercise programme will strengthen your trunk muscles and this help avoid back problems. Peak Performance, 165, p. 8-11
HODGES, P.W. and RICHARDSON, C.A. (1997) Contraction of the abdominal muscles associated with movement of the lower limb. Physical therapy, 77 (1997)
CHAUDHARI, A.M. McKENZIE, C.S., BORCHHERS, J.R. and BEST, T.M. (2011) Lumbopelvic control and pitching performance of professional baseball pitchers. J Strength Cond Res. 25(8) p. 2127-32

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

MACKENZIE, B. (2003) Core Stability [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/corestab.htm [Accessed


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The Muscles The deep trunk muscles, Transversus Abdominis (TA), multifidus (MF), Internal Oblique (IO), paraspinal, pelvic floor, are key to the active support of the lumbar spine. The co-contraction of these muscles produces forces via the "thoracolumbar fascia" (TLF) and the "intra-abdominal pressure" (IAP) mechanism which stabilises the lumbar spine, and the paraspinal and MF muscles act directly to resist the forces acting on the lumbar spine. It is important not just the recruitment of these deep-trunk muscles but how they are recruited. Research (Hodges and Richardson, 1997)^[2] showed that the co-contraction of the TA and MF muscles occurred before any movement of the limbs. This suggests that these muscles anticipate dynamic forces that may act on the lumbar spine and stabilise the area before any movement. Hodges and Richardson (1997)^[2] showed that the timing of coordination of these muscles was very significant. Training Having identified the key muscles and how they act, the next step is to establish how best to train these muscles. As with any strength and conditioning training, the training protocol for improving the function of the deep-trunk muscles must be specific to the task required. This specificity of training must consider 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 involve static or isometric contractions. . Furthermore, they must act as stabilisers continuously throughout everyday activities as well as fitness and sports activities, requiring excellent 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. Also, we want these stabiliser muscles to act by holding the lumbar spine in the neutral position, which is the correct alignment of the pelvis that allows for the spine's natural 'S' curve. These characteristics underpin the following deep-trunk muscle training program. The basics Core-stability training begins with learning to co-contract the TA and MF muscles effectively, which has been identified as key to the lumbar-support mechanism. To perform the TA and MF co-contraction, you must complete the "abdominal hollowing" technique with the spine in the neutral position. To do this, use the following guidelines: Start by lying on your back with your knees bent Your lumbar spine should be neither arched up nor flattened against the floor but aligned normally with a small gap between the floor and your back. This is the "neutral" lumbar position you should learn to achieve Breathe in deeply and relax all your stomach muscles Breathe out and, as you do so, draw your lower abdomen inwards as if your belly button is going back towards the floor. Pilates teachers describe this as "zipping up", as if you are fastening up a pair of tight 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 You must perform this abdominal hollowing exercise correctly, otherwise you will not recruit the TA and MF effectively. Bear in mind the following points: Visualise the deep abdominal muscles as a corset that wraps around the abdomen Place one hand above the umbilicus (belly button) and one below Slowly draw in the lower abdomen, below the umbilicus, without pulling in the upper abdomen Hold the contraction while breathing normally Aim for a 10-second contraction, repeating it ten times 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 abdominal muscle (the six-pack) instead of TA Do not brace your TA muscle too hard; a gentle contraction is enough. Remember it is endurance, not max strength, that you are trying to improve Do not tilt your pelvis nor flatten your back, as this means you have lost the neutral position you are trying to learn to stabilise Do not 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 Use your fingers for biofeedback on either side of your lower abdomen (below the umbilicus) to feel the tension in the TA muscle Once you have mastered the abdominal hollowing lying on your back, practice it lying on your front, four-point kneeling, sitting and standing. In each position, get your lumbar spine into neutral before yperforming 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 exercises 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. Lying leg lift stabilisation Lying on your back with your knees bent Ensure your back is in neutral Place 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 and 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 Repeat for the other side ten times each leg Variations include the same exercise with knee lifts and knee drops out to the side. Again, the aim is to retain a stable lumbar spine in a neutral position as the legs move. 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 20° and stop, 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 ten times These exercises are two examples of learning how to keep the spine neutral, using slow and controlled static contractions of the trunk stabiliser muscles. Notice how the technique is vital, and the aim is to build up the time you can maintain excellent 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, e.g. lifting a heavy box or participating in any sport. Therefore, it is vital that once you have achieved proficiency in the simple core exercises, you must progress on to achieving stability during more functional movements. Try the following two exercises. The lunge 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 forward and bend your knee only halfway down Ensure that your front knee is in line with your toes and your back has remained 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 still, and your hips level as you performed the push back Many 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. It would help if you learned to use your deep trunk and gluteal muscles to hold your lumbar spine at neutral and pelvis level as you perform the movement up and down. The movement should only come from the leg muscles. The Press-up Start from your knees, even if this means it is easy for your upper body to learn the correct technique Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders, and your head must be 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 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 to the floor. Keep your head still with your neck straight relative to your back Push up, initiating the movement by pressing down into the floor with your hands Your back should remain straight, and your lumbar spine in neutral throughout the exercise. These two exercises enable you to learn core stability while performing dynamic movements. By reducing the resistance, i.e. making only half lunges and knee press-ups, you can focus on the trunk stabilisers and achieve perfect technique rather than working the major muscle groups. The whole essence of core stability training is the quality of movement and relaxation. The more you practice, the easier it becomes until you can control your lumbar stability at all times and during complex movements. How do you monitor core stability? We all believe that core stability work is vital as it reduces injury and improves performance, but what scientific evidence supports this belief. A study by Chaudhari et al. (2011)^[3] with a group of 75 healthy professional baseball pitchers used a measurement device to observe that professional baseball pitchers with poor lumbopelvic control (core stability) did not perform as well as those with better lumbopelvic control providing us with some scientific evidence to support this belief. Control and strength of the body's back, abdominal and hip muscles are essential to achieve maximum athletic performance, but how can we tell if core stability is maintained? The measurement device used in the Chaudhari et al. (2011)^[3] study provides audible feedback to alert the user when core stability is not maintained and the body goes out of alignment. The device, a "Level Belt Pro" or "Level Belt Lite" iPhone application, a package can be from the iPhone "App Store". If you do not have an iPhone, then a package can be obtained from the Perdect Practice website. This simple device is easy to use and is a breakthrough in core stability testing and training. Core Stability Workouts The following are examples of core stability workouts: Core Stability Exercises The "Alfa Romeo" workout The "Aston Martin" workout The "Audi" workout The "Bentley" workout The "BMW" workout The "Buick" workout The "Lotus" workout The "Mercedes Benz" workout The "McLaren" workout The "Morgan" workout Article Reference The information on this page is adapted from Brandon (2002)^[1] with the kind permission of Electric Word plc. References BRANDON, R. (2002) This exercise programme will strengthen your trunk muscles and this help avoid back problems. Peak Performance, 165, p. 8-11 HODGES, P.W. and RICHARDSON, C.A. (1997) Contraction of the abdominal muscles associated with movement of the lower limb. Physical therapy, 77 (1997) CHAUDHARI, A.M. McKENZIE, C.S., BORCHHERS, J.R. and BEST, T.M. (2011) Lumbopelvic control and pitching performance of professional baseball pitchers. J Strength Cond Res. 25(8) p. 2127-32 Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: MACKENZIE, B. (2003) Core Stability [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/corestab.htm [Accessed