The Core Issue: Part Deux

Do you remember the first thing your core did? No, of course not. But imagining the enormity of what it takes for a baby to master movement is mind blowing. If you look at it from a movement perspective, you'll be even more impressed. The first thing baby has to do before progressing to something as complicated as quadruped position is master the roll. Below is a YouTube link to a Charlie Weingroff video on how to roll. When I tried it, I was amazed how hard it was, and I tried it without a diaper full of whatnot. (Just kidding)

https://youtu.be/gmQuG2mnkWw

Now don't get me wrong, I like the core. But something about it bugs me. The more I learn about it, the more I discover it's a hugger. Who doesn't like a nice hug every now and then? But the core wants to do it like...all day. So let's look at this touchy feely subsystem and see how the core literally hugs you, and why you should hug it back.

The white areas in the pic below are a complicated matrix of webbing throughout the body called fascia. The brain uses this stuff to listen to everything that's happening, inside and outside of you. The facia of the lower back is actually part of what some people refer to as a fascial belt that wraps around us, joining with the core to keep the lumbar extra, extra, super special, snuggly, safe.

Above the lower back, you see the red lats, below are the red glutes; two large muscles capable of generating tons of force if properly stabilized. So if the body put two big prime movers above and below a structure, you know that structure is designed not to move, or at least move minimally. The white tells you there's very little contractile tissue in the lower back. No contractile tissue means no contractions should happen there, ever. If it hurts, it's being asked to move against it's design.

The lower back is forced to help you move when surrounding muscles are too weak, tight, under active, or overactive. This is why we assess first and assess often because it ensures that we never apply strength, stretching, or cardio solutions to movement problems. And it ensures we don't apply corrective exercise to bodies that move at industry standard. Assessment helps prioritize programming. Determining whether dysfunction is a mobility or stability problem is imperative before any exercise prescription is written. Mobility tops the priority list when dysfunction is found because you can't stabilize mobility you can't express.

Since the brain constantly tries to predict how you're going to move, it adapts to anything you do repetitively. It adaptively shortens and lengthens muscles according to whatever position you're in the most. Lower cross syndrome, or anterior pelvic tilt, is an example of repetitive movement the brain locked and loaded. It keeps you in hip flexion, as if to say, "I'm gonna pre-sit, because that's where we're headed anyway." So get up!

If this is you, no amount of core work fixes this. Nope, pilates won't either. Until the tight hip flexors and erectors are released, the weak glutes and abdominals are never in a position to fully contract. So ease up if you've launched a full-on assault on these popular muscles, they need love, not more sets and reps. Side note: The muscles shown here are only the most likely to be weak or tight. Remember, you're only looking at one section of the body. There's no telling what your knees and ankles are doing below, or your shoulders and neck above, so get a movement screen yesterday.

The bear crawl hold, single extremity tap, and crawl in the video below are progressions that will address bracing. Do not progress to a harder version until you can show full competency in the hold. A ball placed on your lower back will tell you when you're ready. If you can hold a ball PERFECTLY still on your lower back for thirty seconds in the bear hold position, you can try the extremity tap. Same deal there, the ball dictates when you can progress. Eager clients do themselves a disservice seeking more intensity, thinking it speeds progress. All they find is movement with compensation.

Compensation free movement is in every fitness goal, life goal, and retirement goal. If you move without compensation, you're thinner, more mobile, and enjoying that freedom of movement, so struggle to the death to keep it. At the very least, give your pall bearers less to carry.

https://youtu.be/d3jvNEYGZIs