A Cyclical Program for Core Efficiency

Stability is one of the most important yet sadly misunderstood elements necessary for both heightened athletic performance and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Most of us have heard the statistics from the massive quantities of research on the topic: 80 percent of us will suffer debilitating back pain at some point during our adult lives. Some 16 million adults - 8 percent of all adults - experience persistent or chronic back pain, and as a result are limited in certain everyday activities.

As we have emphasized though, the back is often the most neglected part of the core-training continuum. Stability training is an essential foundation for every other part of athletic success. It is inaccurately burdened with the identity of static positions sustained for extended periods of time, which, while indeed an element of stability, does not fully represent its dynamic functionality within a comprehensive athletic context. Prominent physical therapist Charlie Weingroff provides us with an insightful perspective of stability, defining it as "the ability of a joint system to maintain position in the presence of change." With this acumen strongly influencing our philosophy, the following program will both statically and actively challenge the deep stabilizers typically associated with osteoarticular equilibrium to maintain postural alignment and dynamic postural efficiency during functional movement patterns. If we can accomplish this challenging task and then link it to strength and power, we will have laid the groundwork for a championship contender.

Take a look at the corresponding stability guidelines. As with the other program phases, stability training covers a four- to six-week cycle. The core musculature generally tends to be slow-twitch, which dictates the suggested repetition range. In addition, some movements are classified as total-body or complex exercises. Thus there might be as many as six or seven movement variations within the same exercise. We will identify these exercises on a drill-by-drill basis with a suggested repetition range specific to that particular complex. To keep the training session progressing smoothly and to maintain athlete productivity and focus, the various core regions should be executed in a circuit procedure. This system of training is sometimes called supersetting , in which one drill moves directly into the next with no rest interval. The prescribed rest interval will follow each cycle. However, if you ever need to rest in order to ensure proper technique with subsequent exercises, then by all means, rest. Never sacrifice mechanics for any reason; if a brief rest is necessary to maintain accuracy, then rest is warranted.

Stability Phase Guidelines

Note: Drill selection can remain constant or can vary from session to session or even set to set.

As we discussed in chapter 18, on completion of the stability phase, there will be a retest before the strength phase begins. Once you pass the testing you are now ready to move into the strength phase.

We can increase the level of difficulty of an exercise in many ways. Simply increasing the proprioceptive requirement by using a multisensory environment makes a relatively simple drill more complicated. Shifting the drill from stable to unstable, adding perturbation techniques, tossing a ball to the athlete while in a challenging posture, or any other type of multimodal manipulation is often more substantially valuable than increasing external load. Thus, in this phase, the progressive distinction of increasing intensity might range from discreetly manipulating the weight of the body or as demanding as moving against an external load such as a cable weight stack column.

Refer to the corresponding strength guidelines. The repetition range will be lower than in the stability phase, whereas the time for isometric-based (static) exercises will again be predicated on individual capability, as screened through the tests in chapter 18. When selecting appropriate load, use good critical judgment; additional weight should challenge the exercise but not impair overall form. In other words, never sacrifice technique or postural control for additional reps, sets, or supplemental load. As with the other two phases, the strength phase is performed in circuit fashion of three to four rotations with minimal breaks between each. Safety considerations regarding precise technique always apply.

Strength Phase Guidelines

Note: Drill selection can remain constant or can vary from session to session or even set to set.

Within the strength exercises, you will find a group labeled "total core." These complex exercises aggressively challenge each of the areas outlined throughout the text. Although all our exercises are globally focused, some will suggest an anatomical emphasis. These exercises will be apparent and are necessary for establishing a global foundation and, ultimately, performance efficiency. The total-core exercises are far more inclusive in nature. Outside of their physical impact, doing these exercises is useful for many reasons; for the more advanced athlete, they can be included in a typical circuit.

Because of its large blood supply in the region, the core repairs rapidly, lending to quick recovery. Thus when you have suitably prepared yourself through training in the stability phase and have passed the retests, advancing into the strength phases with a focus on higher volume training (from either sets, reps, or duration or a combination or all three) is warranted. Also, in some cases you can pair a total-core exercise with an anatomical region that might need emphasis. An example would be pairing the Turkish Get-Up (see chapter 14) with Prone YTA movement (chapter 12).

Many people are short on time. When necessary (while not ideal), you can use one or more total-core exercises for an entire core workout. If you do this, you will need to do multiple sets. Doing three or four sets of one total-core exercise is not enough to effect positive adaptive change. Upward of six sets would certainly be apt.

The power phase will begin after successfully testing to determine readiness. The important element in this phase is speed of movement, so the weight you select must reflect your ability to control the load quickly. Too heavy will equal too slow a movement and will provide minimal benefit. Of course the weight you select should never control you.

Refer to the corresponding power guidelines. Adhering to the previous guideline parameters, the rep range for the power phase is again lower than in the stability and strength phases. No exercises outlined in the power section involve static movement isometrics, so programming time will not be an issue. The entire power set moves in a circuit of three or four cycles, with 60-second breaks.

Power Phase Guidelines

Note: Drill selection can remain constant or can vary from session to session or even set to set.

Note that at this stage there are no prescribed scapulothoracic exercises. Explosively drawing back your shoulder blades in an isolated fashion is generally not a good idea, primarily because it puts many of the supporting structures of the shoulder girdle at risk. Additionally, during many of the power exercises, the scapulothoracic musculature plays a key role in an integrated fashion and thus requires no additional stress.