engaging core

[Rhianna]

Hi,

I would like to ask about the comment I hear made on different dvd's including Cathe's that says to "engage core" as you are lifting or even while doing cardio.

Does this mean tighten your abs while doing whatever exercise you are doing?

Thank you,
Jeannie

 

[amyg]

Basically, yes. You basically want to kind of "brace" for someone hitting you in the gut or catching a ball or anything like that. It helps keep your spine in alignment and protects your lower back.

 

[Rhianna]

Thank you for the help! :7

Jeannie

 

[kathryn]

What Amy said!
I just want to add: make sure that it's more of an isometric contraction and not a 'sucking in' of the abdominals. I was cleanig my bedroom today, and happened across a book by Stuart McGill (perhaps the formost expert on lower back disorders) that I had been reading a while ago, and just happened to flip to the very pages explaining the difference between the two, and the importance of 'bracing' rather than 'sucking in'.

Amy's description of the motion as bracing for a punch is spot on (you can even practice by slapping yourself around the midsection a bit!)

 

[Rhianna]

>What Amy said!
>I just want to add: make sure that it's more of an isometric
>contraction and not a 'sucking in' of the abdominals.

Yeah, I DO think I tend to just suck them in and now when working out I'll have to make a point of "bracing" instead.

I was
>cleanig my bedroom today, and happened across a book by Stuart
>McGill (perhaps the formost expert on lower back disorders)
>that I had been reading a while ago, and just happened to flip
>to the very pages explaining the difference between the two,
>and the importance of 'bracing' rather than 'sucking in'.

Did if give any suggestions?

>
>Amy's description of the motion as bracing for a punch is spot
>on (you can even practice by slapping yourself around the
>midsection a bit!)

Hee hee hee

Thank you

 

[kathryn]

>>Did if give any suggestions?

Basically, rather than 'hollowing out' the abdominal wall (a visible 'sucking in'), you activate the abdominal muscles to make them stiff. The abdominals should neither draw in nor bulge out during this move. This activates all three levels of the abdominal wall (rectus, transverse and obliques) to help shore up the spine, rather than just activating the transverse, the way sucking-in does.

As I said, slap or pound yourself around the waist a bit, and isometrically brace to absorb the impact. You're not trying to keep someone (yourself!) from hitting you by moving your muscles out of the way by sucking in, but rather to be able to withstand the impact by tensing them. If you do this with a relaxed abdominal wall, then with isometric tension, you should be able to feel the difference.

HTH!

 

[Rhianna]

Thank you. This really helps!

Jeannie


>As I said, slap or pound yourself around the waist a bit, and
>isometrically brace to absorb the impact. You're not trying to
>keep someone (yourself!) from hitting you by moving your
>muscles out of the way by sucking in, but rather to be able to
>withstand the impact by tensing them. If you do this with a
>relaxed abdominal wall, then with isometric tension, you
>should be able to feel the difference.
>
>HTH!