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Too much core?
Ask yourself: Do you really need the core of a pro body builder?
Today MoreCore.org unveils it’s new tagline:
Because you can do more with a strong core.
The former slogan:
Because there’s no such thing as ‘too much core’
was catchy, but didn’t adequately capture the motivation for this website. On top of that, it’s wrong! We don’t all need the mega-core of a professional bodybuilder, for example.
Core training is indeed a good thing and many of us don’t do as much as we should. But like anything in life, it is possible to overdo it based on your current fitness level and risk injury. It’s just human nature to dive in above our heads, especially for exercise enthusiasts & weekend warriors.
So the new MoreCore.org slogan plays less into these gonzo tendencies we have and instead highlights the positive results from having solid core strength: improved sports performance and injury prevention.
The “more” in “MoreCore.org” therefore signifies the following:
- MORE than just six pack abs – think “whole pillar“: torso, hips, glutes, shoulders, spine
- MORE than just core strength but functional training, too
- MORE efficiency and power in your favorite sports
- MORE injury prevention
- MO BETTA‘ physical functioning in your real-world daily life
- Do MORE for your core, but have a goal so you known how much is enough
More For Your Core…
Most of us likely can profit from adding more core & functional fitness to our exercise routines — just how much more is a matter of our fitness goals and current training. Regardless, be cautious and gradual when adding new moves or bumping up the intensity. Go with more reps before adding weight and pay utmost attention to proper form.
As always, listen to your body when something doesn’t feel right.
Sometimes, less is more. 🙂
Demo core workout #1
Here’s a video of a demo workout showing some of the moves you might do at the monthly free core workouts done as part of the Jack LaLanne check-in days.
What is core?
As many before me have stated, “core strength” means more than just six-pack abs. A better term is “pillar strength” which includes the muscles of your torso, hips, and shoulders — basically, anything that connects with and/or helps stabilize those body parts and integrate movements of the limbs.
Yes, the core includes the six pack (rectus abdominis) but it also encompasses a multitude of other deeper muscles such as the transverse abdominis and the psoas which you never see but are crucial for stabilizing your skeleton and allowing you to move efficiently.
The pillar concept reinforces the notion of muscular support that goes all the way around your body to include the muscles along the sides of your torso (external obliques and lats) as well as your entire back and your butt.
We’re stuck with ‘core’ terminology for now, and I’ll use that term on this website to really mean the entire pillar. Besides, “MorePillar.org” just doesn’t have as good a ring to it 😉
A 2010 WSJ article made a great case for the importance of core strength.
Many sports-medicine specialists expect core-strength exercises to become the third leg of public-health recommendations in regard to workouts. Just as cardiovascular exercise is promoted for heart health and resistance training for strong bones, experts expect core-strengthening movements to gain public-health favor for avoiding muscular-skeletal pain and injury, particularly of the neck, back and hips. “In the sports and fitness worlds, the benefits of core strength exercise are accepted facts,” says Bill Sonnemaker, a personal trainer and spokesman for IDEA Health & Fitness Association, an educational association for fitness professionals.
MoreCore.org 