PLAYtime with Denee – Core Training –

Training your “core”.
What is it?
What’s the best way to do it?
How will it help me?
For many years now the term “core training” has been all the craze in the fitness industry.
The challenge (I don’t like the word problem), is that people have started to identify their “core” as a specific muscle or group of muscles, specifically the abdominal region. People are now isolating their abdominal muscles such as the transverse abdominis and Obliques (see pic) in an attempt to get stronger.
Rectus abdominis
So why do I consider this a challenge?
Because the average person today thinks that “if I have a 5 minute plank, or ripped abs” I have a strong core. Unfortunately, they couldn’t be more wrong.
Most people currently see the human body as a series of parts (Arms, Legs, Back, Core/Abs, etc.), so when we start to identify ourselves as having a “weak core”, we go straight into isolation mode and we plank, do sit-ups, Russian twists and leg raises, etc.
What we need to do  is have a look at what the core actually does and how it integrates with everyday movements.
When we say “Core” we need to identify it as a connection, rather than a group of muscles.
We define the core as:
The ability of all the muscles, nerves and connective tissues that are connected to the torso to interact and connect efficiently. 
This includes all muscles and connective tissue that cross the the hip, shoulder and neck and connect to the torso.
When all of these muscles, chains, ligaments, nerves, tendons and fascia communicate effectively and efficiently in an unlimited arrangement of movements, then we know that we have a strong core. Your goal to strengthen your core and to ensure that your back and front connect effectively in multidimensional movements.
Gone are the days of thinking that “I need to get a stronger core”. Today we talk about “I need to integrate my movements more effectively”.
This is exactly why some of the strongest and best movers in the world do integrated movements and they test themselves across a broad range of movements.
For example:
– Gymnastics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvq1AHaqGto Jonathan Horton is an amazing specialist at gymnastics, but have a look at his “core” strength.
– Dancing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwm-v9MLOFY Some amazing dancers showing how “core” strength also needs to flow into your neck and shoulders.
– Parkour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHy9W9LpvlQ In order to do what these guys do, you don’t need a good plank, you need great whole body connections.
– Olympic Lifting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDtArt5n1cM One of the best lifters in the world. In order to throw in excess of 180kg’s above your head, you need excellent connections and control through all systems (CNS, Neuromuscular, Fascial, Endocrine (Hormonal), etc.)
– Strongmen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD445AlUxsI Both Mark Felix and Dimitry Klokov show what we would call “poor technique” at times during their videos and training, yet they did not injure themselves. There is so much more involved than good technique and a strong core.
– CrossFit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9EnNatOAdw Another of the world elite in strength and fitness and again shows how well his body moves as a whole and not as separate parts.
– Martial Arts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWN7Tz-Ftbc Cyborg is a BJJ freak. But his movement ability and flexibility based on his size, defies what we think about muscle mass, strength and movement. He proves that you can have it all.
– Rock Climbing https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=819753524714725 Would you say he has a strong core? I most definitely would. Purely show by his ability to control his entire bodyweight through his shoulder.
All of these training methods involve complex integrated movements and are considered to have the strongest “core” out of everyone. The truth is that they have better connections from one end of their bodies to the others and that gives them the perception of having a strong “core”.
My theory is simple.
Move because you want to and move for fun. I don’t know about you but planking isn’t that fun.
For more information on what functional anatomy actually is have a look at Thomas Myers from Anatomy Trains @  (http://www.anatomytrains.com/)
He shows a map of how the bodies muscular systems are interconnected and do not move the way that we have always thought.
Andre Cyborg Abreu Chris-Sharma1 Jonathan+Horton+2011+Visa+Championships+Day+3IkTHuk35Q-l mark_felix_WSM07 Rich-Froning3 Storm parkourBreakdancingDimitry Klokov
2015-01-08T10:57:09+11:00

About the Author:

Denee Lalouette
A UFT PLAYground is a place that people of all shapes, sizes and ages learn to develop their movement abilities through an infinite learning and development program. UFT PLAYgrounds have been created to re-inspire our natural ability to move, create, adapt, re-act, connect, have fun and of course PLAY. PLAYgrounds have been developed to allow people to feel and explore their own abilities by utilising a multidimensional, infinite, creative and PLAYful approach to training. We live in a world full of specialists and obsessions. At an ever increasing rate, people are specialising more and more, in their jobs, in their businesses, in their sport and in their training. The result, is a backward step in human evolution. By specialising, we limit ourselves to thinking that 1 particular way of doing things is the right way, or the only way. We promote creativity, not only in movement and training methodologies but in thinking in general. A UFT PLAYground is created to provide the general public with an opportunity to PLAY across multiple styles of training and moving, to be able to progress in the training methods that they become passionate about or that excites them and to be a part of a community that promotes more than just fitness. The “fitness” industry above all others has brought about a need to specialise in order to achieve anything, and majority of what we do for “fitness” is for an aesthetically pleasing reason. We understand that aesthetics are nice and we too love to look and feel good. However a UFT PLAYground is developed to allow people to move better than ever before across a broad range of training methodologies and ideas. Aesthetics, therefore are a result not a goal of that system. We know that “If you train to look good, you will not always enjoy what you do, but if you PLAY a lot, and do the things that you love, you will ending up looking good”. Aesthetics should be a result not a goal. For years now, we have recognised that the best movers on the planet are children. They are flexible, mobile & fit, they have better relative strength than a typical adult (and even most adolescents), they are the best creators and innovators, they learn faster, the adapt better, they interact better with other people, they are more connected to nature and most importantly, they PLAY more than anyone else. As adults, we tend to believe that because we are taller and more experienced in “life”, we are better, and then we get to an age that says we are “too old to PLAY”. As we grow taller (and in a lot of cases rounder), we experience things that inhibit our ability to move, think and not think. We allow our experiences to limit our abilities as humans, whether it be a physical injury, a story that we heard or a youtube video that we watched. We also allow our emotions to control our behaviour because of our past experiences. Maybe it was the feeling of humiliation when we tried something new, regret when we failed or heart break when it was taken away from us. Because of this, we allow our experiences to control our future instead of learning from them and creating our own . This is what UFT PLAYground’s are built on. The understanding that we as humans need to go back to the way things were before our negative experiences took over our subconscious mind and body. A UFT PLAYground gives people the ability to re-learn what they have lost, as well as develop new sets of skills that will allow them to follow any particular passion that they uncover in PLAYtime. When we PLAY, we are simply, exploring. Through exploring we become curious and through curiosity we become obsessed or passionate about a particular thing. This is why in a PLAYground we allow people to PLAY across a broad range of training systems (minimum of 3), Through this system they are able to identify 1, their current limitations and be educated on how to overcome them, and 2, identify their passions and learn to develop, grow and excel in them. UFT PLAYgrounds are also a development centre for up and coming entrepreneurs in the fitness industry. Each PLAYground founder will have been trained and will be continuously trained in UFT’s Trainer Success System. This system allows personal trainers, coaches, teachers, instructors, etc. to continue to develop in their fields of specialty (as they play they will find it) and in the philosophy of PLAYtime. They will also be trained in the business systems of UFT in order to have their own successful and profitable business. See UFT Trainer Success System for more details.

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