IHPSWIM

   PART I

By

Juan Carlos Santana, MEd., CSCS 

             This article will be the first of a three part series on the development of the body’s core  (i.e. abdominals and lower back) for total power development.  The Part I will deal with the basic premise of core development.  It will offer a very basic exercise program that any healthy person will be able to perform without any difficulties.  Part II will continue the discussion on the efficacy of core training and offer an intermediate program, which should be tolerated by most after the base training of the beginning program has been completed.  Finally, Part III will provide a more advanced training program that will “convert” or “transfer” the strength you have developed with the previous programs to “functional power”.

Power is by far the most predominant expression of human movement.  In sports, as well as in the non-athletic arena, everything we do can be expressed as a power output.   All of the things we do to make ourselves perform and feel better, whether it is to drop weight or start an exercise program, are done to inevitably improve our ability to do more work in a given time.  You may think that you have no need for power because you never participate in any power-oriented event.  Well, if you’ve ever picked-up and played with a child, participated in any sport or brisk activity, or have ever reacted quickly to a slip and saved yourself from falling, you have participated in a power dominated event.    Of course, if you want to improve your game in swimming, tennis, basketball, football, baseball or any sport, increasing your capacity to generate power will take your play to the next level. 

Most people think the “core” of the body means the abdominals.  You know the muscles that all Calvin Klein models sport when posing for those fabulous billboard shots?   They also think that they properly develop them by doing sit-ups or crunches.  Perhaps this manner of thinking is the result of many years of an old prescription, “sit-ups and crunches for the old washboard”.  Few entertain the idea that the lower back plays an equally important role in stabilizing, rotating and extending the trunk.   Even fewer realize the importance of the other major muscles of the core in connecting the shoulders and the hips during multi-dimensional and multi-planar movement.   In fact, the main function of the body’s core is not merely to flex and extend the trunk along a single plane, but to rotate and stabilize along multiple planes of motion.  It is this multi-planar, rotational capacity that is behind all powerfully executed moves we praise in sports. Sampras’ 130 mph serve, Tiger’s 300+ drives, or a house-wife moving a basket of clothing from the floor to a shelf over the right shoulder all have the same thing in common.  These moves are made possible by the power derived from the torque (rotational force) generated at various joints, especially between the hips and shoulders.

Now, lets take a look at how to approach your core conditioning.  The most important consideration for safe and effective exercise is “proper PROGRESSION”- Don’t run before you walk!    Check with your primary care provider, to make sure you do not have any contra-indications to the exercises you are about to partake in.   If you have any questions as to what you are doing, consult a professional who is properly certified in the fitness field.  I may start some of my sedentary or rehabilitating clients lying down, gradually move them to the kneeling position and then the standing position.   The tempo of execution is also important to maximize your training.  The tempo starts very slow and then, over weeks of training, progresses to a more dynamic nature.  The final goal is to end up as explosive as the target activity (e.g. golf swing) is performed in real life.  I have three favorite pieces of equipment that I use on an everyday basis with most of my clients.  These are the Stability Ball (24” or 55cm), various medicine balls (1-3kg), and rubber bands (light, medium and heavy).   
One of my beginner programs with the Stability Ball consists of a Rotating Crunch (Fig 1), Hip Bridges (Fig 2) and Rotations (fig 3).   Start with 1 set of 10-15 repetitions, per exercise and progress to 3-4 sets of 15 repetitions, per exercise.  Take three-four weeks to progress from 1-4 sets if you have not been very active.  You may perform this routine from 3-5 days per week.

This routine will give you the foundation to handle a more challenging program.  These exercises alone have helped many of my clients eliminate their chronic backaches. 

“CORE training” for increasing power:

Training from the inside out!

PART II

By

Juan Carlos Santana, MEd., CSCS

Part II, of this three part series on core development, takes us into a more in-depth discussion on the efficacy of core development.  It also provides an intermediate program that is sure to take your core strength base to a new level.  In turn, this new strength level will pave the way for the next step that will be the “power conversion phase discussed in Part III.

Now, if you asked any person what training is foundational to functional power development you’ll get a wide array of answers.  Some will say that strength in the upper body training is the most important for power development.  These individuals are easy to spot in a gym because they are the ones occupying the benches or bench press machines for hours at a time. Others will tell you that training the legs will guaranty you will get powerful.  These characters are the ones who load up the leg press with all of the gym’s 45-pound plates and no one is allowed to work out until their leg-work is finished.  Or, they’re the ones who like to permanently bend the gym’ bars, and wear mouth pieces and Viking hats while squatting half-a-ton of steel.  Last but not least, there is still another group who is still trying to develop power doing arm curls. The perennial, leg hiding long pants and standard tank top with 22-inch pipes easily gives them away. 

             My question, is who’s minding the store? Who’s minding the center that connects all of these important parts?  Who is training the core of the body, the area between the chest and the hips?  The follow-up question is, how is it being trained? 

In all of the above-mentioned moves, as with all other powerful human movements, the power comes from the ground.  Then, the legs transfer the energy to the hips.  The hips then rotate and create torque between the hips and shoulders.  At this point the muscles of the core come into play, contracting to bring the shoulders around to face the same direction as the hips.  The extremity(s) usually serve only as an extension of the core and finally an implement (e.g. racket, club or ball.) is accelerated in the direction the hips are facing.  The sequence of events I have just described is called the “kinetic chain”.   It stands to reason that if there is a weak link in the kinetic chain, there will be a breakdown in technique and timing, dissipation of energy, and thus a reduction in power.  In my many years of working with various populations, it is the core that is usually the weak link in the chain.  Most of the time it is not due to a particular pathology, rather to a lack of proper conditioning and mechanics. 

One of my favorite intermediate routines for functional core conditioning involves the use of  JC Predator Bands and moves the individual to a standing position.  This routine consists of a Diagonal Woodchop (Fig 1), a Reverse Diagonal Woodchop (Fig 2), and a Side Chop (Fig 3).  These exercises can be performed 3-5 times per week for 3 sets of 8-12 hard reps.  Stick with this program for 3-4 weeks. As a warm-up to this routine, use 1 set of 10-15 repetitions of the Stability Ball routine.
This routine will begin working on your balance as well as your functional strength.  The resistance of the cord really challenges your balance and the integrity of your base of support (i.e. your stance).  My favorite stimulus of this group of exercise is their ability to strengthen while teaching the individual proper rotational mechanics.  Incorrect rotational mechanics is one of the main sources of power dissipation in sports.

Start the exercises by standing with the hip facing 90⁰ to the line of pull, shoulders facing the anchored end of the chord.  Hold the bands with stiffened arms always in front of your chest. The rotation for these exercises should be initiated with the hips and then the trailing ankle, turning the ankle out.  This turning out of the ankle will “release” the hips in the final direction of the turn.  This is called “loading” or “opening up” the hips.  The contraction of the core will then bring the shoulders around.  Since the arms are out in front of the chest, they follow the shoulders around. 

Try this routine for a month.  You can use it to warm up for any sport that requires rotation.   Establish your rotational strength and by the time you finish this 4-week program you are ready to go ballistic!  

 “CORE training” for increasing power:

Training from the inside out!

PART III

By

Juan Carlos Santana, MEd., CSCS

Part I on core development took the beginning trainee and provided a very basic conditioning stimulus for the abdominal and lower back.  Part II stood the individual up and the movements became more “functional” (i.e. simulating more “real life” movements).  The standing position gets the legs involved in force generation.   The proper synchronization of the legs and core is a very important aspect of functional power development, since any dissipation of energy between the source (i.e. ground) and the final target (i.e. ball) will result in decreased performance. One can have very strong individual body parts, but if they are not coordinated properly in a move, the outcome will be less than favorable.  A perfect example of this is Tiger Woods.  Tiger is not as strong as other professional power athletes. However, he consistently out drives stronger athletes during celebrity golf tournaments.  Even if you take away the technical aspect, which accounts for the accuracy portion of the game and just look at the raw mechanics of the club swing, it is Tiger’s ability to synchronize his muscle movement that allows for his greater power output and longer drives!

 This last section on core development takes us to our final objective, the conversion from strength to power. It is at this last stage where you will really start to notice real and significant improvements in your ability to quickly change directions and perform various sporting activities like swinging a golf club or tennis racket.  If you have completed the beginning and intermediate routines laid out in our Part I and Part II of this series, you have laid down the proper strength foundation for the more demanding movements of power development.  At this point, the focus will be to execute some of the movements we have already performed in Part II, however with two main differences.

  First, the movements will become ballistic.  This will teach the strong muscles you have developed to produce force in a rapid manner.  Secondly, and most importantly, the element of “release” is added to the exercise.  Most exercises used in strength training are performed in a “controlled” fashion.  This means the implement you use (e.g. a barbell) is accelerated through a range of motion, then decelerated until it stops at the end of the movement.  As much as 50% of the energy used in traditional strength training exercise is dedicated to the deceleration of the weight.  This allocation of energy to deceleration hinders power development.  Since throwing has no deceleration component, while is implement is in your hands, the ability to throw a heavy object allows power development through the full range of an activity. 

Medicine balls are one of my favorite tools for developing functional power in athletes and non-athletes alike.   Today’s medicine balls are made very durable and can be thrown against walls.  This next routine will really “transfer” all of that dynamic strength we have been developing with the two previous routines.  It involves three different throws, which can be performed against any cement wall.  An Overhead throw (Fig 1), a Side throw (to each side) (Fig 2) and a Back throw (Fig 3).   Depending on the size and physical conditioning of the individual, a 1-3 kg medicine ball can be used.   One can perform 3-5 sets of 6-8 repetitions for each throw, 2-3 times per week.  Make sure you use your whole body when throwing the ball.  Think of “conditioning yourself from your toe nails to finger nails”.   One should warm up thoroughly before attempting these explosive throws.  Five minutes of dynamic warm-up exercises (e.g. 2-3 minutes of biking or jogging in place followed by 2-3 minutes of dynamic stretches) should get you ready for these throws.  Following the warm-up, one set of the Stability ball exercises and one set of the band the exercises would enhance the warm up to the medicine ball throws.    

Go ahead and give this routine a try.   Don’t try to advance too quickly.  Remember, going through the complete progression described in Part I and Part II of this series will allow you time to develop proper core strength.  This strength foundation is essential before advancing to the more explosive exercises in this program.  It’s common to have my tennis players, golfers, and baseball players notice considerable increases in their power within 2-3 weeks after starting this progression, along with their resistance training routine. 

One point should be made in the closing of this article.  The decelerators used in stopping the body and recovering after a throw, or a swinging of an implement, are also of prime importance.  Many times these are muscles that are injured as a result a strength imbalance between the body’s accelerators and decelerators (e.g. the rear aspect of the shoulder is a common injury sight in throwers and tennis players).  Correcting this imbalance will be addressed in future articles.

To learn how to implement exercises like these into your Dryland program pick up a copy of our LAPS: Functional Dryand Training for Swimmers DVD or you can email Grif@ihpfit.com for more information.