First Steps To Engaging Your Core
“How do we use and engage our core?”
“Breathe Motherfucker!” These are the immortal words of the Iceman Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete who has harnessed breathing techniques to set a number of world records whilst withstanding freezing temperatures. Not only is breathing important for Wim to complete his extraordinary feats, but it is also the first place we should start when discussing the core and its role when we exercise.
Focussing on our breathing leads to many advantages when exercising. We get more oxygen to our muscles, therefore we can work harder for longer, resulting in improved levels of fitness.
However, for me the main reason why we should focus on our breathing is so we can “create intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) which helps to stabilise and maintain a neutral spine keeping you safe and injury free”. So what is IAP? IAP is something we do without thinking as is defined as “the ability to create steady state pressure concealed within the abdominal cavity”. In laymen’s terms it our ability to contract our core muscles. I like to use the Coke can analogy to explain this further. When a Coke can is full and closed we can try to stamp on it, but we can not crush it. The pressure inside means the can is able to withstand great loads acting on it from above keeping it strong and sturdy. Now open the can, empty the contents and stamp on it, what happens? Without the contained pressure inside the can gets flattened into a crumpled heap under your foot.
Now imagine the Coke can is your spine and the contents of the can is your ability to create IAP or core engagement. If when we’re running, jumping or lifting weights we do not breathe properly and create this pressure it is bound to lead to any number of spinal injuries upon impact or load.
“So what the hell is your core?”
Brace your core”, “engage the core”, “a strong core is a strong body”. These are just a handful of cues thrown around in gyms and other exercise scenarios regarding human beings midsections. However, how many people actually know what your “core” is and how to use it.
First of all your core involves more than just the traditional “6 pack” muscles. Below are two tables listing the global and local muscles involved when using our core. The two lists are just the tip of the iceberg when discussing the core as these muscles also link the upper and lower extremities of the body.
GLOBAL CORE STABILISERS
Muscles and their primary dynamic functions
Erector spinae group - Trunk extension
Quadratus lumborum - Trunk lateral flexion
Recutus abdominis - Trunk flexion / Trunk posterior pelvic tilt
External oblique abdominis - Trunk lateral flexion / Trunk rotation
Internal oblique abdominis - Trunk lateral flexion / Trunk rotation
Transverse abdominis - Pulls abdominal wall inward to increase Intra-abdominal pressure
LOCAL CORE STABILISERS
Muscles and their primary dynamic functions
Multifidus - Trunk extension
Rotatores - Trunk rotation
Intertransversalis - Trunk lateral flexion
Interspinalis - Trunk extension
Diaphragm - Contracts downward to increase Intra-abdominal pressure
Pelvic floor group - Contracts upward to increase Intra-abdominal pressure
Although the muscles in the tables above have different functions, they all work in unison to:
1. Spare the spine from excessive load.
2. Transfer force from lower body to upper body and vice versa.
These 2 key functions enable us as human beings to run, jump, throw, lift and perform any number of movements pain free and without causing damage to ourselves. Therefore, our core and its engagement is essential if we want to live a long, mobile life.
Breathing Techniques
Crocodile Breathing
This breathing technique is a great way to reset and reconnect someone with their breathing. In Gray Cook’s book ‘Movement’ he describes “see-saw breathing, which is used to de-emphasize chest breathing and improve abdominal breathing. Crocodile breathing is a great way to do this”.
To perform crocodile breathing you need to:
Start by lying prone on the floor, bring your fists together, and then rest your head on them.
Relax in the this position and inhale through your nose for 4-6 seconds.
Then hold this breath for 4-6seconds.
Finally exhale through the mouth for 4-6 seconds.
This technique gives a great feedback and helps people to reset breathing patterns as the belly expands both side-to-side, pushes into the floor, and goes up and down as you are lying on our stomach much like a crocodile. Crocodile breathing is the ideal breathing technique to practice daily to help you reset your breathing pattern and learn how to breathe and stabilise your lower back at the same time.
The Valsalva Maneuver
Commonly when working out and in particular lifting weights there are two key phases people focus on when breathing. Typically weight lifters inhale on the eccentric phase of a movement (stage of the movement when the muscle is lengthening under load), and exhale on the concentric (stage of the movement when the muscle is shortening to overcome load or gravity). Although, this breathing technique is a good starting place it is not the most efficient way to create maximum core stiffness when under load.
The Valsalva Maneuver was named after the Italian anatomist Antonio Maria Valsalva. It is a procedure by which you start by taking a deep intake of breathe followed by “holding shut both nose and mouth and blowing out your cheeks with forcible expiration”.
Although it is advised not to perform the Valsalva Maneuver if you suffer with any heart problems (high blood pressure etc), studies have shown that it improves IAP as “the torque created reduces the compressive force acting on the intervertebral discs and may lessen the probability of a spinal disc injury”.
This breathing technique is then modified for weightlifting, especially when athletes are attempting maximal loads in particular exercises:
Start repetition by taking a deep inhale through the nose and contract your core muscles.
Complete the eccentric phase of the movement.
Hold breath (and tension) until you have surpassed the “sticking point” of the concentric phase and then exhale by pushing the breath out.
Then repeat.
Although the Valsalva Maneuver is a great technique to add to your lifting sessions it is most useful when individuals are lifting close to their maximum. When it is implemented into higher rep training you may feel a little light headed or even faint which is something to be cautious of.
Conclusion
So there you have it, by reading this article you have learned:
The muscles that make up your core.
How your core works.
Breathing techniques that help you reset, practice and integrate your core into effective and safe exercises.
Let me know how you get on in your next workout and if you have any follow up questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.
References
Jeffery M Willardson, Developing the core, edited by NSCA-National Strength & Conditioning, 2013.
Jeff Sydes, Core stability: what is it and why is it important, nationwidechildrens.org, 2018.
William L. Watson, The Valsalva Maneuver: Its Relationship To Chronic Recurrent Aerotitis Media, 1961.
Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky, William J. Kraemer, Andrew C. Fry, Science & Practice Of Strength Training, 2020.