The Biggest Misconception for Core Strength

321go • February 2, 2023

So when we think of strengthening the core, a lot of times people think of doing sit ups, crunches, and oblique side bends. However, this is not the case. Shocking right?

 

One of the primary functions of the core is to bring stability to the lower half of the torso during any given movement pattern. In order for that stability to happen, the core muscles have to contract isometrically to keep the spine stable. An isometric contraction is a contraction that occurs when the muscles don’t change in length.

 

So what does this mean?

 

Movements like sit ups, crunches, and oblique side bends are concentric contractions that create a movement such as trunk flexion or trunk lateral flexion. These kinds of movements DO NOT teach the body to create a stable spine. They do have their place but if you’re looking to get a stronger core, you need to train your core muscles isometrically.

Good core exercises include:

-Bird dogs

-Carrying variations(farmers carry, suitcase carry, Kettlebell cross carry, etc.)

-Planks

-Deadlifts

-Squats

-Paloff Presses

You do these kinds of exercises daily and you’ll notice your back will be a lot happier with you!A yellow smiley face with brown eyes and a smile on it.

If you want a FREE core program, send me an email at evan@eafitnessandperformance.com

 

Evan

recent posts

February 11, 2025
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and deleteI preach this all the time about how we need to shift our focus from just looking for the amount of calories in the foods that we are deciding to eat to evaluating the nutrient profile and the amount of ingredients instead. Now, it's not inherently a bad idea to know how many calories you are consuming when you are trying to lose weight HOWEVER, when you look at the foods that are very nutrient dense and don't have many ingredients, usually those foods naturally have a lot less calories than the ultra processed foods you see in the grocery store(chips, cereals, etc.) with a few exceptions like olive oil(120 calories per tablespoon). It's not even just about the calories though. You want your body to function optimally right? You want energy. You want to maintain muscle mass. You don't want to suffer from indigestion. You want a strong immune system. You want to optimize the way your body burns body fat. The fact of the matter is that whole foods naturally will help with all of these because in order for your body to be in the best possible place, it needs the resources to do so. It needs a certain amount of macronutrients and micronutrients in order to function the way that it needs to so you can feel your best! This is what whole foods eating does! So long story short, focus on the QUALITY of the calories. Not just the calories. Consume single ingredient foods that are high in nutrients and you will not just see changes on the weight scale, but you will also feel better!
By EA Fitness & Performance January 3, 2025
It’s that time of year again. New Year’s resolutions. Packed gyms. New Year, New me. Lot’s of people have really good intentions of using the New Year as a way to refocus and reshape what they are doing in their lives within their health, career, and just overall personal development. A couple of issues that lead to north of 90% of failure of resolutions within the first three weeks of the New Year include: 1)Not enough meaning behind the goal. -Let me give you an example. The person that just says I want to lose 20lbs with no other reason probably will fail. You need a strong WHY. WHY is it important for you to lose that 20lbs? The why is what is going to get you through the days when you feel tired and unmotivated to take action required to reach the goal. In this case, not losing the 20lbs. Reality is that your extreme feeling of motivation in the beginning of the year will wear off. It’s human nature to stop doing something if there isn’t a good reason for it, which is why finding the deep meaning of your goal is extremely important to long term success. 2)No daily habits established -You need to know clearly what you are going to do and create a path that will lead to the success of your goal. It won’t go perfectly all the time but having a clear understanding of what you need to do is crucial for success on your journey! 3)Not embracing the process -You should embrace the actions you are taking to reach your goal. You should embrace all the things you are going to learn about yourself during this journey. This doesn’t mean you will enjoy every minute of it. What it does mean is that you get some joy out of the daily things you are doing to reach your goal instead of just focusing on the result(which you will get if you learn to embrace the process first). If you are thinking about your fitness goals, thats okay. Start with creating a meaningful goal, then establish daily habits, then when you are on your fitness journey, embrace the process and the results will follow! If you are struggling at any point of your fitness journey, feel free to reach out to us and we would be happy to get you on track! Evan 
A woman is standing with her arms outstretched in the air.
By Shay Knolle December 12, 2024
your health is non-negotiable
Share by:
Wodify Iframe