Doing It Right – Core Strength

 

As discussed in last month's article, the disks and vertebrae of the lumbar spine aren't designed for much movement. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the muscles of the midsection, commonly referred to as 'the core,' are responsible for protecting and stabilizing your spine, and they assist in power transfer between the hips and ribcage. We've come a long way since the days of sit-ups and side bends; here are two motions to drop from your routine, and three replacements.

 

 

 

Drop: Sit-ups. Research has shown that repetitive forward flexing of the spine can cause disk wear, bulge or rupture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add: Front Plank.

The rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles) are primarily responsible for (a) preventing hyperextension of the low back, and (b) assisting in maintaining a balanced postural relationship between your pelvis and ribcage.

 

How-to: Lie on your stomach. Prop yourself up with your elbows between your shoulders and the floor. Next, pull your toes toward your shins. Lift your knees off the floor, then your hips and abdomen. The ideal position keeps your head, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles aligned. Hold your hips & midsection off the floor for 30-60s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drop: Side bends. Repetitive side flexing, particularly holding a weight in one hand, carries the same risks as sit-ups, but the potential damage is to the lateral borders of the disks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add: Side plank. The obliques (a) prevent excessive lateral flexion, and (b) create lateral stability between the pelvis and ribcage.

 

How-to: Lie on your side with your head, shoulders, and knees aligned. Beginners should bend the knee 90 degrees.  Prop yourself up on one forearm, aligning your elbow between your shoulder and the floor. Work to keep the shoulder from collapsing! (If your shoulder is in your ear, it's not right!) Lift your hips off the floor, bridging between your forearm and knee. Hold your hips off the floor for 30-60s per side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BONUS

Add: 'Bird Dog.' This is a great move to challenge the rotational stability of the obliques.

   

How-to: Set up on all fours with hands below shoulders and knees below hips. Tighten your midsection (abs) and extend your left arm and right leg. The idea is to stretch your hand and opposite foot as far apart as possible, NOT to lift the arm and leg as high off the floor as possible. Complete 10 reps each side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Eaton

IRONWOOD GOLF PERFORMANCE

NSCA Certified Strength &

Conditioning Specialist

IGTUFIT@GMAIL.COM

847-877-6673

 

DOING IT RIGHT -

CORE STRENGTH

Andrew's March Assessment Special:

The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is an assessment tool used to reveal issues with strength, power, balance, and mobility. Golf, like most sports, requires all of these;  when one or more of these attributes is lacking, performance suffers. For the month of March, TPGL Members can book an FMS session for only $49. Contact Andrew at IronWood Golf Performance to schedule.