Training your core. What and how?!

[CORSystems]

Your bodies "core" region has been known for years as the basis from which all movement revolves around, yes? It is your center of gravity (cog) and the foundation from which strength is built upon. The fundamental basis for having a strong goal, in its most elementary form is to perform one action, protect one of the most important parts of your body, your spine (which contains your spinal cord).

Recent research has suggested that exercises that have long been thought of "core" exercises are proving to do more harm that good! Let us look at the obliques, internal and external; both running from origin to insertion at roughly a 45 degree angle. Where else in the body do we see orientation like this? One area comes to mind immediately: the disc. "The annulus is designed in the same manner. Half of the fibers of the disc run at a 45-degree downslope, the other half run at a 45-degree upslope. The reason? One half resists rotation to the right, the other half resists rotation to the left. Being at 45 degrees, it essentially acts as a rotational shock absorber." 1.

Let us extract that same principle of shock absorption and apply it to your obliques; and we can instantly see that the annulus in the disk and your obliques have the same thing in common, they are built to resist rotation and bending. So, the side bends, constant twisting with weight and"isolation" of the obliques is actually in direct contrast to their actual function.

Now, I want to look at one specific movement, a chest press. What pieces of equipment is this exercise historically performed on? a bench or a ball! Now, which of these modalities forces the user to engage the "core" more? obviously the answer is a ball. Now, lets look at a couple of sports where "pressing" is commonly used in conjunction with resisting rotation (building tension through the obliques): football lineman protecting the quarterback, MMA fighter throwing a punch, baseball player throwing a ball. If a lineman is not able to resist rotation while pressing the player away, the player can just move to one side or the other and run right past the lineman. If a fighter cannot transfer ground reaction forces through hip extension, through the core and into the shoulder ultimately ending at the fist, a solid strike is not possible, and samething for a baseball player.

So, if we adapt the SAID Principle to all of our training, wouldnt it make sense to press and simultaneously resist rotation if that is what is going to asked of your body in the sport?

With the recent safety issues pertaining to the exercise ball (kings player Francisco Garcia), and recent suggesting the flat bench ins outdated, isnt it time for a better alternative?

Let us introduce, The COR Bench. It is a hybrid exercise system that takes the instability of a ball, and places it on a bench! Made from Denier Nylon, it is much safer and stronger than anti-burst PVC. While, we will admit that this article has been a culmination in our attempt to expose our product, we do firmly believe in the research that has helped us develope our product. All too often companies create equipment that has no scientific backing at all, and when combined with effective marketing it will sell to millions. We do not believe in that, and therefore we havent used any marketing, all of our marketing is done through word of mouth, which is why we have signed Chady Dunmore as the first member of our COR Team, a group of elite athletes/trainienrs whose sole purpose is to help educate this industry on the proper techniques that recent research has established as "correct".

More than anything, we joined here to get your feedback on our product! We want to know what the health and fitness industry has to say about our COR Bench!

[MrMisanthrope]

If you actually do these moves heavy (read: no crossfit) then your core will get strong beyond belief.

[CORSystems]

We definitely agree! As you can see in all of the pictures, rotation is being resisted. The main exercise we have chosen to outline is the bench press, and by no means is it the sole exercise that can be used! Thank you for the feedback!

[musicianman]

Link to product?

Very interesting article. I had always known that deadlifts, squats and heavy isometrics cause tremendous oblique growth, but I hadn't really thought about the nature of obliques in resisting rotation rather than assisting in it.

We have virtually no reason, ever, to rotate using our torso. Much more stability and strength is achieved in using the upper back and legs to change position while the core stays virtually isometric.

Great read.

[CORSystems]

Link to product?

Very interesting article. I had always known that deadlifts, squats and heavy isometrics cause tremendous oblique growth, but I hadn't really thought about the nature of obliques in resisting rotation rather than assisting in it.

We have virtually no reason, ever, to rotate using our torso. Much more stability and strength is achieved in using the upper back and legs to change position while the core stays virtually isometric.

Great read.

THanks for the feedback musicianman! Changing the way people think is hard to do, but having a different outlook on things never hurts and can only help us better understand our bodies!

go to: corsystemsonline and follow it through to our ******** and youtube accounts for pictures and videos!

Let us know what you think of the bench!

[SuffolkPunch]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/EarlyBarbell.gif/220px-EarlyBarbell.gif

http://www.crossfitoakland.com/old_s...h%20Get-Up.jpg

http://www.mensfitness.com/images/mf/208843/11037.jpg

http://www.crossfitboston.com/upload...%2520stone.jpg

If you actually do these moves heavy (read: no crossfit) then your core will get strong beyond belief.

Awesomeness

What are these exercises called? I gather the second one is "turkish get up".

[blurped]

That looks dangerous