Remember those old school iron workers? Those guys had some massive cajonies! Safety harness. What’s that? Hard hat. Who needs one? Hey…where did Paul go? Check out those dudes on the left side. Don’t mess up the rotation!
These guys understood the idea of building a strong framework and foundation. That is what we are discussing here. In Core Statics, Part I, we examined all the benefits and basic concepts used to stabilize the athlete during movement. In Part II of this article series, we will continue on with more complex movements while still facilitating and forcing unwavering balance and stabilization of the core musculature (and the entire body mechanism).
Core Statics—Side Shuffle, AD’s
What are AD’s? Alan DeGennaro’s. Alan, an incredible sport performance coach (you’ll remember he helped Dave Tate (3) with his mobility assessment and correction), had a similar preloaded movement in his Needs Analysis for Baseball (4) presentation back in 2001 at the NSCA PA State Clinic that I attended. The only difference was that he was facing the position of the band attachment, but the band was still wrapped around his back and locked around his shoulder as I am demonstrating. He was stepping and engaging 20–30 degrees of torso rotation to show imbalances and correction of movement. This exercise is a variation on Alan’s original idea.
Key points
§ Bands anchored at any level (midline in picture)
§ Athletic position/movement (see Core Statics, Part I)
§ With each step, the goal is to keep the torso in the exact same position parallel to the force directed along the line of the stretched band.
§ Reverse the lower body lateral movement to return back to the starting point and go again.
§ What you’ll notice:
§ Your breathing will become labored with each step as the stabilization requirement increases.
§ The dynamic stabilization of your shoulders, spine, hips, knees, and ankles will be significant.
§ Preventing and statically controlling the rotational torque across the spine requiressignificant control and focus.
Core Statics—Movement
Up until this point, we’ve seen lower body (trunk) movement with stabilization and balance as well as progressive loading of the static/fixed torso.
Now, we are going to add motion to the upper body which will:
§ increase the difficulty of the movement
§ facilitate coordination and firing of the muscle groups that cross each other and therefore must sequentially or simultaneously fire (along with the balancing contraction of the antagonists)
§ increase proprioception/kinesthetic awareness (one’s sense of movement as it relates to movement of the body and how it is oriented in a three-dimensional space)
§ employ instability training, which has the potential to have a functional transfer to sporting skills requiring balance
§ positively impact quickness, agility, and core centering using a forward/lateral/backwards/rotational motion against the band tension
Core Statics—Side Shuffle, AD’s with Motion
We are going to hit the AD’s with rotational upper body movement. Take the movement laterally as it is described above and randomly rotate your torso against the resistance of the band (or with each step.) Focus on the segmental contraction across the abdominals from the TA out and across the obliques. This contraction is generated first with the breathing.
Because the torso is under tension, your breathing will already be labored. For greatest potential strength, your breathing should be initiated using the diaphragm with the sensation of your belly “filling with air.” Once it is full, contract hard and rotate. The foundation you will feel during the movement will be unwavering.
Another variation is to hold the band in your hand at 90-degrees shoulder flexion and stretched across your back in the same setup as the AD’s with motion above.
Core Statics—Rotations
This calls for simple rotations against the tension of the band. As you move forward, you are statically contracting to “prevent” hip hyperextension (i.e. statics). You should aim to hit a 180-degree rotation with every step. By the time you are at full band extension, you will be exceeding the lactic acid threshold (LAT) with extreme prejudice.
Core Statics—Forward Lunge, Unilateral Rotation
This is a simple forward lunge using a band unilaterally positioned (loaded) overhead (180-degrees shoulder flexion) and with the thumbs pointing backwards. Drive off the back leg into a full lunge. As you move into knee flexion, rotate across your body and try to touch the outside of the lead leg with the hand holding the band. This requires significant stabilization of all of the major joints. The shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles are required during this movement. And as always, with each lunge (and rotation) forward, the band tension increases.
Core Statics—Backward Lunge, Unilateral Rotation
This is the same as above, but it is much more difficult with the backward lunge. If you cannot stabilize, you will fail.
Core Statics—Forward Lunge, Bilateral Rotation
With a band in each hand (90-degrees shoulder abduction), lunge forward with a lateral (left and right) rotation.
Core Statics—Crab with Motion
Here is the Crab exercise described in Core Statics, Part I. But in this variation, with each movement backward, the athlete will extend his hips into each of the three movements: laterally right, center (through), and laterally left. Then the athlete proceeds back with another step and repeats.
Core Statics—Side Shuffle with Rotation
This is exactly like the Side Shuffle (lateral lower body movement, upper torso fixed at 90-degrees shoulder flexion) discussed in the previous article, but with each step (as the band tension increases), the athlete will engage a full rotation. Loading the ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders, the athlete will move into double extension (knees, hips) and horizontal (transverse) abduction and external rotation of the shoulder. Great exercise!
Take a few steps and repeat the movement pattern under more tension (load).
Core Statics—Backward with Rotation
Driving backward with each step (similar to sled dragging and great for knee rehabilitation), the athlete will stop and laterally rotate left and right with straight/fixed arms at 90 degrees of extension. The quads, hamstrings, and glutes crossing the erectors and lumbar and thoracic spine loading are very apparent with this exercise.
Well, there it is—Core Statics. There are variations that I didn’t touch on but be creative and you’ll find them. Thanks for checking out this article series, and I look forward to your feedback. Build your foundation and force balance and stabilization in all planes of motion in your training.
References
1. Smith Jim (2006) Core Statics, www.DieselCrew.com.
2. Cook Gray (2006) Functional Movement Screen (FMS™), www.FunctionalMovement.com.
3. Tate Dave (2006) Having a Blackberry Doesn’t Mean You’re Mobile, www.EliteFTS.com.
4. Degennaro Alan (2001) Needs Analysis for Baseball, NSCA PA State Clinic.
Jim “Smitty” Smith is a strength coach and cofounder of the Diesel Crew (www.DieselCrew.com). Developing athletes for the last six years using a variety of training methodologies, Jim is an active student of strength athletics. He is always seeking new ways to innovate and provide a unique perspective. The Diesel Crew also regularly speaks at clinics and seminars about the importance of grip strength in athletics.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories visit us at www.EliteFTS.com.
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