Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Core stabilization takes focus, willpower
Many years ago, I trained with a college football player who helped me understand the value of leverage.
I’ve been blessed to have worked with and learned from some of the sharpest minds in the fitness industry. I learned about core stabilization and rehabilitation from Dr. Mark Penn, a chiropractor in Kansas. At the University of North Texas, Dr. Bob Patton taught me the business side of fitness. I picked up training techniques from my co-workers in multiple fitness centers across Kansas, Arkansas and Texas.
It has been an awesome journey, and I look forward to learning something new each day from experienced people — like that football player.
As a receiver, he explained how he used leverage to separate himself from defensive backs. He would press against the defender with one elbow to create space, then quickly snatch the ball out of the air.
During our discussion, I recognized that core strength improvement would help him achieve even better performance on the field. So we got to work.
In the late 1990s, little was known about core stabilization and even less about optimizing athletic performance through core training. As we tried different techniques to engage his core, we learned that the amount of resistance he handled was far less important than his focus.
In other words, the exerciser had to “try” to engage the core for the exercise to be effective.
I continue to use this tip today, as I teach clients to “tighten” or “engage” the core muscles during a given activity. It’s a lesson that I’ll always remember, mostly because it didn’t come from a textbook or lecture, but from problem-solving for a client in a specific, real-world situation.
This week’s exercise is a perfect core-stabilization variation that requires very little technical knowledge but a ton of willpower. The Wall Plank will challenge all fitness levels, but can also be modified quite easily.
1. Position yourself on your forearms and toes (plank position) with your feet at the base of a wall.
2. Now, place your right foot about 6 inches up on the wall as you maintain the plank position.
3. Hold this position for about 5 seconds, then place the left foot right next to it.
4. Push your body toward the wall by leveraging your forearms against the floor.
5. Hold for 12 seconds, then rest for 12 seconds.
6. Perform two sets of five repetitions.
The Wall Plank is a fantastic exercise for strengthening the core, but it’s also a great way to “bookmark” fitness progress. There are certain exercises (like pullups) that make great benchmarks for evaluating progress, and the Wall Plank fits right in that category. Simply hold as long as possible once a month to see your progression grow. Enjoy!