Whenever a new fad hits it appears that it takes over all common sense and permeates all levels of fitness and athletic training. And so we continue to read more about core training and how great it is for improving athletic performance and giving you a body “to die for”.
There is no questioning the fact that core training is effective but it is as effective for the elite athlete as it is for the person seeking fitness in the gym? The answer here is no and in fact, may actually be detrimental to an elite athlete.
If you can say that it helped an elite athlete then it means that the elite athlete in question was in very poor physical condition. This is the only time such training would be of value. Another exception would be in the type of core training being done.
In the present core training fad most of the exercises are balance type exercises and the exercises to develop the abdominal, low back, and hip muscles are typically static or isometric type exercises. They do not fully tax the muscles to get maximum strength or to develop them in a manner that they used in the sport.
In addition, most often the exercises relate to abdominal muscle development with very little emphasis on the low back exercises. The exercises for the hips are typically not specific or even related to how they are used in most sports.
Last but not least, the level of strength gained in core training is far from what is needed in most sports especially in the popular sports of baseball, football, basketball and hockey. Why do we then see so many trainers who work with athletes doing this type of core training?
To help promote the concept of core training you can now find articles stating how it will give you a killer sixpack. The only way this will happen would be if the person dieted and lost almost all the fat in the abdominal region! Balance core training will never do this by itself.
For more information on core (midsection) training for the athlete see Build a Better Athlete