Advocates of core training claim that core training is the key to improved athletic performance and prevention of injury. As a result, many strength coaches have initiated elaborate core training programs for the athletes. This includes balancing on uneven surfaces, large balls, and holding stationary positions such as in the plank.
But as I have said in many blogs, this core training is not specific to athletic performance. It does not improve the athlete’s ability to execute his/her game skills more effectively and may even lead to injury. Why? Because core training develops static abilities, not dynamic abilities which are the basis for athletic performance.
Static abilities do not transfer to dynamic performance. This is very obvious but it has certainly escaped the attention of team personnel responsible for conditioning athletes. Understand that for an exercise to be of value in gameplay it must transfer to execution of the game skills.
In regard to oblique injuries, some strength coaches now believe the cause may lie in the core training that they have been doing. Some athletes who experienced oblique injuries, stopped doing core training and then never had another injury. This is a good start.
Keep in mind, that there have not been any valid studies supporting the claims of the core training advocates. All too often coaches incorporate a program because a particular well-known athlete has been using it and it has a lot of hype behind it. In fact, this is usually the main reason why many laypeople and young athletes buy a particular product.
If coaches practice true specificity of training they would do dynamic full range of motion exercises to strengthen the muscles of the core (abdominals and lower back). They would include rotational exercises such as the Russian twist, reverse trunk twists and back raises with a twist. With these exercises they should never have any abdominal (oblique) strains — at least not from performing rotational movements with effective technique.
For more information on this topic, I recommend reading Build a Better athlete.