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Is There A Difference Between Abdominal Crunches And Core Training?

By: Carlina White

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Core training is a popular buzzword in fitness nowadays. Everything abs these days is being inaccurately labeled core which is creating a great deal of confusion. What's the difference between core training (properly defined as functional core performance) and the standard abdominal crunch, and why should you care? It's important to know since it will determine how your body improves.

Let's start with examining both these terms. Did you know "crunch" is a colloquial term and not a real medical term found in any physiology college textbooks such as Exercise Physiology by McArdle, Katch, and Katch? It's a word that was coined during the early days of bodybuilding. Traditionally a crunch or sit-up is performed lying face up on the floor with bent knees, then lifting the upper torso and knees together. Most physical instructors define a crunch as a simultaneous flexion of the spine, mainly lumbar, and hips. Crunches primarily train your two, superficial abdominal muscles, the rectus or "six pack" and obliques. The aim of crunches is to build hypertrophy and definition, which is purely cosmetic according to Dr. Jerrold Petrofsky, Dept. Chair of Physical Therapy at Loma Linda University in California and Steve Thomas, MS, RPT of Steve Thomas PT in Brentwood, California. They state that developing just these two ab muscles without properly strengthening and conditioning your full core produces muscle and structural imbalance in your entire trunk and body. According to the US Consumer Safety Commission, back pain is the second most common compliant after the common cold.

The main purpose of functional core training is to strengthen the stabilizer muscles in your entire trunk or core. Your core is defined as the entire region beginning from the base of your skull down through and including your hips. Your core is an amazing anatomical composition of about 12 muscles that wrap around your midsection like a corset. Some of these important muscles are the transverse abdominus, erector spinae, obliques, pelvic floor (PC), illiopsoas, and multifudus to name a few. All body movement starts from your core. The objective of functional core training is to establish a proper of sequence of muscle firing patterns that will create good, strong upright posture and alignment, a strong back, good balance, gait, and, finally, movement by your legs and arms. Your core is essential for every movement! A balanced, strong body requires a well-aligned, balanced, strong core. From a purely cosmetic standpoint, a properly trained the core acts like a corset; holding and pulling in your entire abdominal region tight and flat- especially that hard-to-lose lower belly pooch sag problem area.

Core exercises can be done in numerous ways. The best core moves are performed in an athletic stance position and oftentimes use fitness products like a stability ball or bosu to create instability forcing your trunk to instinctively use all your stabilizer, core muscles. Before you begin, the key to a proper core move that truly engages all your core muscles must begin with a correct set up. Concentrate and maintain good or neutral spine alignment before and throughout each and every move. Good alignment is achieved by keeping your ears stacked directly over your shoulders and hips, pulling and keeping your shoulders down, pulling your belly in tight, and doing a continuous, soft Kegel (also called pelvic floor pull-up) exercises. You can find and activate your pelvic floor muscles by stopping your urine mid-stream. Then, you can do a easy Kegel by zipping your pelvic floor muscles up and into your pelvic cavity.

Most body builders do a ton of crunches or sit-ups to achieve flat, sculpted six packs abs. However, because sit-ups only train the two, superficial ab muscles, the biomechanics are imperfect. Crunches or sit-ups will not train the important core muscles that truly act as an abdominal brace by pulling your mid-section in nice and tight. Thousands of repetitive, boring crunches won't help you get the flat, sculpted abs of your dreams. Only well executed, functional core performance moves will get you those abs, along with developing a muscular, healthy back.

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