This is a word version of a powerpoint core stability presentation i did at our training camp at falls creek in january 2015.

http://www.vrwc.org.au/documents/2015%20-%20Core%20Strength.pdf

 

         Core and Pelvic Stability

                   By Jim Leppik

                            



Your core, what’s called the “Pilates Box”, is your hips, transverse abdominis, gluteals and upper back.

*** Remember core strength and core stability are not totally the same. Core strength simply strengthens the core muscles, core stability is activation of those muscles during normal movement to stabilse the back and pelvic. All force and power is initially transferred through the core. A weak, non-activating core will affect posture and stress your back and and hamstrings. Your glutes power hip movement and if inhibited will also see compensation through the back and hamstrings. Hamstring problems are often due to weak gluteal muscles.

I look at core and pelvic strength and stability in a number of phases. While most phases are often combined one phase is definitely more emphasised than others and should be focussed on most. That phase defends on the level you are at.

* Basic activation

Where I use very slow, low movements, combined with a few larger movement exercises, to isolate activation in the appropriate muscles without the involvement of compensatory muscles. Very important that that one learns to actually activate these muscles before going too far into future phases. Otherwise, without that control you’re liable to use compensatory prime moving muscles, which could lead to muscle imbalances, missing the main muscles you are targeting. That can dangerously lead to early fatigue and injury.

* Core control, which I use basic floor pilates exercises. Important you learn how to control your core

Initially you have to learn to control your core before you advance to more advanced strength exercise

* Fitball and harder floor exercises, which provide strength and balance

Where one learn the ability to attain core strength and stability through balance and more difficult core exercises

* Pilates reformer, Pilates against resistance.

Is where I develop core strength against resistance. By this time the earlier phases should’ve developed the ability to stabilise the core through the ability to activate the muscles we are strengthening here.

* Functional Core stability, where you working on one leg, body weight, then with resistance. Often this can involves regular exercise routines.

This is where everything comes together with the focus on strength and stability in a functional manner. It’s where one legged exercises, for example, are useful as it will train strength and stability functionally to prepare both for racing and everyday movement.

While one phase may be emphasised depending where you are at. Previous phases should always be re-visited often as basic muscle activation can be lost. That leads to use of compensatory muscles.

Often people think they’re doing core and pelvic work but because if their inability to control the right muscles, and importantly, bad technique they are using compensatory muscles.

*** Technique is paramount!!!! Only have to miss your technique slightly and you use the wrong muscles.

Posture

Very Important to be posturally correct so the muscles can activate down the right kinetic chain. It’s easy to get strong in these areas but still not have them fire due to poor posture and then, by extension, poor biomechanics. Hence compensatory are used leading to muscle imbalance, fatigue and possible. Correct posture is important to power the right muscles, to allow the correct hip rotation and stride allowing for correct biomechanics.



Bad posture is characterised by two types of hip tilts…..

*posterior

*anterior

Both “tilts” can produce pain, spasm and injury in compensating muscles due to those muscles over activating. Often it’s the back, hamstring or knee.Hard to produce the right biomechanics with either of these tilts as in either case the glutes won’t fire hence they have a negative effects of the mechanics of a walking technique.

Either produce pain in injury in compensating muscles due to those muscles over activing. Often it the back, hamstring or knee. Hard to produce the right biomechanics with either of these tilts as in either case the glutes won’t fire hence they have a negative effects of the mechanics of a walking technique.

Posterior tilt is often caused by tight hamstrings.

The nervous system often activates through the most tight, over-active muscles, in this case the hamstrings, which, in turn, inhibits the glutes.  So often you end up with hamstring and back problems the compensatory muscles that activate when the glutes are inhibited. It cause a “flat back”, (see below) and for some it causes a problematic very low back curve near the base of the spine.

Activating the lower abdominals will aid in pulling the pelvis back to it proper position. The puts the posture into a position to allow the gluteals to activate and work properly biomechanically. That often necessitates going back to the early stages of basic activation to re-fire the core and gluteals.

Anterior Tilt is a forward tilt of the hips often due to an over-active, tight psoas. It’s where your butt stick out behind you. Gives you that “sit” on the hips

Psoas and gluteals are opposing muscles so an over-active psoas will inhibit the firing of the gluteals. Importantly too it inhibits firing of the gluteus medius. Really forces the back, piriformis to totally over-compensate and stresses weak hamstrings leading in time to soreness and injury. For us walkers that causes more “side to side” movement, rather than forward and back and a much greater hip drop than necessary. It changes the biomechanics of the walking gait.

Again that’s sorted by activation work on the lower core as well as the gluteus maximus and medius to straighten up the posture.

Gluteus medius is a most important muscle.

Function of the gluteus medius is to both stabilise the opposing hip through it’s swing phase, and to abduct the hip. It is involved in most injuries. As I said, a non-firing gluteus medius causes excessive hip drop from changing the mechanics of a walking technique as it is unable to stabilise the opposing as during it’s swing phase.

The first compensation for a weak gluteus medius is for the knee to drift slight inwards. Often due to the TFL and other inward rotators compensating. Often causes the hips to be rotated. I see a lot of walkers with injuries due to a week gluteus medius, often to the knee, back and hamstrings. By extension piriformis works overtime to externally rotate the hips producing pain as in many people the sciatic nerve passes straight through that muscle.

 

 Upper Back

Important for postural purposes that your upper back is strong, especially the rhomboids better the shoulder blades. The chest and rhomboids are opposing muscles. Strength and flexibility imbalances create a thing call kyphosis (see below), a forward rolling of the shoulders. Those imbalances are often a cause of pain and injury in the neck and shoulders. Due to the kyphotic spine there is a compensatory larger curve in the lower spine, creating and anterior tilt of the hips, the problems of which have been described earlier on in the “Anterior Tilt” section above.