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Why is Core Strength Essential for Triathletes (and daily life..)

Ali Winslow - Friday, January 22, 2010
Have you ever tried to plant a flower in a pot?  If you don't have the proper amount of soil surrounding the flower, it will just topple over and be floppy.  The same principle applies to your spine.  If you don't have the correct tension on the supporting muscles in your torso and "core" then how can you expect to have a healthy spine?  Do triathletes complain of back pain- you bet they do.  And this past week I started implementing the basics back into all of our athletes strength programs.  I did this because January is a time of resolutions and there's a "newness" in the air.  So I figure it's a good time to reintroduce our athletes to their core- I am truly amazed how athletes can learn to cheat their way thru core training.  Now that I am bringing it back to the basics, they are finding how difficult these exercises can be when done properly.  And for the new athletes to the program, well, they are just learning about how they need to activate specific muscles.  Here's an example of how we are doing our new programming:
5 basic core exercises divided up by the following: Prone (face down) exercises like quadraped position draw ins or hip extensions, "planks", or supermans, then lateral (side) bridges, supine (on back) hip lifts, then some type of core flexion exercises.  Each week the athletes change the reps or time in the position.  After they finish ALL their core exercises, they then go into their strength work.  And our method for strength is simple- keep it functional, make it sport specific and focus on neuromuscular work first.  All our athletes are performing 2 legged squat work, chin ups, pushups, staggered stance deadlifts and KB power swings.  I am looking forward to seeing the results this year in March and April when they athletes begin to get outside on their bikes or when their racing season begins.  If you don't know what these exercises are, or if you haven't bought into the strength training concept for triathletes....well your choice is simple- stay slow and injured, or get on the wagon and come see how to strength train.

Stay strong,

Ali
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