Condition the core; unleash the potential. Serious athletes train for results—results that make them winners on the field, pitch, course, or court. And the key to getting those results, to improving performance in any sport and at any level, is no secret. A strong, well-conditioned core is the lynchpin to athletic success. In Conditioning to the Core, strength and conditioning coaches Greg Brittenham and Daniel Taylor deliver the definitive guide to training the torso. Inside, you’ll learn these concepts: - The core’s central role in originating and transferring strength and power, two requirements for superior performance - The energy systems, the strength and power foundations, and the movement mechanics for any sport - Over 300 of the most effective exercises for strength, stability, and power - The way to design a comprehensive program based on athlete assessment and analysis, followed by several sport-specific sample programs for reference Detailed photo sequences and expert instruction ensure you’re performing each exercise safely and efficiently. Color-coded stability, strength, and power training exercises, programs, and assessments provide all the tools for achieving high-performance goals. You will quickly identify and organize each component that addresses your needs, your sport, and your high-performance goals. If you are serious about performance, Conditioning to the Core will help you get serious results. Whether you’re an athlete, trainer, or coach, this guide should be the centerpiece of your sport training program.

Conditioning to the Core is a complete guide to training the torso for elite athletic performance. Color-coded stability, strength, and power training exercises, programs, and assessments provide all the tools for achieving high-performance goals. Full-color anatomical art and demonstration photos show how to develop the most functional athletic core.

Condition the core; unleash the potential. Serious athletes train for results—results that make them winners on the field, pitch, course, or court. And the key to getting those results, to improving performance in any sport and at any level, is no secret. A strong, well-conditioned core is the lynchpin to athletic success. In Conditioning to the Core, strength and conditioning coaches Greg Brittenham and Daniel Taylor deliver the definitive guide to training the torso. Inside, you’ll learn these concepts: - The core’s central role in originating and transferring strength and power, two requirements for superior performance - The energy systems, the strength and power foundations, and the movement mechanics for any sport - Over 300 of the most effective exercises for strength, stability, and power - The way to design a comprehensive program based on athlete assessment and analysis, followed by several sport-specific sample programs for reference Detailed photo sequences and expert instruction ensure you’re performing each exercise safely and efficiently. Color-coded stability, strength, and power training exercises, programs, and assessments provide all the tools for achieving high-performance goals. You will quickly identify and organize each component that addresses your needs, your sport, and your high-performance goals. If you are serious about performance, Conditioning to the Core will help you get serious results. Whether you’re an athlete, trainer, or coach, this guide should be the centerpiece of your sport training program.

Elite-level athletes take great pride in their fitness and physical strength. You can’t help but notice the muscular legs or well-defined arms. However, whether they are known for a powerful golf swing or a hard hockey slap shot , the best athletes all have one thing in common—a strong and well-conditioned core. The world’s leading organization in the field of sport conditioning, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), brings you the authoritative resource on strengthening the core to maximize sport performance. With contributions by 17 of the top names in sport training, conditioning, and science, Developing the Core features over 50 of the most effective exercises, science-based assessment tools, sport-specific programs, and expert advice for developing a personalized core program. Basketball, football, soccer, golf, baseball, tennis—no matter what your sort, Developing the Core will place you on the path to success and your strongest midsection ever. Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education course and exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes all the course materials and exam.

The Importance of PostureVIRTUALLY EVERYONE—young and old, male or female—has a deep desire to improve his or her life. However, many people have orthopedic problems that prevent them from improving their bodies. These problems occur from a lack of core stabilization and strength, leading to poor posture.Our bodies were designed to withstand many environmental conditions. The ability to stabilize our core musculature is vital to our existence. Our ancient ancestors could not afford to have back pain. They needed to function on a basic level that involved moving rocks, building shelter, climbing mountains, or running after food. If they had a bad back or poor core stabilization and strength, their likelihood of survival would have been deeply diminished. Core Stabilization and StrengthOur core musculature contributes to vital functions within our bodies and enables us to perform simple to complex tasks.Without good control or stabilization and a thorough understanding of what contributes to core stabilization and strength, we can fall prey to many of modern society’s ailments.Lower back pain is the number one patient complaint in America.Many problems and orthopedic injuries result from poor core stabilization and strength. Females appear to be at a higher risk of suffering such injuries. Jame Zachazewki shows evidence of this in a study he conducted in 1996. He discovered that women have a lack of strength in the lower abdominals and pelvic floor muscles. He explained that 47% of females age 38 and above suffer from incontinence. However, women who participated in a regular weight-training program reduced the incidence of incontinence to only 4%. The Benefits of Weight TrainingA weight-training program enables the body to communicate better and increase strength and stabilization. Elderly women can further benefit from a weight training program, which can improve balance, increase muscle mass, influence bone density (combating osteoporosis), and help to manage osteoarthritis.Note: If you would like more information on how weight training and core conditioning aid older, adolescent, and pregnant or postpartum women, email me at [email protected] first must look at the functional anatomy of our core musculature. We need to understand the benefits that a good core conditioning program can have on our livelihood. A core conditioning program will decrease the likelihood of back and neck pain, incontinence, ruptured disks, muscle and ligament strains, all while improving posture.To begin understanding the complexity of our core and how it relates to overall function, we must address the inner an outer unit and how they work in harmony allowing us to function at a higher level.A simple and brief anatomy lesson should help you understand how these units work. The muscles involved are broken down into separate but interconnected inner and outer units. The inner unit is the topic of the next chapter.