Blue Chip Strength Investments: A Tale of Two "Cores"

Never in the course of human endeavor has a term been more misused than "the core" as it pertains to personal wellness. For about 80% of you C-Suite Athletes, "the core" means the muscles in the front of your stomach, which for some of you means looking at Gray's Anatomy because you haven't seen your own in 30+ years. However, that definition would be mostly incorrect.  In fact, what you are referring to in that instance would be your "abdominals", which are a muscle group that make up a part of your "muscular core". Your obliques, the other most readily identified part of the core, are a separate group, as are your spinal erectors, your serratus anterior, and even your lats.  The primary function of the "muscular core" is to support and stabilize your spine. That's it.

Now the other "core" is not a muscle group at all. It refers to the basic exercises around which every successful strength program is built.  The requirements for a "core exercise" are simple: it must utilize multiple joints, use a two-handed grip on a barbell or other implement- or use bodyweight, and have a closed kinetic chain (NERD ALERT....NERD ALERT).  A "closed kinetic chain" means you have both feet on the ground.   So...with that in mind, how many core exercises are there?  Let's see...Squat, check...Deadlift, check...Clean, check...Snatch, check...Overhead Press, check...Bench Press...ummm...ok, check. Not many.  Now, take away those that will absolutely cause injury in the C-Suite crowd:  Snatch, double-check...Clean, check.  I removed the last two immediately because they are very technical movements that are ballistic; they require a sudden expression of power that can dangerous if not executed perfectly  So here is a declarative statement: I will never include cleans or snatches in a resistance training program for any C-Suite client.  If that's your thing, go do Crossfit. Then call me when you have your rotator cuff surgery. And note that there are no curls, EZ curls, dumbbell curls, cable curls, or curls of any kind.  You don't need them. Ever.

So what are we left with for the core?  Deadlift, Squat, Overhead Press, and Bench Press. Man does that sound boring, right?  OK, you can skip the bench press, too. "Oh, my God...this guy is disgracing the whole bodybuilding and powerlifting canon". That's because you should train like an athlete and not a bodybuilder or a power lifter.  Remember the first "core" above? You know, the muscle groups that support your spine? Well, guess what muscle groups are trained by all three core exercises? Yep, the "core".  "But, dude, what about my back? My knees? My shoulder?" Please note, again, that you are not a bodybuilder, so the intensity used will build your strength, not TEST your strength. 

Now please note that I did not say anything about the "core" exercises being the entirety of a strength training program, just the centerpieces around which the rest is built. Remember, your wellness program is a series of time investments and the core exercises are the blue chips. We will talk about the mid- and small-caps later, but you can go to the bank with deadlifts, squats, and overhead presses. They use the most total muscle mass and the largest muscle groups, which build lean muscle most efficiently. Recall that more muscle mass means a higher resting metabolic rate and more space for glycogen, which means more calories burned and less carbohydrate stored as adipose fat.

Next time we will fill in some of the blanks on programming and begin to put some of the pieces together.

Stay well, my friends.