Howdy Everyone,

I?m writing this email because I just had a conversation with one of our members.

We were talking about the ?core? and I soon realized we were on two different wave lengths.

To get us on the same path I simply asked her, ?Where is your core??

She pointed to her stomach, then to her side ribs, and then gave up and said ?its my abs???

Now, she?s not wrong, the abs are part of it, but we can?t make her entire body stronger if we just make her abs stronger. That doesn?t make sense.

So here it is.

When I train and talk about ?core,? I?m talking about several things. But to simply put it, it?s your torso.

Everything surrounding, within, and touching your torso.

• Head
• Ribs
• Shoulders
• Pelvis
• Diaphragm
• Everything.

I think the ?core? has become bastardized and unfortunately confuses us all.

So the question becomes – what does the core do?

It does many things.

• Becomes stiff or flexible for a specific movement.
• It helps you breathe during relaxation and stressful moments.
• It helps you synchronize your upper and lower body during movements.
• It helps you stabilize your spine during powerful and aggressive moves.
• It puts the neck and pelvis in optimal positions based on the desired movement.

We all know the core is important.

Be able to identify what the core is. Then understand what the core is supposed to do.
Ask questions.

– Oliver