Core Training Tips

All martial artists will acknowledge that training your core is as essential as any technique. Bruce Lee was one of the most dedicated core trainers ever - his rationale that if one is to spar and fight properly, one needs to be able to take punches in the midsection.

This concept is not limited to modern fighters trying to toughen up their abs and stabilize their core. The basic theory in Tai Chi is that all movement is generated from the "dan tian", or a location around the waist. In karate, almost all movements require hip power to be effective. And in boxing, the rules will certainly require one to develop their stomach.

My abs are perhaps my favourite body part to develop. I strengthened my abs in a bit more than a semester via hard training, strict diet, and constant cardio. But I still found that my core was relatively weak, my stability mediocre. Clearly, strong ab muscles do not result in a powerful core. Internal martial arts like Tai Chi stress a lot on core balance and strength. External martial arts however, stress the strength of the abs to be able to generate explosive power as well as take punches. What if there is a workout that can help with both aspects of core development? Not only will one be able to generate power, one will also be balanced throughout sparring or fighting. This is an objective every serious fighter should be aiming for.

In the most recent issue of Men's Health there was an article that gave tips on training the trunk along with the shoulders and chest to form a tidy "pillar", where energy is distributed properly and posture is improved. This is a useful workout and certain exercises can be of vital use to fighters.

In brief before I elaborate in my next post, I will outline what I believe are the four most important ways of training the core:

Bodyweight
Swiss Ball
Medicine Ball
Cables/Dumbbells