Finding the real core
When you hear the words “Core Muscles” do you think six-pack, abs, or tummy?
Many people do.
To many people, the core and abs are synonymous.
But the muscles on the front side of your lower trunk are just one side of the box-shaped core.
However, this important group of complementary muscles consists of A LOT more than just abdominal muscles. “The Core” actually includes 29 muscles in the mid and lower back, pelvic floor, buttocks and hips. Together, they act as the cornerstone for all of the body’s movements and they need to be developed together.
WHAT ARE CORE MUSCLES?
Your core muscles are like a “box” that supports and helps stabilize your spine. Your abdominal muscles are the front of the box (the deeper muscles, not the ones on the surface that create that “6-pack” appearance), the pelvic floor muscles form the bottom of the box, the deep back muscles form the back of the box, and the diaphragm forms the top of the box.
1. The top of the box is made up of:
Diaphragm,
Pec major and minor,
Trapezius (all sections), Rhomboids and
Serratus Anterior and Posterior.
2. The back of the box is made up of:
Erector spine muscles,
Latissimus Dorsi (Lats), Multifidi
Rotators (deep spinal muscles), and
Gluteus Maximus.
3. The sides of the box are made up of:
Transverse abdominus (sucking in or hollowing out muscle), Quadratus lumborum,
Internal and External Obliques,
Gluteus Medius, and
Piriformis.
4. The front of the box is made up of:
Rectus Abdominus and
Psoas muscle group (Hip flexors).
5. The bottom of the box is:
Pelvic floor musculature
If any of the muscles that make up this box become weak or tight, everything else in the core can become compromised. The core gets weak or tight when muscles are not properly strengthened or mobilized. Changes in body mechanics, like excessive abdominal fat or prolonged periods of sitting, can also change the muscle mechanics of the box and result in pain or dysfunction that seems to arise out of nothing.
