Shanghai Running Magazine Volume 3 | Page 13

TRAINING
Core Training
for Runners
Ever wondered what all the fuss over
core training is about? For as long as
workouts have been around, there
seems to have been abdominal training. But in more recent times, the emphasis has shifted from talking about
‘abs’ to talking about the core. Is there
any difference? As a runner, should
you be concerned about your core?

To understand the term core training,
it’s useful to know a little about the
history of strength training and how it
has evolved over time. The gym industry only really got started in the 1970s
when bodybuilding became popular
as a sport and iconic figures such as
the great Arnold Schwarzenegger
pushed the human physique to extremes never before witnessed. Although responsible for kick-starting
the whole gym industry, bodybuilding also popularized training muscles which are visible, as opposed to
muscles which actually help the body
function properly. One specific example of this was the development of abdominal workouts designed to isolate
the rectus abdominis, the muscle on
the surface of the belly responsible
for producing the so called ‘six pack’.
As sports science evolved, realisation
spread that doing thousands of ab
crunches wasn’t actually helpful in
developing a strong, injury-free body.

The real function of the core, which includes the rectus abdominis, internal
and external obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae (lower back),
and gluteal muscles (your butt), is to
stabilise the pelvis and lower back to
protect the body from injury whilst
performing daily activities such as
running, jumping, and carrying loads.
But when performing ab crunches,
there is no requirement for the pelvis and lower back to be stabilised
since they are being supported by the
floor. And so the language began to
shift from abdominal training, which
came to be regarded as dysfunctional
and purely for show, to core training,
which is now considered de rigeur for
any half serious athletes.
A strong core is vital for runners because it helps stabilize the pelvis when
you push off the ground so that the
full force of your stride goes into taking you forwards. If your core is weak,
you may not only suffer from imbalances in your running which slow you
down, such as overstriding, or excess
swinging of the pelvis from side to
side, but you will be more prone to
injury as well.
The best core exercises for runners
are those that mimic the specific
stresses that the core muscles are under during running. This rules out any
exercise where you are lying on the
floor, like ab crunches, or any static
holds, like planks. Here’s three of my
personal favourites:
1. Single-leg deadlifts. Grab a
pair of dumbbells and stand
on your left foot. Lift your
right foot behind you. Bend
forward at your hips, and
slowly lower your body as far
as you can. Pause, then push
your body back to the starting position. As you come up,
think about using your glutes
to push your hips forward
instead of lifting from your

© Shanghai Running 2014

back. Keep core engaged and
chest up during the entire
movement. Repeat on the opposite side.
2. Russian twists. Grab a medicine ball or dumbbell and sit
on the floor with your hips
and knees bent 90 degrees.
Hold the weight straight out
in front of you and keep your
back straight – your torso
should be at about 45 degrees
to the floor. Explosively twist
your torso as far as you can to
the left, and then reverse the
motion, twisting as far as you
can to the right.
3. Hay bale. With your feet
about shoulder width apart,
squat down and bounce a
medicine ball in front of your
body. Catch the ball as you
squat back up and lift the
medicine ball over one shoulder and rotate your torso like
you’re throwing a hay bale
behind you. Repeat on the
opposite side.
Core training is important for runners.
Not for giving you a sexy six pack for
when you tear off your shirt at the finish line. But for enhancing your running performance and protecting you
from injury. Be sure to make it a central part of your strength training.

Victor Rowse is fitness researcher and general
manager at Prime Fitness www.primefitness.
cn a personal training studio in the former
French concession

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