In Part A, I talked about breathing, ribcage movement and the relationship between the ribcage, abdominal wall and pelvis.
But this is where I think core training can sometimes go wrong.
People get very good at lying on the floor breathing beautifully, then completely lose that strategy as soon as they pick up a weight.
The point of these drills isn’t to become brilliant at breathing exercises. The point is to give the body another option and then teach it to use that option during real movement and strength training.
This is also a major principle in Dr Meghan Sac-Ocbina’s approach: find the movement strategy that is missing, practise it in an easier environment, then gradually integrate it into loaded exercises (Sac-Ocbina, n.d.).
Bracing does not mean sucking your stomach in
When I ask someone to brace their core, I don’t want them pulling their stomach in as hard as possible.
I also don’t want them deliberately pushing their abdominal wall out.
Good core bracing involves the abdominal muscles creating tension around the trunk while pressure from within the abdomen also contributes to stability (Sac-Ocbina, n.d.). The diaphragm plays an important role in this system and contributes to intra-abdominal pressure during postural tasks (Hodges & Gandevia, 2000).
The amount of tension required depends entirely on what you are doing.
A heel slide needs very little.
A goblet squat needs more.
A heavy deadlift requires considerably more.
That is why I don’t love blanket cues such as “switch your core on” or “keep your abs tight”. Learning how to brace your core is much more about creating the right amount of support for the task in front of you.
Do you always have to exhale on exertion?
Exhaling as you perform the difficult part of an exercise can be really useful, particularly when someone is first learning how to coordinate the abdominal wall.
For example, I might have someone inhale as they lower into a squat and gently exhale as they stand.
But that isn’t a hard and fast rule.
Inhaling can also help create pressure and trunk stiffness, while experienced lifters may briefly hold their breath during very heavy efforts to create more stability (Blazek et al., 2019; Hackett & Chow, 2013).
That doesn’t mean breath-holding suits everyone. A Valsalva manoeuvre can substantially increase blood pressure, so the strategy needs to match the individual, the load and the exercise (Hackett & Chow, 2013).
The end goal with breathing during strength training is for it to become part of the movement rather than something you have to obsessively choreograph.
This is where exercise selection becomes important
Once someone can find a better position or breathing strategy, I like to choose exercises that make it easier for them to keep practising it.
Sac-Ocbina gives examples such as landmine pressing and medicine-ball hug squats because the position of the load can encourage different ribcage and trunk strategies (Sac-Ocbina, n.d.).
But there isn’t anything magical about those exercises.
For one person I may choose a heel-elevated goblet squat. For another it might be a farmer’s carry or a prowler push.
What matters is whether the exercise helps them organise their body better while still developing genuine strength.
Then we load it.
Load often shows us what the real problem is
This is where assessment becomes really interesting.
Someone might maintain beautiful control during a low-level drill and then, the moment we increase the challenge, their usual compensation appears.
Their ribs flare.
Their lower back takes over.
Their pelvis tips forwards.
Their backside suddenly “flicks out” during a hinge.
Or they can brace their abdomen but can’t take another breath without losing the position.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the movement is bad. It shows me where their current capacity ends.
Instead of forcing them through it, I can reduce the load or range, change the exercise or give them a better cue, then gradually strengthen that new strategy.
That fits closely with Sac-Ocbina’s principle of restoring an option first, reinforcing it, and then building strength through it (Sac-Ocbina, n.d.).
The end goal is strength
Deep-core work should ultimately make you more capable, not more afraid of movement.
If you’re experiencing a genuine pelvic-floor condition such as incontinence, pelvic heaviness or bulging, pelvic pain, or difficulty emptying your bladder or bowel, those symptoms deserve appropriate assessment by a GP and/or physiotherapist before training through them (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2019).
But for many people I coach who are working on their pelvic floor and deep core control, the goal is to move from awareness into genuine strength.
Squat.
Hinge.
Push.
Pull.
Carry.
Lift.
The breathing and core work simply help us find a better way to get there.
Recently, one of my female clients was using a standard single-arm row variation to build strength through her upper back while we also worked on improving her pelvic floor and deep core control.
Once she had developed better breathing awareness, deeper core connection and more strength, I introduced a bird dog row variation. Her response was that her entire body was “on fire” — in a good way — and she could really feel the deeper connection and control she had been working towards over the previous few months.
Without first stepping her through the breathing practice, deep-core connection and gradual strength development, she would not have been able to perform this variation with the same control and confidence.
It really doesn’t take long for the body to adapt when we give it what it needs.
Bird Dog Row
I offer individualised personal training at Goodlife Health Clubs Wynnum and from my private home gym in Hemmant, working with people across Wynnum and Brisbane Bayside who want to build genuine strength around pelvic-floor challenges, movement limitations, previous injuries and persistent niggles rather than simply working harder and hoping for the best.
References
Blazek, D., Stastny, P., Maszczyk, A., Krawczyk, M., Matykiewicz, P., & Petr, M. (2019). Systematic review of intra-abdominal and intrathoracic pressures initiated by the Valsalva manoeuvre during high-intensity resistance exercises. Biology of Sport, 36(4), 373–386.
Hackett, D. A., & Chow, C.-M. (2013). The Valsalva maneuver: Its effect on intra-abdominal pressure and safety issues during resistance exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(8), 2338–2345.
Hodges, P. W., & Gandevia, S. C. (2000). Changes in intra-abdominal pressure during postural and respiratory activation of the human diaphragm. Journal of Applied Physiology, 89(3), 967–976.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2019). Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women: Management (NICE Guideline NG123).
Sac-Ocbina, M. (n.d.). The rib cage, breathing & pressure [Educational PDF].