{"id":13596,"date":"2025-09-03T11:22:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T11:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/?p=13596"},"modified":"2025-09-03T11:39:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T11:39:00","slug":"stop-saying-core-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/stop-saying-core-training\/","title":{"rendered":"From crunches to confidence: Stop saying ‘core training’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ally Taylor <\/strong>pulls her head out of the rabbit hole of research to have the core conversation we need saying: ‘Maybe we need to stop saying ‘core training\u2019 altogether.’<\/h2>\n

For years, fitness professionals and clients alike have been sold a story: that a strong core prevents back pain, that perfect posture is the holy grail of spinal health, and that six-pack abs are the ultimate sign of functional strength. But what if much of this is based more on myth than meaningful evidence?<\/p>\n

This question led me down a rabbit hole of research, and what I found was both confronting and freeing.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with what the core does. At its most functional, the core transfers force between the upper and lower body, decelerates motion in all directions at the spine (so you don\u2019t fall over), maintains balance, supports posture and enables us to move with co-ordination and intent. It doesn\u2019t work in isolation; it works in context. It acts reflexively, adaptively and in response to task demands, not because we consciously \u2018brace\u2019 it every time we move. It does this in co-ordination with everything else, not as a standalone unit, and certainly not in a vacuum on the mat.<\/p>\n

Yet many approaches to core training teach the opposite: stillness over adaptability, tension over fluidity. Why? Where did this come from? Things got murky in the 80s, when Panjabi\u2019s work reframed spinal instability not as a disc-related issue (which had been the earlier thinking from Harris, McNab, and others) but as a\u00a0lack of stiffness<\/em>. That led to a whole era of bracing, hollowing and rigid control. Ironically, people in pain often already present with\u00a0increased<\/em>\u00a0stiffness, muscular co-contraction and difficulty relaxing their muscles. Not weakness. Not collapse. Panjabi later moved away from this concept acknowledging he was wrong, but the industry of fitness and physiotherapy stuck with it \u2013 the damage was done!<\/p>\n

The widespread narrative of a \u2018weak core\u2019 being the cause of back pain has been repeatedly challenged in the literature. Research from Lederman, O\u2019Sullivan, Mulholland and others has shown that people in pain often have increased muscular stiffness and guarding, not floppiness. Pain changes how we move. It downregulates speed, force output, range of motion and muscle firing sequence, the very things which are often blamed for the pain!<\/p>\n

Pain and changes to our movement do not mean we\u2019re broken<\/strong>. Fear and avoidance behaviour (thanks to well-meaning but misinformed cueing) often play a bigger role than any anatomical \u2018weakness\u2019. The language we use matters. Telling someone they\u2019re unstable or dysfunctional can reinforce their pain and decrease their confidence, leading to less movement and a loss of capacity, creating more pain and a dysfunctional cycle.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s train the\u00a0skill, not just the segment. Let\u2019s build movement confidence, not bracing obsession. Let\u2019s stop feeding fear and start fostering capability.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We also need to address posture myths. A neutral spine is not a moral or mechanical ideal; it\u2019s simply a starting position. Anterior pelvic tilt? It\u2019s normal for around 70% of the population. There is no perfect shape. Variability is part of being human. Posture is intrinsically linked with mood and emotion and is something we move through on the way to somewhere else, meaning the best posture is your next posture. Stretching doesn\u2019t permanently \u2018fix\u2019 alignment and trying to do so can take focus away from what matters most: building confidence in movement.<\/p>\n

All movement is neuromuscular. All exercise is core training, when it’s loaded appropriately and focused on real tasks. It\u2019s not about training muscles in isolation, or perfect posture, or lying on your back squeezing your glutes and hollowing your abs. It\u2019s about building capacity in real-world positions. It\u2019s loaded carries, anti-rotation, lunges, lifts and flows. It\u2019s creating variability, tolerance and trust in your body.<\/p>\n

So maybe we need to stop saying \u2018core training\u2019 altogether. Let\u2019s train the\u00a0skill<\/em>, not just the segment. Let\u2019s build movement confidence, not bracing obsession. Let\u2019s stop feeding fear and start fostering capability.<\/p>\n

And that popular question \u2013\u00a0\u201cHow do I get a six-pack?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Well, it\u2019s part genetics, part diet, part isolated rectus abdominis work through full range \u2026 and a good dose of hope. But that has little to do with being strong, resilient or functional in daily life.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s shift the narrative. From muscle obsession to movement intention. From stiffness to skill. From fear to freedom.<\/p>\n

Check out Ally’s Movement Mastery blog and videos on core for life,<\/a> on the FitPro blog.<\/p>\n

\"Ally

Ally Taylor<\/p><\/div>\n

Ally Taylor\u00a0has been a personal trainer and group exercise instructor for over 24 years and is the founder of Amovida<\/a>, a boutique fitness studio in East Horsley, Surrey. With a strong emphasis on movement health and training for life, Ally questions traditional approaches\u2014especially when they exist simply because “that\u2019s how it\u2019s always been done” rather than being backed by solid evidence. She stays ahead by understanding how to apply primary research to shape training methods and isn\u2019t afraid to rethink best practices when presented with quality evidence. Her sessions empower instructors to think critically, coach with confidence, and create meaningful, real-world training experiences that truly impact their clients.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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