What Exactly is Core Training?
The word CORE represents the central part of the body – the torso and hips. The core is the powerhouse of the body and even the abdominal muscles are an important part of the core, core training is not about abdominal conditioning. The abdominals should never be totally isolated in training because they are never totally isolated in movement. Abdominal muscles work in coordination with hip and back muscles during acvtivity.
Two excellent forms of core training are Yoga and Pilates. Both forms are demand more strength from the core than from the extremities. ( if done correctly ) Many athletes who demonstrate excellent power- to-weight ratios in the weight room have a very hard time getting through some of the basic core movements of yoga and Pilates. It may sometimes appear that they lack flexibility, but usually core stability is the other factor. These people are not weak and they have been successful in the weight room, but they are unsuccessful in balancing the body and core. The strength of the extremities is not supposed to exceed the strength of the core. The core is the foundation of power and strength. That’s why even the most conditioned athletes find that adding one or two Pilates routines a week into their current physical fitness program gets them to that next level of sports conditioning they were looking for.
Rid yourself of all the preconceived ideas about core training. The biggest mistake is thinking that multiple sets, reps or the isolation of certain muscles groups are needed. Core training is training for movement patterns and stability. If the spine moves, as it does during crunches or sit-ups, the core muscles are strengthened but the core is being made mobile, not stable. Remember, the definition of stability is the ability to control movement and force, not the production of movement or the generation of force. The best training programs or routines require the body to be held in a natural or neutral spine, breathing correctly while moving the arm and legs in ways the simulate the functional ways the core will be stressed not only in every day life but especially in a given sport or activity.
Core training will lay the foundation for your ultimate in strength, power, speed, and agility training. Try some Pilates and/ or Yoga today and see what the difference could make in your life!
Press Release from Republican
Local Studio Owner/Pilates Teacher Receives Master Teacher Status
Jennifer Christophel, owner and director of The Balanced Body Studio and Wellness Center in McHenry, Maryland, successfully completed the training necessary to become a Master Pilates Teacher Trainer. The training and evaluation was conducted by the Balanced Body University in Sacramento, California.
Mrs. Christophel was invited to be a faculty member, professional presenter and teacher trainer last year by Balanced Body TM, the national and international leader in the Pilates education field and equipment manufacturing.. Balanced Body is the primary visionary sponsor for the Pilates Method Alliance, the international, not-for-profit, professional association and certifying agency for the Pilates Method. of exercise, and is internationally recognized as a leading Pilates educational organization. Under the approval of the Pilates Method Alliance and through Balanced Body Education, she will now have the authority to train and certify Pilates teachers and her studio will be listed as a national host site for teacher trainings, apprenticeship, continuing education workshops and master classes.
Mrs. Christophel is a Comprehensively and Nationally PMA Certified Pilates Teacher. She is the founder and director of the Balanced Body Studio and Wellness Center, LLC, in Deep Creek Lake Maryland, and has taught Pilates, Fitness and Dance for over 10 years. Her background also includes extensive training, performance opportunities and teaching experience in classical ballet, latin and ballroom dancing.
She carries Pilates Teaching Certificates from the reputable programs of Core Dynamics Pilates, under the tutelage of Michele Larsson, STOTT Pilates, PHI and Pilates for Golf TM. She has successfully completed a secondary degree through the International Sports Science Association to be a Certified Fitness Therapist authorizing her work in a post- rehabilitative, special populations and sports medicine capacity. She also has an accreditation through the American Fitness Professionals Association as a Certified Sports Conditioning Specialist and continues her studies in Sports Science and Medicine.
Her extensive experience and training combined with her creative and inspiring teaching style help to ensure that her clients " discover the freedom of movement ".