How Does Core Training Affect My Lower Body

Training one’s core is usually an afterthought of a workout.  If you watch people in the gym, it is usually what they end their workout doing.  A few sets of crunches and they are off the mat and into the locker room.  However, it is important to remember that strength at the core emanates out and strengthen the things around it.  Of course, it is good to have a strong chest, shoulders, and back for your upper body, and also equally strong legs and glutes.  Combine solid power in both and together you core and lower body can be a true force for positive activity. 

Lower Body 

When it comes to lower body exercises, sadly many people fail to train them at all.  Often people look to their cardio exercise for their lower body training.  If you do it enough, certainly you will get a firm strong lower body, but the strength will be limited no matter how many miles you run on the treadmill or how many flights of stairs you climb on the Stairmaster.  

If you were working with a Brooklyn personal trainer, they would never let your lower body program stop at running or climbing.  Strength training your lower body makes you a stronger, faster and more efficient runner.  Or the equivalent for whichever endurance activity you engage in; swimming, hiking, climbing.  You’ll simply do it better. 

Your glutes are your biggest muscle.  Your legs are your largest muscle group.  Just by knowing that, ask yourself, why would you neglect them.  Yes, if you are on your feet a lot, theses muscles are active often, but strength training is different.  Strength training allows you to perform beyond what you do during a normal, active day.  You never know when you are going to need to turn on the jets.   You may have some heavy packages to lift.  You may need to help a friend move.  Or you simply may want to reconfigure your living room furniture.  You need your legs to help with the lift.  Your quads and hamstrings are going to help with that explosive push forward or lift upward.  Strong calves and feet will help you steady yourself. 

Core 

What also helps you steady yourself and keep you from buckling under heavy weight is your core.  What you are able to lift using your lower body will be affected by having a strong core.  It’s important that you work both your internal and external obliques, as well as you abdominus.  Similarly, getting away from just doing crunches and sit ups for the abs, we can’t forget about the lower back.  Working both front and back of your core will produce the greatest amount of stability when you have something suspended above you, whether it be a barbell or your friend’s couch. Regardless of your fitness goals, a Bronx personal trainer will see that you have a strong core that would be up to just about any task.