Core
Deep stabilising system
Core, trunk stability, the deep stabilising system, posture. Four names for one thing that decides everything else.
When it doesn't hold, you notice it in your back, usually before you notice it in the gym.
Every Saturday at 11:00 at So‑Ho (Form Factory).Book a place →
What it actually is
The deep stabilising system is the muscles that hold your trunk together from the inside. You can't see them and you don't strengthen them by pushing against them.
They switch on before the movement even starts. That's why repeating to fatigue doesn't work for them, but practice does, in which your body learns to use them in time.
Why crunches aren't enough
Crunches strengthen the straight abdominal muscle. You can see it, and it has little to do with posture.
The exercises that work look boring from the outside. You lie there and barely move. That's exactly what this training is about: holding a position while something tries to break it.
When to deal with it
When sitting makes your back hurt. When your lower back complains after a longer walk. When everything in the gym works except the squat and you don't know why.
And also when you're coming back after a break or an injury. There, the core is the first thing everything is built on.
Where you can work on it
I teach the Saturday Core class at Form Factory So‑Ho. Half an hour focused on the core, with no extra weights.
Or we can include it in personal training, where we can go into more detail and correct your form as we go.
From the blog
Everyone I train with gets their own access to the client portal. The plan for the next session with exercise videos, notes from our sessions and all measurements in one place. See what it looks like.
Want to try it?
Saturday classes →