Applied Functional Development: Understanding what the REAL CORE is

This is Part 2 of the "More than meets the eye series". In this blog post we will focus on the CORE. Now, my definition of the CORE is much different from a lot of folks out there. I'll here from a client or patient, "I need to strengthen my core" or "I saw (insert celebrity athlete) doing core work. Can we do that too?"

I smile and then roll my eyes (in my mind, of course). I'd like to propose that when we refer to our CORE we are actually referring to our CENTER OF GRAVITY (COG).

Q: Okay...so what is the center of gravity?


In uniform objects like a solid ball, cylinder or square box, the center of gravity is located in the middle of the object. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, it is in physics, imaginary point in a body of matter where, for convenience in certain calculations, the total weight of the body may be thought to be concentrated. The concept is sometimes useful in designing static structures (e.g., buildings and bridges) or in predicting the behaviour of a moving body when it is acted on by gravity.

If you look at the picture above, you will see a dot in the characters that are different heights. We can say that this is the point where gravity will mostly act on a body in motion. Interestingly, coaches of basketball, football, and lacrosse players have said for years to "Watch your opponents hips!!!" This was done so that the defensive player can predict where the offensive player would be heading. Watching the head and feet are bad ideas because they can move in opposite directions from where the COG moves. WISE WORDS!

Q: Why is the COG in a different place in the cartoons above?


Because humans are non-symmetrical objects that are motion, the COG will not be uniform in them. The woman in the picture is more bottom heavy, so here COG is lower than the male who is very muscular in his torso. Correspondingly, his COG is higher. We see a slouched posture, also displaces the COG.

The coolest thing is that the COG within a person is not a fixed point either. When a person moves their arms or legs, it shifts the COG slightly. When we are carrying a heavy object like weights, a child, a book bag, this will shift our COG accordingly. Luckily for us, we have a very sophisticated nervous system that accounts for the movement of the COG and will redirect the our body so that we are able to keep some semblance of a base of support. This management of the COG's mobility and stability/balance is exclusively under the domain of the CNS which then normally regulates balance so that the person does not simply fall and hurt themselves. We see that the CNS calls all of the other bodily systems into play with particular emphasis on the neuromuscular and skeletal systems.

Q: What does this have to do with movement? 


As we go throughout our lives, we are rarely static creatures. In fact, a principle of function is that Function is DYNAMIC, meaning we are moving from a global body perspective down to the cellular level. Another Principle of Function is that Function is DRIVEN BY FORCES. We see that this principle holds true because GRAVITY is the main physical force acting on a human in motion.

When we base our strategies and techniques for rehabilitation, training and condition and prevention in Principle of Function, we can easily understand and implement successful programs for our clients and patients. In life, we are(should) be dynamically moving in all three planes of motions at all triangulations. With this, GRAVITY (a force) will be acting perpendicularly on the COG, driving it into it's trajectory along with momentum and the additional Ground Reaction Forces (GRF).

When we move, we want it to be in the most efficient manner possible. Running, jumping, sprinting, throwing, flipping, etc is how we manipulate our COG that is coordinated by neuromusculoskeletal system, among other body systems. b

Q: Okay, I understand more of the science, but how do I apply this to my movements?


I have observed many coaches doing "footwork" with their athletes. It's a great idea but let's think about what's behind that? The foot is pretty much a bag of bones and joints" who do not have a mind of their own. The foot is really responding to the movements perceived by the brain with input from the senses, right? So instructing your athlete to move their feet faster may or may not work. When we think in terms of COG, we easily understand the body will respond to the movement of the COG so it will not fall. If our body shifts over to the right suddenly, say if we are ice, the foot, ankle and leg will react to stabilize the body by possibly stepping wider so that the COG remains over a base point (i.e. the foot). The foot just got there, or didn't, but our focus was not to train it. It's the same thing with agility. The movement of our COG is dependent on what we are doing (function) so our body will compensate during our movement patterns.

I am posting a video I did a while ago called the 3-D Jump Matrix. It's a great study of seeing how the COG moves and how the lower extremities react. The reaction of the feet when they are IN-SYNC is the best examples.

Paradigm shift: THINK TOP DOWN INSTEAD OF BOTTOM UP REGARDING SPEED AND AGILITY TRAINING! We've done looking from bottom up way too long. Shift your focus.

If you have any thoughts or comments, please email me at will@3doptimalperformance.com

Thanks!

Will