Using the words "core'; or "trunk" are completely useless regarding specific exercises or even how strength can impact swimming. It's just as specific (and productive ) as saying to work on "arm" or "leg" exercises.
I just rely on yoga and classic weight lifting to work whatever body part it is they call a "core"
I can attest to the fact that it's possible to do both of those activities - for years - without working the core very much at all. I did aikido for years as well, pretty intensively at times, and that is supposed to be ALL about using your core ("hara" in Japanese); but there too, I managed to not use my core very much. Technically, I learned the moves, but never had a clue why it wasn't quite clicking for me.
Seems that some of us develop - without knowing it - what could maybe be called a "core-avoidant" style of moving. So unless someone really spells it out to a person like me, my automatic tendency is to find a way to "get around" engaging my core. It's sort of like having slumped posture. You just learn to do everything with bad posture, and since you get so used to it, it feels "normal." You can even be "in really good shape" this way. I guess you end up recruiting other muscles to fill in for the core. Probably really bad for those over-stressed muscles in the long run, though - and probably a very inefficient, energy-sucking way to move, too.
That's why someone like me definitely does need some kind of focused "core work" and why it feels so difficult and odd at first.
In one study, on rowers who followed an eight-week core-training gym programme in addition to their normal training, there was no improvement in a rowing-machine time trial at the end of the study.
Doesn't rowing contribute to a good core in the first place?
The core trained group probably wasn't any better at snookers either.
I was wondering about the term, "engage your core" the other day. How do I know (when swimming, let's say front crawl) when I've done it correctly (or at all)? Is it sufficient to "suck my navel to my spine"?
In order to correctly answer this question, it is worth taking time wondering what role does the core/trunk plays in swimming.
The simple answer to this would be that its main purpose is to ensure an optimal body position and action whilst swimming (at all time). That's quite a big task. So I'd say that of the body position/action flaws can sometimes be explained by an improper involvement of the trunk (or core, whatever).
Now my personal opinion would be that the difficulty with swimming as for core engagement or involvement, is that core must be smart, ie it must engage very smartly in a rather complex chain of events to support the stroke, or to act as a foundation for the stroke. And for that, I don't think strength is the main limitation for most people.
In order to achieve a nice symmetrical well calibrate streamlined body rotation (freestyle), muscles must learn to engage/release in sequence, with just enough effort put to it, but not too much effort which would create unnecessary tensions etc.
Think about the fly! Same thing. One needs a certain level of strength, but the main difficulty is to learn to coordinate into what hopefully becomes a smooth undulation action, around with other elements of the stroke are added. Etc...
Good and simple drill to better understand the explanations above is to swim the Free with a pull buoy at ankles level, possibly a band to hold this tight. In order to avoid the fishtailing, core will need to engage little more than normal as usually the legs (when not tied at the ankle level) help correcting the fishtailing effect. In fact this simple drill, along with the variation without the pull but whilst keeping the band around the ankles are, in my opinion, much more valuable than any Pilates session. Fly kicking in prone, side and back position, SDK prone and back position, all that is also very valuable.
Almost looks like that swimmer is moving through the water without propulsive forces, cool.
I practice a similar drill using a solid kick to help momentum. It's more for a shoulder driven approach but it helps the ability to move your mass forward with rotation with inner muscles.
George Bovell at 2:15 below:
www.youtube.com/watch
I think holding a streamlined position also requires core strength
Steve, Yes, I think that probably is the difference between doing the moves (yoga, aikido, swimming, chopping wood, anything) with efficiency and power or not. But it can still look like you're doing the moves more or less correctly, even if you really aren't, and you might never know it. That's the tricky thing.
And that's why I'm excited to try solarenergy's "drill of choice." If it really can't be done without properly engaging the core, then that's exactly the kind of drill I need.
