Core Muscles

Core muscles are all those inner ones on your torso - these are most important in swimming because we are in a liquid, moving medium - water - and not pushing against something solid. Strong stabilizing core muscles are needed as you attempt to anchor your arm and hand in the water and pull your body over it.

They are at the core, i.e. center, of the body.

Thank you - Good explaination.. I've only recently heard the term; is it a new one? And why do we call them "core" muscles. Are they only core to swimming and other balance sports?

Errector Spinal Mls. : ilicostalis lumborum Multifidus Rotatores Quadratus Lumborum, Rectus Abdominis, Obliquus internus & externus abdominis, Intercostales externi & interni, Transversus abdominis, Diaphragm and few more small ones.

Great...now i get to buy a copy of Grey's Anatomy.

Good come back!!!! Core muscles are also the ones that are usually worked when doing many of the Pilates exercises. Pilates emphasizes the core muscles as a foundation.

Originally posted by suares Thank you - Good explaination.. I've only recently heard the term; is it a new one? I first heard the term 6 years ago, but I have a swimming book written 9 years ago that makes reference to it. I don't know whether you consider that new. And why do we call them "core" muscles. Because they are located in the central part of your body as opposed to your extremities. Are they only core to swimming and other balance sports? Not really. If you think about how somebody pitches a baseball, they don't just stand there and throw it with their arm. They step back with one foot, lean back, twist to the side, and as they throw it, they step forward and lean forward. While we talk about a pitcher's "pitching arm", in reality the arm is just the delivery system for what the pitcher's core body is doing. The core body is important because the core body muscles typically get a better workout from our daily activities than do the muscles in our extremities, and therefore the core body muscles tend to be stronger.

Errector Spinal Mls. : ilicostalis lumborum Multifidus Rotatores Quadratus Lumborum, Rectus Abdominis, Obliquus internus & externus abdominis, Intercostales externi & interni, Transversus abdominis, Diaphragm and few more small ones. Do the obliquus internus & externus abdominis play a crucial role in freestyle strokes? (old thread, worth looking :))

What are the core body muscles? Why are they getting so much attention, recently? Here's my utterly personal theory, advanced utterly without evidence ... In swimming we employ two systems of two levers. The primary system is the arms: the shoulders are the fulcrums, the arms are the lever arms, and force is applied through the hands and forearms. The left arm and right arm comprise the two levers of this system. They are coupled by a rigid structure, the pectoral girdle (clavicle and scapula). The secondary system is the legs: the hips are the fulcrums, the legs are the lever arms, and force is applied at the feet. The left and right legs are coupled by the rigid pelvis. But what couples the two systems of levers? What connects the force applied by the right hand to the force applied by the left foot? The core does. That's what it's for. The core couples the pectoral girdle to the pelvis, and allows the two systems of levers to work together. The stronger the core, the more effectively your arm stroke can work in coordination with your kick. That's why it gets so much attention.

Having just strained my Psoas muscle ... you can definitely add that to the list of important core muscles. Without a strong healthy Psoas, nearly every part of your stroke will be hampered. I blame the butterfly (combined with my less than perfect technique in the stroke) for the injury. But to be fair I am predisposed to this injury, and have had it multiple times in my life.