Forget everything you've been told about your core!

TRAINING BREAKDOWN

“Your core holds the key to your performance”

By Emma O’Toole

Hi there,

Did you know that your core holds the key to your performance? Last week we dived into why you need to train each leg independently to support your running and cycling and how you can use your data to check this out (click here to read). This week we’re talking about your “core”. Most runners and cyclists train what they think is their core through lots of planks, crunches, Russian twists and that’s as far as it goes. This is understandable, that was the message that was put out for so long in running and cycling magazines, YouTube channels etc - and if that’s you reading this right now, please don’t stop reading because this is really important.

Forget everything you’ve been told because…

Your core ≠ just mean your abdominal muscles.

Your core = anything between your neck, elbow and knees.

Your core holds the key to your performance and here’s why.

Think of your body as a car.

Your engine = Your cardiovascular system.

This is what you can train through running and cycling- this is where your aerobic and anaerobic engines can get bigger and more efficient though consistent and varied training appropriate for you and your goals. Just like with a car, the bigger your engine the more powerful you are, the more distance you can cover.

Your wheels = Your legs.

The mechanisms that allow your car to run- without those, you’d be going nowhere. Wheels with no tread will have you all over the road - unable to grip. Flaccid wheels will reduce your handling, increase your rolling resistance, and lead to faster tire wear - ultimately impacting fuel economy and your safety. Same goes for your legs- weak, excessively imbalanced legs will have you limping along the road - never reaching your full potential.

Your car chassis = Your core.

The chassis, the main supporting structure of your car to which all other components are attached. A shoddy chassis means an engine that you can’t use to its full potential, or wheels that become more and more inefficient as you ricochet down the road. You can have the best engine and the best wheels available for your car, but if the chassis is inadequate your car is not going to run to the best of its potential and you’ll be risking some safety hazards along the way.

Same goes for your running and cycling, you can have the best cardiovascular system- your vo2 max is building, your time to exhaustion is increasing. You can also have the best legs in the business- well trained, strong and balanced. However if your “core” is weak you’re not going to run/ride to the best of your potential and you’re opening yourself up to a higher risk of injuries along the way.

This is why investing hundreds, (if not thousands) into a new bike or running training trainers without addressing you at the heart of it is like sticking a band-aid over a bullet hole, and in the words of Taylor Swift: “band-aids don’t fix bullet holes.” (I’m pretty indifferent about Taylor Swift - to the horror of many friend’s children - but this lyric has always stuck out to me as it applies to so many runners and cyclists because it extends further than equipment but also to your training and the importance of strength training to support your running and cycling!)

Ok, back to running and cycling.

So how can you train your core?

Firstly, it’s remembering that your core is more than just your abdominal muscles!

Next up it’s about training through those muscle groups that make up your core.

So here, we’re talking:

• Your shoulders

• Your chest

• Your back

• Your abs and obliques

• Your hips

Exercises that strengthen these areas to make you a more well-rounded runner and cyclist. - I’ve got a starting point for you to get going with at the end of this newsletter.

What this translates to for your running and cycling?

• Confidence,

• Better control,

• Better efficiency,

• Improved handling,

• Reduced risk of injury.

Take a look at an unexpected change experienced by Falk when he switched the turbo for an outdoors ride (finally some sunshine in Germany!)

Falk has a BIG year ahead, scaling to dizzying heights and I’m so excited to continue to see his progress continue to develop.

What this means for you as a runner and cyclist over 30?

After 30, we’re naturally losing muscle mass all over our bodies - making us less efficient runners and cyclists and increasing your risk of injury. You can either accept that fact or do something about it. Strength training isn’t about you getting “jacked” or “bulky”, far from it - it’s about helping you become the runner and cyclist that you want to be now and 10 years down the line.

A well-designed strength training programme will help you to do something about it - helping you training smarter and be time efficient, as I know you’re busy, with exercises that target multiple areas of your core at once.

And I’ve got just the answer for you with a newly updated 30 minute, no-equipment, strength and conditioning training program for runners and cyclists new to strength training.

Just click which one you’d like below and I’ll send them across to you.

What do you think of when you think of your core? Has that changed since reading this email? Please reply to this email or drop me a message here as I’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t forget to also check out our fantastic free community for ongoing support and help with your training!

Have a great Sunday!

Emma

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