The fitness landscape seems to have arrived at another annoying junction where everyone wants to over-complicate things that do not need to be over-complicated.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of strengthening your core.
If you look through the workouts section of russhowepti.com you will find several workouts which are designed with that very function in mind.
So what’s the beef?
Well, my issue is when people start convincing trainees to remove proven fundamental strength building exercises (e.g. barbell squats, deadlifts, rows, etc) from their workout program in favour of pointlessly complex movements which offer nowhere near the same level of benefits.
Why are they doing this?
I can only presume they have fallen victim to misinformation being spread by some jockstrap in a gym instructor’s uniform, or an unqualified influencer with whiter teeth than 1999 Ross Geller… but either way, it fucking sucks!
So the next time you feel your eyes rolling as someone waxes lyrical to you about the benefits of deleting one of your favourite heavy compound lifts from your workout program, please redirect them to this 2013 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
In this study, a group of Norwegian researchers set out to test whether switching a traditional barbell squat to a variety of unstable surfaces would increase the amount of core activation required to control the lift.
The exercises used were:
- Traditional barbell squat
- Power board squat
- Bosu ball squat
- Balance cone squat
The traditional barbell squat absolutely walked it, finishing significantly ahead of all three other variations. Not only was maximum strength achieved with feet planted firmly on the floor, but also muscle activity within the core. (1)
And then also take a look at this interesting 2013 study from researchers at the University of Salford, Manchester, which compared the muscle activity of the rectus abdominis during:
- Superman on a Swiss ball
- Barbell front squat
These are two of my favourite exercises (in fact, I’ve used both for over a decade), but this study actually discovered something which I would never have expected… barbell front squats increase muscle activity within the core 5% more than a Superman on a Swiss ball!
Holy flaps!
If you’ve felt the absolute core-crushing burn of a Superman on a Swiss ball you’ll know how impressive that is. And this is with an empty barbell, too, so as we begin adding weight the gap widens further. (2)
So there you have it, folks.
I’m all for strengthening your core. It’s a crucial part of building a better body. But stay away from pop-up PT’s who advise you to ditch traditional heavy lifts in favour of something which looks more complex “just because”.
The basics often work the best, now go lift something!
References:
- Saeterbakken A. H., et al. Muscle force output and electromyographic activity in squats with various unstable surfaces. J Strength Cond Res (2013).
- Comfort C., et al. An electromyographical comparison of trunk muscle activity during isometric trunk and dynamic strengthening exercises. J Strength Cond Res (2011).