The meaning of engaging core???

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Movemoreguy22
Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
When it says engage core during such and such excerise does that mean squeezing your abs and bum as hard as you can or does mean something completely different

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  • rhoddy2015
    rhoddy2015 Posts: 2 Member
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    Pretty much. Planks are a good example of a core exercise where you are told to suck in your gut, pulling navel towards spine and keeping back aligned so a water bottle wouldn’t fall off.
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
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    Cool just double checking
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    The common cue is to pretend you're about to get punched in the stomach and brace for it
  • iowalinda
    iowalinda Posts: 354 Member
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    garyggriffin wrote: »
    When it says engage core during such and such excerise does that mean squeezing your abs and bum as hard as you can or does mean something completely different

    Thank you for asking that question. I am sure there are others also who weren't sure what that meant :)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited March 2018
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    When used within a exercise context, it could be translated into a couple different definitions. One being to contract the abs specifically to do a crunch or static hold of body weight.

    When used loosely in strength training context, it generally means to contract every muscle from abs, obliques, to spinal erectors to brace for spinal extension and keep in a advantageous position to perform a lift that is relatively heavy to the lifter.

    Regardless which context you are asking for, doing so will help transfer energy more efficiently and prevent injury to a degree.
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
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    I do a lot of hanging/bodyweighted stuff. Pull ups chin ups Australian pull ups, knee/leg raises bla bla bla... I squeeze everything anyway but just making sure that's what they meant by engaging...

  • nasussacul
    nasussacul Posts: 3 Member
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    It does mean all the above but it doesn't work unless you find your neutral spine first. Move your pelvis back and forth a couple of times. Then move it back again and very slowly move it forward, you should feel your tummy start to pull up automatically, when you do stop your hips there, that is your neutral spine. Now suck in your wind, suck up your wee and pull your tummy to your spine. That is turning on your core, my pysio has been yammering in my ear for a couple of years now because I have a really bad back. It works. Turn it on every time you exercise and it will start to happen automatically.
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
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    nasussacul wrote: »
    It does mean all the above but it doesn't work unless you find your neutral spine first. Move your pelvis back and forth a couple of times. Then move it back again and very slowly move it forward, you should feel your tummy start to pull up automatically, when you do stop your hips there, that is your neutral spine. Now suck in your wind, suck up your wee and pull your tummy to your spine. That is turning on your core, my pysio has been yammering in my ear for a couple of years now because I have a really bad back. It works. Turn it on every time you exercise and it will start to happen automatically.

    I will give it ago... suck up your wee is a bit weird
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
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    garyggriffin wrote: »
    nasussacul wrote: »
    It does mean all the above but it doesn't work unless you find your neutral spine first. Move your pelvis back and forth a couple of times. Then move it back again and very slowly move it forward, you should feel your tummy start to pull up automatically, when you do stop your hips there, that is your neutral spine. Now suck in your wind, suck up your wee and pull your tummy to your spine. That is turning on your core, my pysio has been yammering in my ear for a couple of years now because I have a really bad back. It works. Turn it on every time you exercise and it will start to happen automatically.

    I will give it ago... suck up your wee is a bit weird

    i just choked on my smoothie LOL thanks i needed a laugh. I agree that seems weird lol

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