How do footballers train their core??

Every player can think of a player who they would regard as being strong!

In footballing terms this doesn’t necessarily mean how much weight they lift in the gym but more about how they use their strength on the pitch.

But how do they achieve this??

There are constant discussions in the fitness industry regarding ‘core training’. Many people have conflicting views & a lot of the information out there is extremely confusing.

The core is much more than just the abs!
The ‘core’ consists of the entire musculature of the torso including abdominals, oblique’s, erectors, glutes, hip flexors, lats, adductors & more. A strong core is a pillar for performance to be built upon & is therefore vital in sports performance programs.

Players must be able to utilise their ‘core’ strength in different circumstances that they may come across on the pitch. With this in mind ‘core’ training must stress the body in different ways to prepare for game situations.

Below we describe 5 categories to program:

1. Anti Extension
Exercises- Rollouts, TRX Saw,
Purpose- To stabilise the lumbar spine & activate the deep core musculature.

2. Anti Rotation
Exercises- Pallof Press, Plank Reaches, Crawl
Purpose- To increase the body’s ability to resist rotation.

3. Rotation
Exercises- Cable Rotations, TRX Rip trainer Rotations
Purpose- To allow the body to rotate from the hips whilst maintaining a stable spine.

4. Explosive
Exercises- Medicine Ball Slams, Sledgehammer Strikes,
Purpose- To produce power from the kinetic chain as a whole whilst maintaining spinal stability.

5. Full Body
Exercises- Squats, Deadlifts, Pull Ups, Overhead Press, Wrestling
Purpose- To maintain anti flexion stability whilst the body moves in its entirety.

An effective performance program will cover each of these variables at some point during a training cycle with a large focus on exercise selection, variety & progression.

Remember you can do more with a strong core!!