What We Can Learn About Core Training From a Famous Spanish Architect.

When I was in Barcelona last year I was exposed to the amazing work of the famous architect Antoni Gaudi.  There are no straight lines in his magnificent buildings, but instead lots of arches and curves. Gaudi was inspired by nature, and he observed that there are no truly straight lines in nature, that the most stable structures have arches and diagonal patterns. Check out some of Gaudi's structures here.

How am I going to connect a famous Spanish architect and core training?

Humans are part of nature and we are not made up of straight lines either.  Even our long bones, like our thigh bone, or femur, have an arch to them.  When we walk, there are diagonal patterns occurring, like our arm swing or leg swing.  Our strongest muscles run on a diagonal so it only makes sense that we need to move in diagonal patterns to honor the true nature of how we are built.  Rotational exercises build functional strength. Unfortunately many of us have lost touch with how to properly lift and shift loads on a diagonal because of our prolonged sitting and lack of general activity.

 Rotation involves, your hips, and your trunk including your shoulders.  Reeducating your body to be strong in diagonal patterns will protect your spine, enable you generate more stability, strength and power and improve posture.

Control Rotation

1.    Start with learning how to CONTROL rotation first.

Attach a band at either a high or low poin

Lock in your hips and shoulders  (don’t let them move) and with only your arms pull the band to you.  If you started with the band above your shoulders, pull to your opposite hip, remember don’t move your hips or your trunk.

Active Rotation

1.    Now that you can control rotation, use your hips as the prime mover to initiate the rotation.

Turn your hips toward the anchor point.

ALWAYS keep your hips and ribcage in line when you are actively rotating.

Your spine is NOT designed to rotate but your hips are.

Active Rotation with Medicine Ball

 

Use other props such a medicine ball. Notice how this particular image looks like shoveling or lifting things up on a shelf. For those of us who live in snowy climates, using this kind of technique in your shoveling with save your back!