什麼是核心肌群？

核心四兄弟

常言核心肌群，核心就是六塊腹肌嗎？

核心肌群是指身體最深層的肌肉，用以穩定及保護脊椎。

最基本的核心肌群由四大台柱組成，包括有上方連接肋骨的橫膈膜，後方連接脊椎的多裂肌，在骨盆下方中央的骨盤底肌，以及包圍腹前及腹側的腹橫肌。

很多朋友都會以捲腹、轉體來訓練核心肌群，因為完成後腹部的確有痠痛感，但真的練到核心肌群嗎？

不對。

1）因為腹肌不是上述的四兄弟之一，所以訓練動作上選擇不對；2）核心不夠強的話，就會利用盤骨前後傾來借力完成動作，所以最終只會越做越腰痛。

因此，要有效鍛練核心肌群，首先要將身體還原中立位置排列，將核心肌群放回原位。而在活動過程中需保持核心肌群持續啟動，軀幹穩定，不以拗腰或聳肩來代償。

想有效鍛練腹肌而又不腰痛，就要先啟動核心，建立核心穩定後再做動態訓練（例如捲腹），就能有效強化腹肌了。

Core muscles, who are they?

Transverse abdominis, diaphragm, multifidus, and pelvic floor are the BIG FOUR that make up our core muscles, which provide joint support and stabilization.

People usually doubt, “Core muscles not equal to six packs? I can feel my abs, so as my lower back sore after some crunching and russian twist, is that core training?”

The six packs are actually the outermost layer of the abdomen and not responsible for any trunk stability, so CRUNCHING YOUR ABS may not be a good option to strengthen the core muscles. When both of your abs and core are not strong enough for the crunching, the pelvis will tilt and roll to make yourself crunch. Massive compression on your back, resulting to back pain.

Therefore, we should keep ourselves in a good neutral spine position throughout the exercise, no excessive arch back nor shoulder shrug for compensation, and that’s the key of basic core training.

Back to crunching as an example , if you want to sore your abs without loading your spine, you should

1) activate your core;

2) stabilise your core;

3) slowly fold your ribs toward the pelvis and return.