Core Training for Lacrosse

By: Jeff Cathrea, B.Sc. Kinesiology

With another box lacrosse season embarking upon us athletes must begin to physically prepare themselves to out perform and outlast their opponent. So how does one begin to build the strength and the speed to rise above their competitor? The answer lies within your core.

The 'core' is a group of trunk muscles, which acts as the central power zone of the body. Comprised of the transverse abdominus muscle, pubococcygeus (PC) muscle, multifidus, and the diaphragm, the core acts as a power link to coordinate optimal recruitment of the muscles involved in dynamic movements by stabilizing body segments so that another segment can generate power. Simply put, having a strong and stable core allows you to move your body in its most efficient pattern, and the more efficient your body moves, the more strength and power you will be able to produce. In addition to increasing your performance, a strong stable core will also help to decrease the likelihood of injuries, especially to your low back, hips, knees and ankles. Having a strong core will lead to a harder and faster shot, increased sprinting speed, increased balance and increased strength, especially while fighting through picks and while in traffic.

So now that we have identified why it is important to have core strength, how do we train core strength? Although there are many different exercises that help to target the core group of muscles, the challenge in the beginning is being able to isolate the contraction of your core group. It becomes important to recognize that your transverse abdominal (TA) muscles are much different than your rectus abdominals (RA) as your RA muscles run up and down (these are the traditional six pack abs you see) whereas the TA wrap around your waist much the way a cumber bun would. The challenge arises in trying to separate the TA contraction from the RA contraction. Here is a quick challenge for you to try at home:

1 - Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent to ninety degrees, heels down, toes pointing up.
2 - Find your hip bones and dig your fingers into the soft fleshy area just below it.
3 - Slowly, try to activate your TA muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your spine and lifting it up towards your ribcage, without clenching your buttocks.
4 - Activate your PC muscle by doing a Kegel contraction (think about lifting up and stopping yourself from urination while in midstream) 5 - Finally, breathe.

You do not contract your core like you would contract your biceps, it is much more subtle. These are small, intricate muscles that require mental concentration to initially contract. While doing all of this you should feel the area under your fingers tighten while maintaining steps 3 through 5. Now the key to this contraction is not only going to be able to separate TA contraction from RA contraction, but to be able to sustain this contraction for the duration of the core isolated exercises. Once you have mastered this contraction, the goal will be able to build upon the endurance of the contraction so that you begin to recruit your core subconsciously while initiating other movement phases. Because the core acts as the power link to optimally coordinate efficient movement patterns, achieving subconscious recruitment will allow for the correct sequential firing order of the muscle groups involved in all lacrosse movement patterns.

Some of the most effective exercises used to target the core muscles can be performed by using your own body weight and a Swiss ball. Remember, with these exercises it is important keep a neutral spine while performing the specified movement. The number of reps and sets are determined by how long you are able to hold your core tight as you are trying to re-educate your body to do movements with the involvement of your core.

So next time you are contemplating doing some crunches to finish off your workout, try substituting a simple core routine to strengthen the deep abdominal muscles. By strengthening these hidden muscle groups you will have found yourself a hidden weapon that will allow you to outlast and outperform your competitor.

Don't just train... La-X-Train!