The Role of Support
When most people think “core training,” they picture working to build 6 pack abs. The reality is that your core is more than a beach muscle; especially in the realm of training for real-world events and combat sports. It is a complex system of muscles that stabilize, transfer, and produce force in multiple directions. Training it across all movement planes makes you more athletic, resilient, and capable.
Even though I will be breaking down core training, it isn’t the main driver of overall strength or performance. If you want to get strong, explosive, and durable, your primary focus should remain on compound lifts that train your entire body under load. Core training supports that goal. It should not replace it.
"Know thyself."
Nutrition Guidance, Covered by Insurance
Expert nutrition counseling is often expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Most health insurance plans cover sessions with a Registered Dietitian, often at no cost to you. Fay makes it easy to use your benefits by matching you with a top-tier expert in-network with hundreds of plans.
BREAKDOWN
Core Movement and Stabilizer Primary Planes:
Last week I went over our 3 planes of movement in a strength training approach (https://www.linkingperformance.com/p/stronger-not-stiffer-c2dd624b095d336b). Here, the planes remain the same, but in the context of core training:
1. Sagittal Plane (forward and backward movements)
Think flexion and extension. Examples: planks, ab wheel rollouts, hanging leg raises. These resist or produce force moving forward and backward.
2. Frontal Plane (side-to-side movements)
This is where you resist lateral flexion or create force sideways. Examples: side planks, suitcase carries, Copenhagen planks. These improve stability in cutting, grappling, or bracing against force from the side.
3. Transverse Plane (rotational movements)
Rotations and anti-rotations happen here. Examples: cable chops, landmine rotations, pallof presses. This plane is critical for throwing power, striking, and rotational control in grappling.
A well-rounded approach means you have at least one drill from each plane in your training week. Again, they should be supplemental to your primary strength work, not a replacement for it.
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of The Weekly Standard!
If you found value in these insights, share it with a training buddy or post it on your social feed; let’s spread the knowledge and push each other to new levels. See you next time!
COACH’S INSIGHT
If your goal is real strength and performance, your core training should work alongside your compound lifts, not in place of them.
Squats, deadlifts, presses, and pulls already train your core under heavy load and in multiple planes to some degree. Adding targeted core work fills in gaps, reinforces stability, and improves force transfer. The best reasoning to add in some direct core work, regardless of goal(s) is that it will ensure you’re fully lengthening & shortening the muscles. Which means that adaptations will come (you’ll get stronger & bigger core muscles).
I recommend keeping your dedicated core work short and intentional. Two to four movements, rotated weekly, and done after your main lifts or as part of accessory circuits.
As I have touched on many times in this article: Do not turn “core day” into your main training session. Instead, let your heavy compound lifts drive your progress and your core work act as the glue that holds it all together.
