Think core training is all about crunches and six-packs? What if the real key to a strong, pain-free core is the muscles you can’t see?

Hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher dive deep into the science of core strength, bust common myths, and reveal how personal training can help you target the low back and pelvic muscles that truly support your spine, posture, and overall function.

• Today’s episode features hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher addressing a listener’s question about the core.
• Dr. Fisher starts his contribution by discussing the origin of the core, as well as where it’s located and why its role is crucial.
• Amy points out that, for many people, “core” is synonymous with abdominals - when, in reality, other muscles, including the back, low back, and pelvic floor, are all part of the core.
• Wondering whether you have weak muscles in your core? If you’ve experienced some degree of low back pain or low back stiffness, then those may be symptoms of a core that needs to be strengthened…
• “One of the most common reasons for non-specific mechanical low back pain, which accounts for about 80% of back pain, is simply weak lumbar muscles,” says Dr. Fisher.
• Furthermore, it’s been shown that strengthening the lumbar muscles can reduce back pain.
• Dr. Fisher explains why the plank isn’t an exercise that can serve as a good assessment of our trunk - or core - muscles.
• Having a weaker core and the challenge of training low back muscles link back to the so-called deconditioning hypothesis - Dr. Fisher unpacks this further.
• Paraphrasing Dr. Fisher, Amy stresses how “It’s not very easy to effectively activate and train and strengthen those muscles in the low back with everyday activities.”
• Dr. Fisher highlights how low back muscles are predominantly type-1 muscle fiber, so they’re not high-force muscles, but rather high-fatigue resistance muscles.
• Dr. Fisher and Amy go through some workout routines that can help strengthen low back muscles (especially the ones you don’t see).
• Working in their laboratories with people with low back pain, Dr. Fisher and his colleagues have seen a 200% strength increase over a 10-week training period.
• Dr. Fisher and Amy talk about why doing a bunch of sit-ups isn’t the right way to obtain six-pack abdominals.

Mentioned in This Episode:

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Previous episode - Beyond the Gym: The Role of Protein in Personal and Strength Training Success

Previous episode - Evidence-Based Strength Training: Ditching Old Paradigms for Proven Success

This podcast and blog are provided to you for entertainment and informational purposes only. By accessing either, you agree that neither constitute medical advice nor should they be substituted for professional medical advice or care. Use of this podcast or blog to treat any medical condition is strictly prohibited. Consult your physician for any medical condition you may be having. In no event will any podcast or blog hosts, guests, or contributors, Exercise Coach USA, LLC, Gymbot LLC, any subsidiaries or affiliates of same, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, or agents, be responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to you or others due to any podcast or blog content.

When it comes to your health and to your strength training, more specifically…Do you rely on social media trends or real science for your exercise routine? And how do you know if your workouts are actually safe and effective?

Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher break down what “evidence-based strength training” really means, exposing common myths and highlighting why scientific research – and not old paradigms – should drive your fitness decisions.

• Hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher unpack evidence-based strength training.
• Dr. Fisher believes that personal trainers should embrace an evidence-based approach, for the fact that people see them as part of the healthcare continuum, just like doctors, dentists, etc.
• Dr. Fisher explains what “evidence-based” actually means and what it entails.
• Remember: when it comes to strength training, there’s a lot of misinformation on social media platforms.
• As Amy points out, hearing someone talk about the benefits they got by training a certain way doesn’t automatically translate into you achieving the exact same result with the same workout.
• There are a variety of factors that could impact that, such as your varying ability levels, the metabolic competencies of your body, where you are with your joints, and more!
• Dr. Fisher touches upon the ACL reconstruction surgery he had and how that plays into the topic of evidence-based strength training.
• “Many institutions rely on evidence-based processes and on scientific research to drive their methodology forward. And strength training is no different at all,” says Dr. Fisher.
• Amy and Dr. Fisher talk about what evidence-based strength training actually looks like.
• Did you know that about 90% of exercising injuries are a product of free weight strength training?
• Training alone or having a supervised strength training session? According to some scientific evidence, supervision shows greater benefits in almost all facets of health, well-being, and physical adaptation compared to unsupervised workouts.
• The historic thinking and old paradigms that exist have been debunked by more recent science.
• And that’s really what evidence-based training is all about: being able to move with the scientific process.
• Interacting with coaches and asking them key questions is something Dr. Fisher believes anyone should do.

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Exercise Coach - Get 2 Free Sessions!

Submit your questions at StrengthChangesEverything.com

Previous episode - Why Most People Fail in the Gym (And How Supervision With a Personal Trainer Can Help)

This podcast and blog are provided to you for entertainment and informational purposes only. By accessing either, you agree that neither constitute medical advice nor should they be substituted for professional medical advice or care. Use of this podcast or blog to treat any medical condition is strictly prohibited. Consult your physician for any medical condition you may be having. In no event will any podcast or blog hosts, guests, or contributors, Exercise Coach USA, LLC, Gymbot LLC, any subsidiaries or affiliates of same, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, or agents, be responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to you or others due to any podcast or blog content.