You Need to Train Your Core Beyond Neutral Spine

Learning neutral spine and basic core activation lying down is a phenomenal starting point, but life doesn’t happen on your back. To build true core strength, you’ve got to go a step further. (And it doesn’t involve sit-ups).

We don’t live in neutral spine. Want to be able to bend. lift and twist without pain or apprehension? You’ve got to train your body to feel safe in those positions.

Our spines are meant to bend forward, backwards, sideways and rotate. When we avoid those positions and build fear around these movements, our nervous system takes note and we lose what we don’t use.

If you believe bending. lifting and twisting is bad for your back and avoid those positions out of fear, guess what you’ll lose the ability to do because your nervous system doesn’t feel safe? Avoidance breeds vulnerability.

So, how do you build a resilient spine and core? Build on the foundations and move beyond neutral spine to create stability and control through your full range of motion. That includes more than your “six pack” muscles. Your core includes all of your abdominals (rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques and transverse abdominus). Crunches and sit-ups on touch rectus abdominus and doesn’t facilitate activation of those deeper core muscles.

Your true core is made up of your abdominals plus your hip musculature, your pelvic floor, and your back. If you’re not training your core from your shoulders to your knees, you’re missing out.

This is something I teach inside the Force of Nature program. It’s part of the “C” in my proprietary ACE Method, designed for real bodies to build real resilience for real life.

It’s time to live outside the box.