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Brian Donovan Fitness Blog

Brian Donovan Fitness Blog

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Friday, October 02, 2015 • Chicago, IL 60601

How To Engage Your Core

CoreCore TrainingCore ConditioningCore Exercisescore strengthFitnessFitness EducationLower Back Pain
By Brian Donovan

PROTECTING THE LOWER BACK

You have probably heard the term “engage your core” as it pertains to performing a specific exercise or movement. But what does that really mean? Many people mistakenly equate engaging the core with sucking in the stomach. However, this is the opposite of what you want to do and is potentially dangerous as it actually de-stabilizes the core and disrupts proper breathing.

The goal when engaging the core is to create a solid mid-section, mainly to protect the lower back and other areas from injury. To do this, you must consciously activate the core muscles. The easiest way I’ve found to describe this to my clients is to say, “If I do this…(motioning a quick punch to the gut)...your natural reaction is to do what?”. The natural reaction to a punch to the gut is always to tighten and brace the core to protect it. You are actually pushing the core muscles out rather than sucking them in. So for example, before you perform a deadlift, you need to consciously activate and engage your core before and throughout the movement to protect your lower back.

This can be tricky at first but it soon becomes habit, and it’s a great habit to have considering over 70% of American’s deal with lower back pain at some point in their lives.

Yours In Health,

Coach Brian Donovan
www.BrianDonovanFitness.com

Winner of Chicago Reader magazine’s “Best Personal Trainer” award, Best Of Chicago 2014 edition. Available for personal training in the Chicago neighborhoods of Andersonville, Bucktown, and Lakeshore East.
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Brian Donovan

Brian Donovan Fitness is an in-home, private studio, and online personal training service based in Chicago, Illinois. Brian Donovan owns and operates Brian Donovan Fitness, LLC, a Chicago personal training service that offers weight loss and performance solutions, as well as nutritional guidance and analysis to clients in the neighborhoods of Andersonville, Edgewater, Wicker Park, Bucktown, and Lakeshore East. He also runs Brian Donovan Fitness Online, an online personal training program that offers personally customized workout plans complete with video instruction, stat tracking tools, and nutritional guidance and analysis to anyone, anywhere in the world. He resides in Chicago, Illinois where he works as a Fitness Coach, Online Personal Trainer, and a contributor to various fitness blogs. Brian graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and a minor in Business. He is also a graduate of the National Personal Training Institute, a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, a Poliquin BioSignature Practitioner, and is currently working towards his Precision Nutrition Coaching Certification. Brian has authored multiple articles, which you can find at EzineArticles.com. He also offers a free health, fitness, weight loss and nutrition blog at http://www.briandonovanfitness.com/blog. He is currently working on a website for aspiring and current Personal Trainer’s who are seeking information on how to get started in the fitness business or take their careers to the next level. He was recently voted Chicago’s “Best Personal Trainer” by Chicago Reader magazine, Best Of Chicago 2014 edition.
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