I like doing intense work for core during the gpp and sometimes will get heavy (sledgehammer work). I like to keep the stimulus high by squats, plyos, and sprints during season and keep the core low to mid intensity…
The reason that low intensity stuff is used for the core by people that prescribe to the CFTS principles is from my point of view:
a) ben ran 9.79
b) ben had huge lifts
c) ben rarely got injured through his entire career
the theories behind these events as attributed to the type of core training is that:
a) high intensity work should be mainly performed on the track and in the gym on general lifts
b) the body has a limited ability to perform high intensity exercises therefore you have to prescribe the exercises that will give the most benefit to performance with the higher intensities
c) large volumes of core work at low intensities do not impact on the ability of the body to perform those exercises seen as essential to performance
d) performing core work as prescribed in the CFTS has seen good gains in core stabilisation and also (more importantly) sprint performance.
hth
If cued to exert the least energy possible while still bringing the sledgehammer down from above the head I don’t see why it can’t be medium intensity.
What’s a low intensity ab exercise? Curl ups? Sit ups? Med ball curl ups?(saw Marion jones do them.) What wer the ab exercises that Ben did with and without a med ball. What about the HSI sprinters?
At the moment I’m building good definition aswell as good transverse ab strength with stuff by Ian King, Chris T and Pual Check but everbody keeps saying everything is high intensity, or to slow and not spacific.
If something is fast then that makes it high intensity, so guys;
What’s a low intensity mid-section exercise that helps a sprinter?
What about multi athletes that have more demands than just sprinting? ?Throwing events should have some special consideration?
Never coach backwards…so many talk about what they want to add but never understand what they are doing presently…I see so many great coaches do well every few years instead of every year because of this problem. Have faith.