Core Training: The essential link

Core training is extremely important in football. I hope that the picture to the left clearly demonstrates why. The running back, Chris Johnson, is being tackled from the side, he is on one foot, and needs to break from the grip of the opposing player.

Think of two types of cars: a jeep and a low riding sports car. Which one will tip on fast turns? The jeep because it doesn't have a very low center of gravity. As athletes, we want to be compact and strong throughout our bodies. Many athletes, boys especially, like to build their chest and bicep muscles. They may look strong, but don't be fooled. Without a strong core, a player that is hit will have trouble balancing and leveraging upper body and lower body strength.

If a player gets hit at shoulder level, from the right side, his left leg should be planted into the ground to absorb the tackle. The leg muscles will exert force against the opposing player. If the core is weak, however, and cannot keep the player's momentum in the opposite direction of the tackle, the legs will need to compensate. And if the legs are weak, then all is lost. Yet, if a player has strong legs and a strong core with a moderately weak upper body, it seems perfectly reasonable that he could absorb a hit. Most of the force from the hit comes from power exerted through the legs and most of the force required to absorb the hit will likewise come from the legs.

Key Points:
- Core Training is essential to leveraging upper body and lower body strength. At Fortis, we believe that a stronger core increases overall strength on all lifts.
- Leg strength is superior to arm and chest strength.