The use of instability to train the core musculature

Abstract

Training of the trunk or core muscles for enhanced health, rehabilitation, and athletic performance has received renewed emphasis. Instability resistance exercises have become a popular means of training the core and improving balance. Whether instability resistance training is as, more, or less effective than traditional ground-based resistance training is not fully resolved. The purpose of this review is to address the effectiveness of instability resistance training for athletic, nonathletic, and rehabilitation conditioning. The anatomical core is defined as the axial skeleton and all soft tissues with a proximal attachment on the axial skeleton. Spinal stability is an interaction of passive and active muscle and neural subsystems. Training programs must prepare athletes for a wide variety of postures and external forces, and should include exercises with a destabilizing component. While unstable devices have been shown to be effective in decreasing the incidence of low back pain and increasing the sensory efficiency of soft tissues, they are not recommended as the primary exercises for hypertrophy, absolute strength, or power, especially in trained athletes. For athletes, ground-based free-weight exercises with moderate levels of instability should form the foundation of exercises to train the core musculature. Instability resistance exercises can play an important role in periodization and rehabilitation, and as alternative exercises for the recreationally active individual with less interest or access to ground-based free-weight exercises. Based on the relatively high proportion of type I fibers, the core musculature might respond well to multiple sets with high repetitions (e.g., >15 per set); however, a particular sport may necessitate fewer repetitions.

Efeitos agudos da utilização de dispositivos geradores de instabilidade externa sobre o desempenho neuromuscular

“…Another relevant aspect is who is the individual being submitted to instability. In general, in the core training of an athlete of different levels (amateur or high performance) and individuals in the fitness area , the use of instability generating devices generates an increase in the activation of this musculature, output power and causes enough sufficient stress in the system to induce or maintain health benefits; however, the maximum strength or power is compromised and should not be used with the aim of hypertrophy, increase the absolute strength or core power 3,24 .…”

“…It is a dynamic concept that depends on a certain disturbance, whether internal or external 2 . In the training area, external stability has been stimulated in training sessions through the use of destabilizing devices, with the objective of increasing the core activation 3 (functional kinetic chain) and improving sports performance 4 . An important aspect is to consider the options that such material or device provides because such features challenge the ability to control and internal stability.…”

One Legged Transitional Unbalance Stances in Hand-Eye Coordination Test

“…An example more challenging test of basic stability would be lifting weights, in which core muscles strong are used for proper alignment of the spine, while rising a progressively heavier weight. Another example is to maintain spine and torso in a time of stable alignment, sitting or standing on an unstable surface, such as a gym ball (Behm, 2010).…”

Proprioceptive exercise with bosu maximizes electromyographic activity of the ankle muscles

“…The use of unstable surfaces in the fields of rehabilitation and general fitness has been shown to be effective in increasing the sensory efficiency of soft tissues that stabilize the knee and ankle as well as improving the agonist-antagonist co-contraction (BEHM et al, 2010). Thus, it can be expected that the use of BOSU provides greater EMG activity in the ankle muscles compared to other devices.…”