The phrase core training is ubiquitous across the fitness industry, tripping off the tongue all too easily as the solution to almost every problem. Lower back hurts on a ride: ‘Have you done your core training?’ Struggling to push higher peak power: ‘Have you done your core training?’ Whether you’re not aero enough in your time trial position, your neck aches on long rides, your knee twinges or you get saddle sores, at some point someone will tell you the problem lies with your core.
Before we assess whether they’re right or wrong, let’s define our terms: what is your core and what is core training? Physiotherapist and bikefit expert Phil Burt, author of Bike Fit and Strength and Conditioning for Cyclists, has worked with many of Britain’s top professionals as well as countless amateur racers. “Core isn’t something you will find in any anatomy book,” Burt begins. “What is core? I still haven’t heard a definitive answer.” Put on the spot, most people define ‘core training’ as exercises related to the trunk area, principally the abdominals.
