Heavy squats, washboard abs, flexibility, the acrobatics of a gymnast. We see these things and think… “WOW! I wish I looked like that.” Or… “I wish I could do that.” And there is some truth to the impressiveness that comes from the outward showing of muscles, strength, or skill on display. But what about deeper than the ‘core’ we see externally? What about deep inside, underneath the abs?
I’ve come to realize that everything outside has to start on the inside. At our core. It is no surprise that any fitness icon talks about or focuses on the core. They say in order to squat heavy or have power for a lift or movement, it must start with engaging the core. Ironically, some of the strongest people in the world don’t have a 6-pack. Ever see a 300lb offensive lineman do a backflip? Look it up, it’s impressive. But seriously, walk into any weight room, in any workout… CORE exercises are involved. Do we see the CORE? Not always. Growth and development happen deep within.
Maybe fitness and working out isn’t really your thing… The same point still applies. Core is critical. Talk to any successful company – CORE Values are rooted in how they operate. Walk into any school – CORE is in the curriculum. Walk into any church – CORE classes are taking place. What do all these have in common? Core is the building blocks to establish what we need deep inside, to grow externally. But you see, to be able to live out the direction, purpose and passions of our lives, we have to build a strong core. Start by establishing the base, then build the core to support what’s to come.
What about in daily life? Is core still important? ABSOLUTELY. Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Powerful, right?
Now if that task was meant temporarily, do you think people would still be pursuing that? It’s important because our heart is our core. Beyond anything else, the condition of our heart drives who we are. For believers, God lives in our heart. We must guard our heart. By doing so we are guarding that relationship, which in turn guards our core so that we can grow from it. Guarding our core allows us to protect who we are deep inside and be the best versions of ourselves. Maybe you’re not a believer right now, the golden rule of “treat others the way you want to be treated”, or the moral compass we have; is rooted in the condition of our hearts. How do we guard our core? We guard our core by exercising it, by being active in the pursuit of conditioning our heart for good, for growth, for strength and purpose. Guarding our core allows us to protect who we are deep inside and be the best versions of ourselves.This strength in our core, whether religious or not is what gives us the moral compass for discernment, for ethics, and for guiding our thoughts and actions. The best way to guard our core, is to strengthen it.
So how do we do this? By practicing what we preach. To remain in a strong relationship with Christ we must live in the word. Listen to worship music, read a passage, do a devotional. To be of good character, we have to do the right thing, hold ourselves to a higher standard, be accountable for our actions, perform good deeds. Those things build our core which protects who we are. So, if we fall short, and our core is strong, we can get right back on track. Think of a sit-up. When you do a sit up (a core exercise), you engage your core and from a laying down position – you sit up. It’s used to build abdominal strength but ironically, without practice or deep core strength we could never do a sit-up. To strengthen your core, someone typically doesn’t do one single sit-up, it’s repetitious, done continuously. So if we are attempting to strengthen the core muscles in our body, we should do the same for the core of who we are. Repetition in the things that strengthen us at the most intrinsic level.
I promise you though it isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it. We are all passionate about certain things and feel compelled to pursue a certain goal, career path, etc. Todd Gongwer in his book Lead… For God’s Sake! – talks about finding our passions, pursuing our calling and discovering the understanding that: We are here on purpose for a purpose. But until we establish who we are at our core, we cannot unlock our full potential.
I challenge you – look inward. Forget the outward display right now. Establish your core; who you desire to be, how you want to be that person. The deep core development will shape the best version of yourself. We began to develop our base, now it’s time to direct our energy to our core.
WORKOUT
What better compliment to establishing the core of our lives than for the workout to emulate the same thing!
Below is a quick 25min HIIT workout surrounding our core. This can be used as a full workout for the day (weights are optional), or as a compliment to your own workout routine. All you need is a section of space and your phone to use as a timer. (There is a WOD App that can assist with timing and indicating when to switch movements.)
Core Circuit:
Set-up: Go through each block 2x – 40/20 Tabata set (40sec work / 20sec rest)
Block 1 (warmup):
1. Jumping Jacks
2. High Knees
3. Butt Kickers
Block 2:
1. Burpees
2. Plank Hold (from pushup position)
3. Plank Jacks (pushup position or from elbow – legs kick out and in like a jumping jack)
Block 3:
1. Mountain Climbers
2. Hip Dips (from plank position, rotate body and dip hip to ground, switch side to side)
3. Spiderman Pushups (as you do push up, bring knee up to elbow – switch leg each time)
Block 4:
1. Crunches (knees up, legs bent at 90*)
2.Leg lift – hold at 6” off ground
3. Alternating V-Up (switch leg each time)
Cool Down – start in downward dog position and transition to the seal position. Hold these positions for 10 sec.
Hammer and Anvil 