Core Programming: Trunk Movement Complexes

The following is an exclusive excerpt from the book Developing the Core, published by Human Kinetics. All text and images provided by Human Kinetics.

The exerciser with 8 to 12 months of training experience can begin to include exercise complexes that combine trunk movement patterns with multijoint movements. Single-plane and multiplane movements can be performed using both open- and closed-chain exercises. These exercise complexes are more demanding on the body’s energy system and provide advanced exercisers greater exercise variation during a training cycle. Fewer repetitions and more rest time between sets might be needed to accommodate the fitness and conditioning level of the exerciser. Repetition schemes of three to five per complex with rest times of two to three minutes between sets are a good start point for most exercisers. A logical progression, if the goal is to increase localized muscular endurance, would include adding more repetitions and decreasing recovery time as the exerciser adapts to the training.

Exercises should include the basic multijoint movement patterns of the human body such as pulling, pushing, squatting, and lunging. With some thought and creative programming, a practitioner could design workouts to train the entire core musculature while simultaneously training all the major movement patterns of the human body. This can be achieved using three or four exercise complexes. This saves time for in-season athletes or those interested in fitness who have a demanding schedule with a limited amount of time that can be devoted to training.

The NSCA, the world’s leading sport conditioning organization, offers its unrivaled expertise in a book perfect for any athlete seeking to strengthen the core and improve athletic performance. Featuring 11 ready-to-use sport-specific programs, Developing the Core provides more than 50 of the most effective exercises along with science-based assessments to help athletes understand their individual needs. The book is available in bookstores everywhere, as well online at the NSCA Store.