You may have had the experience of going to the gym and watching other fitness enthusiasts working hard on different parts of the body every day. The concept of having a "leg day", "arm day", or "chest day" is a very traditional concept in body building. The theory is that each connecting set of muscles is worked to failure, and then given a few days to recover.
Building muscle comes from breaking down the fibers and then letting them heal so that they bulk up. Rotating body parts throughout the week does help this process along, but it can also create imbalances in the body.
There are several main reasons that this old technique is widely being replaced by full body and compound move routines.
• While building muscle can look good, it is not always the best route to build strength. It is important to remember that bulk and strength are not always the same thing.
• This technique also focuses strongly on prominent muscle groups, but some routines overlook supporting muscles. Just because you cannot see the muscles at work does not mean that they should be ignored.
• With the focus on bulking up, chest and arms are usually worked more than legs and abs. This creates a strength imbalance in the body that can lead to possible injury.
Core Strengthening Exercises Support The Whole Body
Ultimately, all the muscle groups of the body are affected by the stability of the core. It can be easier to think about this band of muscles as a bridge between different body extremities. If the bridge falls apart, then the other parts of the body will suffer as well.
While the core includes the abdominals and the obliques, it also includes the intercostals, the rhomboids, and the lats, as well as the psoas muscles internally. All of these help to build balance and retain mobility. Without core strength, you would not be able to work out the arms or the legs efficiently, so starting from the middle can be the best foundation for gaining overall strength and endurance.
If you are just getting started with working out, then set your goal as building your core before you do anything else. Also, make sure that your core strengthening routine does not just focus on your abdominals, but that it also builds the lower and mid back, as well as hip area. This will ensure that you can progress without injury, but also that you will be able to work harder as you expand to a full body workout.