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My experience with climbing is that functional core strength is mostly about developing coordination while under tension, and learning to use my core more effic

My experience with climbing is that functional core strength is mostly about developing coordination while under tension, and learning to use my core more efficiently for various movements. Moves that feel impossible one session can feel easy the next. Did I magically get 20% stronger over one recovery period? No, but my core got 20% more efficient at doing it's job for that particular move. And if you see a climber with a 6-pack, they probably got that 6-pack from doing 6-pack exercises, and not from climbing. I've definitely built up some muscle around my abs over the last few years, but there is no 6-pack to speak of.

lumost 4y ago
Agreed, IME dedicated core exercises have modest/weak correlation with core strength relative to weight training/movements which force the core to do its job aka. stabilize the spine, and provide tension for the legs and arms to push against.
inopinatus 4y ago
my functional strength, particularly as applied to my chosen sport (cycling), skyrocketed after I included a weekly yoga class. vinyasha/ashtanga, emphasizing isometric & isotonic stuff. I was already on a regular training programme in a Friel+Coggan style, this added a new dimension. I attribute a couple of race wins to the increased power-endurance under stress (i.e. in the drops chewing bartape), a lower & narrower ITT position, and even improved bike handling.
tyrfing 4y ago
Body fat distribution and tendinous inscriptions, both genetic, are huge factors. It's not just a matter of muscle, you also need the fat layer on your stomach to be thin enough that your abs are visible.
- fortran77 4y ago
  I'm 59 and have a six-pack. They're made in the kitchen. If you have any muscle tone at all, and you're lean enough, you'll have very visible abs.
  - woleium 4y ago
    Indeed, i belive you need under 5% body fat to have a 6pack. Fior what it's worth this low fat % is no longer recommended for the over 65s as its harder to put on fat after 70, and illness can draw down your fat reserves very rapidly. Lack of fat reserves is a compoundong factor for the elderly.

lumost 4y ago

Agreed, IME dedicated core exercises have modest/weak correlation with core strength relative to weight training/movements which force the core to do its job aka. stabilize the spine, and provide tension for the legs and arms to push against.

inopinatus 4y ago

my functional strength, particularly as applied to my chosen sport (cycling), skyrocketed after I included a weekly yoga class. vinyasha/ashtanga, emphasizing isometric & isotonic stuff. I was already on a regular training programme in a Friel+Coggan style, this added a new dimension. I attribute a couple of race wins to the increased power-endurance under stress (i.e. in the drops chewing bartape), a lower & narrower ITT position, and even improved bike handling.

tyrfing 4y ago

Body fat distribution and tendinous inscriptions, both genetic, are huge factors. It's not just a matter of muscle, you also need the fat layer on your stomach to be thin enough that your abs are visible.

fortran77 4y ago
I'm 59 and have a six-pack. They're made in the kitchen. If you have any muscle tone at all, and you're lean enough, you'll have very visible abs.
- woleium 4y ago
  Indeed, i belive you need under 5% body fat to have a 6pack. Fior what it's worth this low fat % is no longer recommended for the over 65s as its harder to put on fat after 70, and illness can draw down your fat reserves very rapidly. Lack of fat reserves is a compoundong factor for the elderly.