By: Pam Pedlow, MHK, MES

Off-season is the perfect time to refocus your training goals by taking the focus off the enduro aspect of training and emphasizing rebuilding, integrating and rebalancing core strength. You have invested countless hours, in the pool, on the bike, and on the road. Your cardiovascular fitness level is at its peak and you feel amazing. For most enduro junkies, the concept of reducing ‘cardio hours’ is like blasphemy. But what if I told you that by refocusing your “cardio energy “ in the off-season, with a progressively ‘core-dinated conditioning program, the quality and efficiency of your training during pre-season will be increased, likely resulting in your most successful season ever. Piqued your interest a little? If so, pull up a chair and read on…

Your first question is probably, “What the heck is ‘core-dinated’ training?” Core-dinated training refers to the progressive integration of upper and lower body in single complex movement patterns. For example, instead of doing lunges, rows and abdominal crunches separately, core-dinated training would combine them into a lunge row combination. The lunge activates the lower body, the row activates the upper body and maintaining a stable torso activates the core. While core training on its own (crunches, Russian twists, back extensions, etc.) is beneficial, integrating torso stability into movement patterns stimulates the core muscles to work as they are used in real life vs how they are used in a gym. Adding diagonal (lunge right and row left) and multiplanar (lifting, lowering and rotation) patterning, as well as instability (stability balls, BOSUs, balance boards, etc) will increase the neuromuscular demand, resulting in further functional strength gains. For those of you who participate in, Xterra events, it is a good idea to add some reactivity, such as closing the eyes, unexpected perturbations while balancing or landing, etc., to the mix, to sharpen your ability to react to unexpected changes in terrain.

So just how do you work all of this ‘extra” training into your already overloaded schedules? Just as you do with your endurance training - periodize. A simple flow chart illustrated below, outlines the basics of combining core-dinated training with endurance training. The two reciprocal triangles represent the ‘trade-off’ between core-dinated and endurance training. Post event, when endurance volume is at its lowest, core-dinated training is at its peak. Then as endurance volume builds, core-dinated volume is reduced. Note that although core-dinated volume decreases, the intensity (read neuromuscular demand) increases. As event day nears, a weekly core-dinated session is all that is needed to ensure the neuromuscular system remains uploaded and strength gains are maintained.

Initially, your program will include a series of exercise groupings, with each group tapping into a different parameter of conditioning. To clarify, refer to the chart below.

As you progress, the exercises become more multidimensional. Using the same group of exercises listed above, the three individual exercises gradually reduce to a combination, cable lunge and row. The abdominal aspect of the exercise occurs as you both pull and resist the pull of the cable during the sequence. This can be progressed further by striding forward to single leg stance during the lunge, adding instability (Sit Fit cushion, BOSU, Balance board, etc.) to the lead leg, etc.

Incorporating contralateral movements to your exercise sequences will increase the ‘functionality’ of your workout. Using the same Group #1 example, the three exercises combine to form this single multidimensional movement pattern; lunge forward with the left leg while simultaneously rowing with the right arm. To equate this to cycling- imagine a steep hill climb. You are standing and driving down with the left leg, the right arm and shoulder complex encounter a pull. In order to maintain pelvic stability (not to mention maintaining a stable line on the bike) the torso must resist the natural tendency of the pelvis to rotate to the left and the shoulder complex to rotate to the right. The point? Contralateral exercises are more representative of real-life movements and from an injury prevention standpoint, more directly beneficial to fitness and function as well as the indirect benefit to performance.

How do you know how your core-dinated training is progressing? Well, endurance-wise you would look at heart rate; core-dinated training-wise, you look at technique. Perfect technique through all repetitions of an exercise is imperative. If you are unsure of how an exercise should be done, or where it should be felt (or not felt!)…ASK! Seek the advice of a qualified strength and conditioning expert, with a degree in kinesiology or human kinetics, as well as experience in endurance sports.

Finally, I highly recommend that you avoid machine-based exercises. They anaesthetize the nervous system faster than ether! OK that might be a trifle dramatic, but I think you get my point. Instead, choose equipment that uploads the nervous system (requiring you to use more of your postural stabilizers) such as, free weights, cables, Therabands, medicine balls, etc.; and, substitute a stability ball for a flat bench. In addition to their versatility, they also allow the body to move through its natural range of motion, another plus for the ‘functional’ side of conditioning.
Investing training hours in an off-season, core-dinated conditioning program, will yield you the highest return on your overall training hours. So spend the time now, rebuilding, integrating and rebalancing core strength and not only will you be less likely to be side-lined by injury during training, but you will also increase your efficiency, likely resulting in your most successful season ever. Good luck!

For further information regarding core-dinated training programs for endurance sports, please contact, Pam Pedlow at ppedlow@ffpc.ca or (604) 771-2848.

Author Biography

Pam has a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master’s degree in sports medicine, from the University of British Columbia, and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the NSCA. She is the founder of, Fitness, Function & Performance Conditioning, where she trains a variety of weekend and performance athletes, in both clinical and gym-based scenarios. In her spare time, Pam can be found trail blazing through the mountains of British Columbia.