Wednesday Review: Core X System

I attended a conference a month or so ago at Northeastern University that focused on hernias and Strength and Conditioning for Ice Hockey. At the conference I had the privilege of meeting Nico Berg, and watching him present on strengthening the core and rehabilitating athletes using the Core X System, a nifty little device invented by his professional partner Alex McKechnie. Let me preface this by saying these two men are geniuses. The presentation was so compelling I actually went home and bought the system for my own use. I have now used the system with a few athletes and gotten their feedback on the system.

Most people that I have introduced to the system conclude that it does challenge the core in a vertical position which has been shown to be a more functional way of training and developing the core musculature (which is a very broad term encompassing a lot, but more on that later). I have also incorporated the Core X System in some of my workouts and been a bit sore the next day. However, I would say the Core X System is best used as solely a rehabilitative tool for athletes with imbalances in the pelvis or generating from the hips (an argument can be made that all imbalances originate from the hips), and not a pure core strengthening tool. I have two reasons for this: 1.) It is hard to work with more than about 4 athletes at a time with the Core X System. 2.) The Core X System may not add enough resistance over time for an athlete and the resistance can not be adjusted over time.

I think the Core X System is a great tool for basic strength development in the core and I will continue to use the Core X System occasionally, but I will not recommend buying the Core X System because I think there are plenty of other exercises that can be incorporated into a workout to achieve the same results/benefits. For example, the Core X System can be made by crossing two elastic bands in a similar pattern to create the desired effect.

For more on Vertical Core training stop by tomorrow and I will have a whole list of core exercises. Thanks for reading.