Below you will find six (6) questions to help assess the strengths and weaknesses of your core. Remember that the core is not just the aesthetic 6-pack that most people tend to imagine when we think about the core. Full engagement of the core extends through your entire back, hips, and abdomen. The three (3) aspects of the Core include the following: 1) Awareness, or the actual activation of the core when necessary; 2) Balance, or the ability to maintain or regain posture through core activation, and; 3) Directional Force Control (DFC), often trained through plyometrics, or jumping exercises, it is not only about working with the elasticity and power of the muscles but also with applying that power towards a target. Answer the six questions below and fill in the values to gain your Core Characteristic Score.
1) When climbing on an overhang, my feet tend to cut away from the wall.
1. Almost Always
2. Frequently
3. About half the time
4. Occasionally
5. Seldom or Never
2) I have difficulty making moves standing on thin foot holds while on vertical or slab terrain.
1. Almost Always
2. Frequently
3. About half the time
4. Occasionally
5. Seldom or Never
3) When making a dynamic move, deadpoints and dynos, I often miss the target hold and/or fall away from the wall all together.
1. Almost Always
2. Frequently
3. About half the time
4. Occasionally
5. Seldom or Never
4) When reaching at my full extension, I actively feel body tension to stay close to the wall and keep my toes and finger tips on the holds.
1. Seldom or Never
2. Occasionally
3. About half the time
4. Frequently
5. Almost Always
5) I am able to maintain control of and/or regain control of a barndoor when climbing at or near my on-sight level.
1. Seldom or Never
2. Occasionally
3. About half the time
4. Frequently
5. Almost Always
6) When falling, bouldering, leading, or otherwise, I can absorb the impact of the fall safely through my whole body.
1. Seldom or Never
2. Occasionally
3. About half the time
4. Frequently
5. Almost Always
Characteristic Score
To find how you scored for the Core Characteristic, fill in the following value answers.
Q 1 _______ Q 2 _______ Q 3 _______
Q 4 _______ Q 5 _______ Q 6 _______
Total: _______
5-10 –Needs Work. You might consider some of the suggested reading or taking a class.
11-15 – Fair. This sub-characteristic is holding you back from reaching your potential.
16-20 – Average. You are on the right track, keep up the good work.
21-25 – Above Average. You have all the right pieces, now just fill it in.
26-30 – Excellent! Great job, you have serious edge with this Characteristic.
Aspects
The Core Characteristic has three (3) of its own aspects. To find how you scored for each of these, fill in the following value answers.
Awareness Score Balance Score DFC Score
Q 1: _______ Q 2: _______ Q 3: _______
Q 4: _______ Q 5: _______ Q 6: _______
Total: _______ Total: _______ Total: _______
2-3 – Needs Work. Spend some time working on improving aspect before moving on.
4-5 – Fair. This could be better, but you are on your way.
6-7 – Average. Stay focused on this aspect and you should see all around improvement.
8-9 – Above Average. A few tweaks and this aspect will soon be perfected.
10 – Excellent! Nice work, you have this aspect locked down!
Tips:
1) When climbing on an overhang, my feet tend to cut away from the wall.
Tip: Feet cutting from an overhang is a classic sign of core disengagement. Focus on pushing through the foot or feet as you exhale while tightening your glutes and abdomen. Turning your attention to the feet rather that the reaching hand will help increase the connection between movements.
2) I have difficulty making moves standing on thin foot holds while on vertical or slab terrain.
Tip: The best way to gain general balance is to practice. Walk on the curb instead of the sidewalk. Cook or do your dishes while standing on one foot and/or up on your toes. The upper body movement and reaching will cause you to engage your core to maintain your posture. This is similar to the necessary movement while climbing.
3) When making a dynamic move, deadpoints and dynos, I often miss the target hold and/or fall away from the wall all together.
Tip: Most failures with dynamic movement are the result of either fatigue or inexperience. Common mistakes include not utilizing your strong back muscles and glutes to pull in close to the wall. We will cover this topic further in the Campus Characteristic. If the question is having enough strength and/or power to cover the distance, then plyometric (jumping) exercises will help you gain that ground.
4) When reaching at my full extension, I actively feel body tension to stay close to the wall and keep my toes and finger tips on the holds.
Tip: Engagement though all points of contact is critical while keeping the non-contact points loose to move and rest. Imagine your body as a rectangle with and “X” connecting the corners. The corners are your hands and feet and the center of the “X” is your core. Maintaining strong lines and shapes between the points is crucial so try thinking about big triangles and long lines through your body. This will help focus on body tension thus making you more efficient and stable.
5) I am able to maintain control of and/or regain control of a barndoor when climbing at or near my on-sight level.
Tip: Off-balance and awkward moves can be infuriating. First, check the body position to see if there is a more efficient way to execute the movement. If a barndoor type movement is required or the only way to make the move because of your size or body type, try the following. Fully engage your core radiating out to all necessary points of contact. Exhale as you execute to maintain tension and your body will more than likely remain fixed in its plane of motion leading to success.
6) When falling, bouldering, leading, or otherwise, I can absorb the impact of the fall safely through my whole body.
Tip: Once again, practice makes perfect. Try taking larger and large fall to get used to absorbing the impact. For general purposes, make short jumps from the sidewalk or a bench and go into a deep squat to slow your momentum. For bouldering, land on your feet and roll on your back with your arms up, out, or across your chest to protects your wrists, elbows, and shoulders. For leading, keep your feet up in an L-sit to absorb the fall like a leg press and keep your arms up to protect your face.
-Tylor Streett, MS, NASM – CPT, PES
