How to Engage Your Core the Right Way: How Much Tension Is Enough?

When it comes to core activation and engagement, there’s a lot of confusion about how much tension should be in your deep abdominal muscles. What are some exercises to strengthen these muscles? Can you have too much tension? Should you consciously hold your muscles tight, or should it be a natural process? Let’s break down these questions and find out what’s really going on with your core.

Understanding Core Muscles: More Than Just the "Six-Pack"

Let’s start by looking at the core muscles we’re working with. We’re all familiar with the six-pack abs, but they’re not the muscles we should be most focused on when it comes to stability. These muscles are more about movement than stability—they’re the ones that help with things like sit-ups or curling forward to get out of bed. While important for movement, they’re not the ones that will help protect your spine throughout your day and prevent chronic back pain.

The real stars of the show when it comes to core stability are the deeper abdominal muscles, which lie beneath the six-pack. These muscles are broad and designed to create compression, like a corset, which helps protect your spine and keep everything in place. They’re the ones working all day long, ensuring your power muscles—like the hip flexors—can do their job without compromising your bones and joints.

How Do You Activate These Deep Core Muscles?

The deeper core muscles can be tricky to access. A good way to start learning how to engage them is by performing a forceful exhale. When you exhale, all of your abdominal muscles, including the deep ones, help push the air out of your lungs. This is a great way to feel the activation of your core and get a sense of how these muscles should feel.

Once you’ve learned to activate these muscles, the next step is understanding how much tension to apply. It’s not about going all-out all the time or having zero tension. In fact, the right amount of tension is somewhere in between.

Finding the Right Amount of Tension: Not Too Much, Not Too Little

There’s an optimal level of tension for your core, and it’s not about being “on” all the time. Too much tension and you’ll exhaust yourself; too little and your core won’t provide the support you need. The goal is to engage your core just enough to stay connected—from your rib cage all the way to your pubic bone.

If you’re doing something that requires minimal effort, like standing or sitting, you don’t need that much tension. But if you’re doing something that requires more physical exertion, like getting up out of a chair or lifting something heavy, you’ll need to ramp up the tension to maintain that connection. Think of it like gripping a rock while rock climbing: you don’t want to over-grip, or you’ll waste energy and tire out too soon. The same goes for your core—use just enough tension to stay stable.

The Training Strategy: Layering Intensity for Core Stability

When it comes to core connection, we have to think about the body in layers. The deep core muscles are activated during low-intensity activities like sitting, standing, and walking. But when you increase intensity—like lifting a heavy weight in a squat or deadlift—you might bypass these deeper muscles and rely more on the surface-level power muscles.

So, how can you train these deep core muscles more effectively? It’s all about starting with the deep layer and progressing outward as intensity increases. Think of it as building a “power bubble” that expands as you increase the intensity of your movements. By starting with the low-intensity, stability-focused deep muscles and gradually layering in the more powerful, superficial muscles, you can ensure that your entire core is engaged, even during higher-intensity movements. If you’re not sure where to start learning how to access and reconnect to these deeper stability muscles, we teach you how to do this step-by-step in the Core Balance Training program. 

Conclusion: The Balance Between Tension and Stability

In the end, finding the right balance of tension in your core is key to supporting your spine and optimizing your movements. By understanding the role of the deep core muscles and how to activate them with just the right amount of tension, you can improve stability and reduce the risk of injury. So, next time you’re moving, whether it’s lifting, walking, or climbing, focus on maintaining that connection with a controlled level of tension—not too much, but just enough to keep everything aligned and functioning at its best.

How do you engage your core? Have you ever struggled with using too much or too little tension? Share your experience in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts!