The Epistemology of Exercise: Bracing

[Scott Stevenson]

I'll take bizarre as a compliment!

Admittedly, this post lacked a definite point or conclusion, but I think you just teased out exactly what I was aiming for. I'd edit your statement with a very important caveat: Each situation could very well require a different activation strategy, and thus, a skilled coach might employ a different verbal cue

That type of implementation would require:
(1) a coach with depth of experience and a "toolbox" of different cues to draw upon
(2) a coach who lacks dogmatic attachment to a particular cue or sole "focus" in bracing (e.g. TVA)
(3) ideally, a coach observing in person (this also requires depth of experience for the coach to be able to diagnose the movement fault and apply the proper cue from point 1)

IMO, these type of coaches are a rare breed. And there are many of us who are not under watch of any coach's eye. So, the post was just a reminder to myself (which I thought others might find useful too) to be wary of just taking cues from teh interwebz unless we understand the underlying thing the cue is trying to accomplish.

All that said, this was a lead in to me asking if, in your experience, there is a bracing cue or strategy that you've found generally works very well for most people in most circumstances.

Well, in my mind, cues should be given to help with proper execution of the movement and where needed, on an individual basis.

Simply saying "most circumstances" opens your question up too everything from sitting at a desk (is a bracing cue needed?) to performing a 3 pointer in basketball (is a bracing cue needed?) to performing a cable lat pulldown (is a bracing cue needed?). I don't find that a bracing cue, per se is needed in many cases at all, i.e., that one need to specifically convey in a cue focused on "core" stabilization in many cases whatsoever.

I think the most important aspect of a cue would be that the information fits within the paradigm of the person receiving it.

For example, if someone's got poor "core" stabilization that's evident in a rounded (flexed) spine during deadlift, my first inclination is to convey what I'm seeing and, if necessary, provide a cue to help with that issue.

For some, NO cue might be needed. For others, you might say "Keep your butt out, like a cover model for a hot rod magazine" or "pretend your a bear shitting in the woods - don't poop on your feet" or something to that effect.

I really suspect (as I get the sense you do) that the notion of one's "core" is overused and, like trainers who use bizarre exercises as a marketing tool to make themselves stand out, giving the impression they know things that others don't, the use of an esoteric bracing cues the probably requires greater depth of human torso anatomy than that of most clients have probably misses the boat as far as improving performance, but may give an air of authority that keeps clients coming back. ("He must know his shit b/c he's saying all this stuff I don't understand.")

The growing number of cues that you listed there would make sense as trainers / coaches try to further distinguish themselves by coming up with novel cues that, that are different but don't necessarily effectively bring out changes in performance.

-S