Speed, agility, and quickness, or SAQ, are all fundamentals of athletic performance. SAQ training, however, is not just sprinting until you puke or running agility drills until you are dizzy. It is a systematic approach to training the nervous system, and developing proper motor patterns. This instills in the athlete proper mechanics for controlled, as well as, chaotic environments.

Before an athlete begins SAQ training there must be three important qualities present. These qualities are proper core strength, balance and proprioception, and flexibility. In this article I will discuss the importance of proper core strength in SAQ training, and the difference between bodybuilder exercises for the mid-section and proper core stabilization exercises.

The core is made up of muscles in the abdomen and the low back. The purpose of this group of muscles is to stabilize the spine, pelvis, and organs in the trunk. Activating these muscles is more than just tightening the "abs" which is commonly believed. In order to activate and properly stabilize the core area the athlete must activate the transversus, internal and external oblique, and the pelvic floor. The transversus lies behind the "abs" and pulls the stomach in and keeps it tight stabilizing the ribs, spine and organs within the torso. The internal and external oblique help prevent the torso from wavering side to side during sport movement. Finally, the pelvic floor is a group of muscles that the organs of the torso rest upon. To properly stabilize these muscles it is important to train the athlete to not only make his "abs" hard, but to also pull the stomach up and in. This technique activates the transversus, "abs", and the oblique. The next step is to activate the pelvic floor. This is done by performing kegel exercises, or squeezing the muscles that are used to stop the flow of urine while going to the rest room. Performing the techniques simultaneously, and while training takes practice, but can be mastered over time.

The importance of properly stabilizing this area for SAQ training is to not loose energy transfer from the lower body to the upper body, and to control this area for change of direction purposes. When sprinting the arm action creates a tremendous amount of rotational force on the trunk while the arms try to propel the body forward. A strong trunk helps to counteract this force and allows the energy to be properly used. The weaker the core the more energy is lost in the rotation of the trunk. This energy saving concept applies to the lower body as well. The legs drive off the ground and the energy travels up the legs through the core to the upper body. A weak core will cause some of this energy to be lost creating a slower sprinter. A good analogy of this is pushing a straw through a potato. If you try to push the straw through the potato with out covering the top hole the energy you put into the straw will be lost and the straw will crumple. Putting your finger over the straw will trap air in it and create a firm core allowing less energy to be lost and the straw will go through the potato. This concept applies to agility and quickness training too. A core also allows an athlete to change direction easier and faster as well. As the athlete decelerates the upper body is still moving forward. A strong core will help decelerate the upper body allowing a faster change of direction. This is similar to wearing seat belts in a car. Wearing the seat belt is similar to a strong core, and not wearing them is similar to a weak core.

The difference between training this area like an athlete and like a bodybuilder is the stabilization factor. Bodybuilders do endless amount of trunk activities, but do nothing to teach the core how to stabilize during movement. When designing a program for the core look beyond conventional crunches, sit ups, and leg lifts. Find activities that force the core area to stabilize while doing something else. Examples are "wood choppers", lunge and chop, pillars or 4 way core drill, and stability ball activities. The key point in all these activities is to activate the muscles of the core in the manner mentioned earlier. These techniques should be performed in all exercises including resistance training, Olympic lifting, and SAQ specific drills.