Let’s say COG stands for center of gravity. I have a COG. You have a COG. Everybody’s got a COG.
Center of gravity’s an integral component of physics that comes into play during physical activity. Whether you’re cranking up a heavy workout or simply taking the dog for a walk, your COG is constantly in gear. To keep you from falling on your face all the time, your body reacts as your center of gravity shifts around, changing which muscles are active without your being aware.
It’s also possible to manipulate center of gravity to make your body react.
This week, I’ll discuss ways to take control of your COG to maximize workout efficiency.
Most of the time it’s in everyone’s best interest to assume a posture in which center of gravity is aligned with the center of the torso and above and between the feet. In this position, you have the best possible parameters for balance, coordination and agility. In other words, you’re less likely to fall.
Think about the posture of a football linebacker ready for action. The feet are shoulder-width apart, knees are bent, hips are pressed back, and the torso is positioned over the toes with the head up. The athlete’s goal is to be ready to move as quickly as possible to one side of the field or the other, depending on how the offensive play develops.
To maximize his athletic ability, the linebacker gets his COG into an optimal position before the play starts.
Adjusting COG one way or the other can have a dramatic effect on muscle activation, mobility and balance. Imagine what would happen if the linebacker placed both feet together. He’d have to work to remain upright because his center of gravity would have shifted. His balance would be jeopardized, and his reaction time would increase significantly.
To apply this idea to exercise, we must realize that we can control where our COG is.
Try this: Stand while you hold a 10-pound dumbbell against your chest. Now hold it out in front of your body. Notice how this change creates more work for the lower back muscles. It forces your center of gravity forward, which forces the lower back muscles to contract to maintain your upright posture.
If your goal is lower-back strengthening in the standing position, then that’s an exercise for you.
This general principle can be applied using COG, resistance and a little know-how. This week’s exercise uses a medicine ball to force core engagement.
Stand facing a mirror with a light- to medium-weight medicine ball and your feet very close together - almost touching.
Hold the ball in your hands and extend it directly overhead.
Quickly move the medicine ball in a downward arc to the right of your body, keeping your chest facing the mirror and both arms fully extended.
As the ball reaches waist level, reverse direction and arc back up to the starting position.
Keep going all the way down to the left hip.
Repeat this semicircle pattern back and forth for two sets of 20 repetitions.
The key to this exercise is to get the medicine ball moving quickly and in a full arc. Doing so will ensure that your core is engaged and you’re maximizing the variable COG effect.
Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master’s in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.
ActiveStyle, Pages 24 on 02/24/2014