The development of a product that will make it possible to train and rehabilitate the abdominal and back muscles so that the principles that dictate function are maintained. This will lead to a functional specific training based upon load, motion, and coordination of segments within the body.
The coordination of the extremities as well as the relationship between the pelvis and thorax is dictated by the function of the abdominal and back muscles. This is important in daily life as well as in athletics. Today there are many methods used to train these muscles that are not necessarily that functional and therefore not specific to the functional task that they are meant to influence. Many, if not all of them, are lacking in terms of being based on the principles that dictate function. These functional principles includes, but are not limited to the following; function is three-dimensional movement patterns and loads, actively subconscious, task oriented, eccentrically facilitated, individual, and many times in a standing posture. Training that fulfils these principles can be called functional. The functional core trainer can be called functionally specific, because these principles are not violated in the training.
Training of the abdominal and back muscles must therefore be integrated with the rest of the body in a purposeful and functional manner. This kind of functionally specific training must give the body the mechanical and sensory input specific to the task that one is trying to have an effect on, whether that is in daily life or in athletics. One therefore needs to have a thorough understanding of the task that one is trying to influence through training. If one can increase the load of the abdominal and back muscles with this kind of functional specificity, one has isolated these muscles in an integrated manner within a specific functional task. This is called isolated integration. The Functional Core trainer will give this kind of integrated isolation to the training of the abdominal and back muscles.
Prototype 2 has been made based upon feedback from trainer and professionals at the Norwegian National Olympic Training Center (Olympiatoppen). Patent is now being pursued with the development of exercises to be used with the Functional Core Trainer on a general functional basis.