Oftentimes when people think about their core, they think about their front abdominal muscles. The 6-pack. But the core goes all the way around, 360 degrees, like one of those giant, championship belts. I even like to include the gluteal muscle group as part of the core and it is the most important muscle group for boxing. The function of our core is really to connect the lower and upper body together. When throwing punches, most of that power should originate from the lower half and it will be translated to the upper half through one's core. Rotation of the hips and trunk are critical, so without a strong core, any other strength you have will not convert to power. This requires all the muscles in that core belt to be strong.
I've said many times that having gym strength and functional strength can be two very different things. Gym strength - or at least how the majority of gym-goers train - is about lifting balanced loads of weight on single planes of motion at a steady pace. Most work all the different muscle groups with different lifts but those three above-mentioned points remain the same. This does not necessarily create functional strength. It can certainly help, but the strength you need for activities of daily life and sports often does NOT involve balanced loads, on a single plane of motion, at a steady, repeated pace. And those activities almost always involve the core. Picking up groceries and putting them away, moving boxes, shoveling snow, raking leaves, cleaning things, walking a dog, I could go on and on. We don't just isolate a muscle group to do these things. Like boxing, they often involve starting with the lower body and transferring to the upper, with the core being our conduit.
Core strength also helps us with general body control - holding a posture or changing direction, which is something we certainly need in daily life and in any sport. In fact, body control is probably the most important attribute for sports but most underrated because it cannot be easily measured like speed and strength or any of the other criteria we use to rate athletes. Jerry Rice and Michael Jordan are examples of athletes at the top of their respective professions but never because of their measurables. There was certainly a mental part too, especially with Jordan, but I believe it was simply the ability to control their own bodies that set them apart from everybody else. Coordination is key but you need the functional strength to apply it properly.
Along those lines, a stronger core will help prevent injuries as well. While not as sexy as having a chiseled, six-pack, injury prevention is a big deal and something everyone, young or older, should train for. Having poor core strength means less postural control and the more chance things are being moved in a way they shouldn't, as well as repeated, unbalanced stress on joints from those postural imbalances.
When people see boxers doing things like sit-ups and other core work, they often think this is to build the abs up so they can better take punches to the body. This is somewhat true (although strengthening and hardening are not the same thing) but it's not just about taking a punch to the stomach, it is about taking punches in general. Just as a strong core gives you better body control, you can also better move with a punch if you have to, OR maintain better base stability so that you don't get as tossed around/ragdoll'd after getting hit.
So every time you work your core, remember that you are making your punches stronger, making yourself functionally stronger, improving your overall body control, helping to prevent future injuries, and even making yourself better able to take a punch. And like any exercise component, it won't happen unless you MAKE the time for it to happen so that is why we always devote the last part of our workout to this critical piece of the fitness puzzle!
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