Core values
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Joshua Lipsey is fit right down to the core.
But for the model and celeb trainer, his chiselled midsection isn't merely the finishing touch or crown jewel of his taut physique.
The core, he says, is so much more than that.
Composed of four major muscle groups -- abs, obliques, lower back and glutes -- the core is where fitness begins, according to Lipsey.
"That's where the foundation is with the body and that's where you have to start before you do anything else," the 27-year-old Torontonian explains in a phone interview.
"If your core's not strong, you lift a weight and you can slip a disc very easily. The way that life is -- we're moving, we're turning, we're picking up kids, bending down -- you've gotta have a strong core."
Lipsey found that out the hard way while playing pro basketball in Europe. He was between seasons circa 2004, when he slipped a disc in his lower back.
Physiotherapists and chiropractors, he says, only provided him with short-term relief.
So, out of sheer necessity, Lipsey developed a series of exercises to strengthen and stabilize his torso -- which proved to be a long-term solution to his chronic pain.
Lipsey played several more seasons before wrapping up his pro hoops career and returning to Canada.
About a year ago, after working for a couple of health clubs and earning several training certifications, Lipsey opened a fitness studio of his own in Toronto -- called Core Concepts -- based on the core exercises and training philosophy he developed overseas.
He has also released a DVD series dubbed TransCOREmation.
"The problem areas most people have -- their stomach, love handles -- that's all taken care of when you're working your core," he says.
Lipsey's "hardcore" training seems to be catching on.
The core specialist, also known as the Trans-core-mer, has appeared on two national TV shows in the U.S.: Extra with Mario Lopez for a Workout Wednesday segment, and Access Hollywood for a workout with Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.
Next up is a spread in a popular women's fitness magazine.
Lipsey is slated to be the first male trainer ever featured in Self.
He'll be photographed this week putting Cat Deeley, host of So You Think You Can Dance, through one of his patented core workouts. The pictorial is scheduled to run in Self's May issue.
In the meantime, Lipsey continues to practise what he preaches, working out six days a week -- with his core as the focal point.
"If I'm doing bicep curls, I'm going to be standing on a BOSU ball. If I'm doing bench press, I'm going to be on a Swiss ball. I always try to throw something core-related into my exercises," he say. "If I'm doing squats, I can do it on the BOSU ball. If I'm doing lunges, I'll throw in some type of balance work. Everything starts with my core."
Even cardio.
"If I'm running outside, I tend to do stuff where I'm forced to engage my core, maybe throw some steps in there, a hill or two."
For Lipsey, a sinewy 170 pounds at six-foot-two, it's all about function over form.
"We're not statues. We're not building the bodybuilder body anymore," he says. "It's more about being functional and being able to move and bend."
Joshua's core-training tip:
"Do stuff that engages the entire core. Planks are great because they engage your minor and major core muscles.
They're more effective than the crunch because of the recruitment of muscles. You're burning a lot more calories doing a plank than you would crunching. If you are going to crunch, make sure you vary up the angles and recruit as many muscles as you can. Don't just leave your feet on the ground. Bring the legs in the air. Do stuff where you're changing angles. Mix up the tempo. You want to keep the body guessing as much as possible."