Core exercises, are we sure we are activating the core?

Nearly every personal trainer, fitness advisor, coach advocates core work.  But once again do we understand what we are doing by following the trend!  We would like to think that what we are training with core exercises is the best way to activate the core muscle, and that it would improve posture, stability, balance etc. Do we understand the muscle involved when doing a core exercise?  I'm not goin to rewrite the following article as I don't think I can do it justice.  The summary is that traditional core exercises has its place for developing certain areas but a athlete can activates his core muscles more positively and directly with a simple squat, or dead lift exercise.  Here to read: rethinking-core-training-is-it-fad.

Also on FaCT Canada is a very long discussion that shifts away a bit from the above topic but from 9 post down the subject becomes of interest to the core topic and looks at it from a different angle, discussing the involvement of the diaphragm  as a major core stabilizer and follows to a interesting subject on its own on muscle activation during weight training.   (There is mention on a device called a SpiroTiger which I will discuss in a upcoming blog with my own experiences on the device which also has a effect on the core).