Or ab exercises, or trunk exercises…whatever you want to call it.
In the previous post, I discussed how it’s important to know what you’re looking for when you seek out a new core exercises for your training programme. Approaches to core training can vary, and I divided them as follows:
- Core training – an emphasis on positioning and control, taking into account the effect that a huge array of muscles have on the lower back and hip area.
- Trunk training – a focus on movement skill and force production, possibly for sporting performance.
- Ab training – the practice of directly training the muscles that sit on top of the stomach, with the aim of growing the abdominal muscles or getting a more defined stomach.
The terms used are fairly arbitrary, but the distinction can be quite important if you visit a six-pack specialist in the hope of resolving your back pain or strengthening your deadlift. Unfortunately, many of these training aims have been grouped under a much broader, hyper-marketed idea of what core training is.
I’ve tried to group these core training exercises into categories so you can jump straight to the ones you’re most interested in, but there will be some crossover between certain exercises.
The Best Core Exercises for…Positioning and Stability
Cat-Cows
Movements covered: spinal flexion and extension
Programme placement: assessment and warm-up
Cat-cows help mobilise the spine between flexion (rounding) and extension (arching), making them a great exercise to prepare the back for movement. It has a place in the majority of warmups I conduct these days. As well as preparing someone for movement, it also helps people feel how to change their back position and find a neutral position to use in exercises like the plank.
Bridges
Movements covered: spinal flexion, hip extension
Programme placement: warm-up, active recovery.
Bridges are a great way to teach someone how to flatten the natural curve of the spine by rotating the pelvis. The fancy name for this is “posterior pelvic tilt” and it has historically been lauded as a magical movement that solves all back-related problems. While this is a pretty overblown statement, it’s still a useful core exercise for learning how to take the load off the back, target the glute muscles, and build confidence in spinal flexion if you have a history of back stiffness and are afraid of loading it.
Jefferson Curls
Movements covered: spinal flexion and extension
Programme placement: warm-up, but could also be loaded as a heavier accessory exercise.
Jefferson curls can be an integral part of restoring mobility and confidence in the lower back. They can also go a long way to dispelling people’s fears that the spine is some fragile thing just waiting to expel your discs in every direction as soon as you sneeze. If you’re currently dealing with these types of concerns, check out How to Deal With Your Sore or Weak Lower Back.
Jefferson Curls take the back muscles through a big range of motion whilst handling weight, allowing them to begin building strength and familiarity in rounded positions.
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The Best Core Exercises for…ab training.
Deadbugs
Movements covered: anti-extension
Programme placement: depends on the difficulty – easier versions can be in the warm-up, harder versions can be exercises in their own right.
Deadbug exercises could fit in any category of core training. Easier deadbugs can help you take your back out of chronic extension, and the floor can provide a good bit of feedback for increasing positional awareness. On the other hand, harder versions can provide a significant challenge for the abdominal muscles.
You can add a small crunching movement in to dial things up to 11, however many people do this too early to compensate for not being able to push their back flat properly. Once the time comes for you to add this extra crunch in, you’ll find a whole other level of deadbug difficulty – including hollow holds.
Leg Raises
Movements covered: anti-extension, hip flexion.
Programme placement: main core exercises.
Leg raises build on the idea of deadbugs; you’re moving your legs as far away from your body as possible without losing your neutral back position. However, leg raises give you enough support that you can take the abs to fatigue and utilise a larger range of motion.
Reverse Crunches
Movements covered: anti-extension, spinal flexion.
Programme placement: main core exercises.
Reverse crunches go one step further than leg raises by adding in a crunching motion with the hips. This can be a really tough core exercise to master and can definitely overload the abs. You can also add reverse crunching movements into leg raise variations for a double-whammy, but it’s important not to borrow momentum from the “swing” of the leg raise when performing your reverse crunch.
As you progress through the series, reverse crunches start to look more and more like some of the most impressive core exercises, such as dragon flags.
Rollouts
Movements covered: anti-extension, shoulder flexion.
Programme placement: main core exercises.
Rollouts are an evolution of the plank, and require you to be able to keep your back in neutral without having the floor to push your back flat against. As you roll out, you take more and more of your weight onto your ab muscles, whilst also spreading your base of support. These are some of the hardest abdominal exercises for me, although I do find they can tax the upper body – beware if you have long arms.
The Best Core Exercises for…trunk training.
Trunk training is focussed on movement skill and force production, and can therefore encompass a huge range of different movements and scenarios. I’m going to focus on movements that can help with strengthening the core area and transferring force throughout the body:
I’ve dedicated plenty of words to squats and deadlifts in the past, so you can use the links above to learn more about those if you’re interested. They’re not core exercises per se, but they certainly contribute greatly to the general aims of trunk training. With that said, let’s focus on…
Pallof Variations and Rotation
Movements covered: anti-rotation and/or anti-lateral flexion depending on the variation.
Programme placement: main core exercises.
Pallof exercises usually involve you being side-on to the weight you’re using, trying to maintain a straight, neutral position. You will need to resist the weight to prevent twisting your body, or folding over sideways.
Long-term, however, pallof exercises may not provide enough of a trunk training stimulus. I find they get boring quite quickly, although this could be my own shortcomings as a coach. As anti-trunk movements, they suffer from the drawback of being largely static, meaning they are limited when it comes to training a full range of motion (and therefore teaching a whole movement skill).
However, they’re a useful place to start before moving on to rotations; which can be very arm-focussed if you rush to perform them too soon.
Summary
One of the most important parts of designing a training programme is choosing the right tool for the job. Hopefully this guide has helped you find the right tool for you.
Once you know which type of movement you need to be focussing on, the next step is being as progressive with it as you would for any other exercise; that means moving on to the next variation in the series and continuing to vary sets and reps. Try not to hop from one exercise to another, and don’t let your core exercises become an afterthought at the end of an exhausting workout.
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