Your core is far more than the six-pack muscles at the front. It is the whole system of muscles that supports your spine, pelvis and hips: the deep abdominals, obliques, lower back, glutes and diaphragm. A strong core improves posture, balance and stability, protects your back under heavy loads, transfers power from your legs to your arms in a punch or a throw, and reduces injury risk in everything you do. Here are the best core exercises for building that kind of strength, with form cues and a routine you can run at Hammer’s Gym in Nunawading.
What a strong core actually does
Think of your core as the link between your lower and upper body. When it is stable, force from your legs reaches the bar, the pad or the ground efficiently; when it is weak, force leaks and your lower back picks up the slack. That is why the best core exercises train the trunk to resist movement (bracing, anti-rotation, anti-extension) as much as to create it. Crunches alone will not do it.
The best core exercises
1. Plank
Forearms on the floor, body in a straight line from head to heels, glutes squeezed and ribs pulled down. Hold 30 to 60 seconds. If you can hold longer than a minute, make it harder rather than longer: lift a foot, or add a weight plate on your back.
2. Dead bug
Lie on your back, arms up, knees over hips. Lower the opposite arm and leg slowly while keeping your lower back pressed into the floor, then switch. 10 per side. The best teacher of core bracing there is.
3. Bird dog
On hands and knees, extend the opposite arm and leg while keeping your hips and shoulders square and your back flat. Hold two seconds, switch. 10 per side. Trains stability and the lower back safely.
4. Side plank
Prop on one forearm and the side of your foot, hips lifted in a straight line. Hold 20 to 45 seconds per side. Targets the obliques and the deep transverse abdominis, and exposes left-right imbalances quickly.
5. Pallof press
Stand side-on to a cable or band at chest height and press it straight out in front of you, resisting the pull to rotate. 10 to 12 per side. The best anti-rotation exercise for lifters and fighters alike.
6. Hanging knee raise or hollow hold
Hanging from a bar, raise your knees toward your chest with control, or lie on your back in a hollow position with arms and legs extended and lower back on the floor. 8 to 12 reps or a 30-second hold. Trains the abdominals through a real range.
7. Loaded carries
Farmers carries and single-arm suitcase carries for 30 to 40 metres make your core work exactly as it does in life: standing, braced and resisting a load trying to bend you sideways.
8. Crunches and rotations, in moderation
Crunches and cable woodchops work the rectus abdominis and obliques and have their place as finishers. Keep them controlled and do not let them replace the stability work above.
A 10-minute core routine
- Dead bugs, 10 per side
- Plank, 45 seconds
- Side plank, 30 seconds per side
- Pallof press, 10 per side
- Bird dogs, 10 per side
- Farmers carry, 40 metres
Rest 30 seconds between exercises and repeat twice. Do it two or three times a week after your main training, or as a standalone session on a recovery day.
Form tips and mistakes to avoid
- Move slowly and with control; speed hides weakness.
- Breathe steadily throughout. Holding your breath is not bracing.
- Do not let your lower back arch or sag in planks and dead bugs.
- Keep the core engaged from start to finish of every rep.
- Stop if you feel pain, particularly in the lower back, and get it checked.
Core strength beyond core exercises
Heavy compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts and overhead presses train your core intensely when performed with a proper brace; see the five best compound exercises. Yoga, Reformer Pilates and martial arts build control and awareness; read why Reformer Pilates suits gym and martial arts training. Good posture through the day and avoiding heavy lifting with poor form protect the work you have done.
Build a stronger core at Hammer’s
Everything above can be done in the functional area of the Hammer’s Gym floor, and our personal trainers can check your bracing and build core work into your program. New here? Claim a free one-day trial in Nunawading, minutes from Mitcham, Blackburn, Box Hill and Doncaster.