Core Strength: Your Body's Support System

When it comes to fitness, the core often gets reduced to its most visible feature: the six-pack abs. But those muscles represent just a small part of what the midsection really is. Your core assists during almost all exercises, whether you’re looking to pull a heavier deadlift, knock time off your 5K, or perfect your posture.

Think of your core as a fulcrum in a lever system that acts as a central point of stability and supporting movement and balance throughout the body. It connects the upper and lower body, allowing for smooth and coordinated motions.

A strong core brings about better posture and reduces the risk of injury by ensuring that forces are distributed evenly across the body. Let’s explore how to train the core to transform your workouts and daily life!

Planes of Motion

Three Planes of Motion

Real-world movements rarely happen in just one plane. To build a balanced midline, training in all three planes of motion—sagittal (forward/backward), frontal (side-to-side), and transverse (rotational)—is necessary.

Before we get into how to achieve this, you should understand the muscles you’re targeting and how they work together.

1. Rectus Abdominis: This is the six-pack muscle you hear about. It runs from your chest to your pelvis and helps with spinal flexion and core stability.

2. Transverse Abdominis: Think of this as your body’s natural weight belt. It wraps around your midsection and stabilizes your spine and pelvis.

3. Obliques: These muscles run along the sides of your torso and are responsible for rotational movements and side-to-side stability.

4. Serratus Anterior: Often overlooked, this muscle keeps your shoulder blades locked onto your rib cage, maintaining a strong core and improving movement during exercises.

Core Exercise Examples

Core exercises are the foundation of your overall strength and performance. Here’s why:

1. Improve Stability and Balance: A strong core keeps your body stable during movements, whether you’re lifting weights, running, or just standing still.

2. Enhance Lifting Power: Your core connects your upper and lower body, allowing you to generate more force during compound lifts like squats and deadlifts.

3. Prevent Injury: A weak core can lead to poor posture and improper movement patterns, increasing your risk of injury.

4. Support Athletic Performance: Whether you’re twisting, jumping, or sprinting, a strong core is essential for optimal performance.

Now that you know why core training is important, let’s talk about the best exercises to target all the key muscles, hitting every function from spinal flexion to rotational power.

1. Spinal Flexion: Levitation Crunch

• Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your hands behind your head. Lift your shoulder blades off the ground, keeping your hips on the floor. Focus on controlled, small movements to target your upper abs.

2. Extension Stability: Hollow Rocks

• Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms overhead. Lift your legs and shoulders off the ground, creating a “hollow” position. Rock back and forth while keeping your core tight.

3. Anti-Lateral: Side Plank (Thread the Needle)

• Get into a side plank position with your elbow directly under your shoulder. Rotate your upper body and reach your arm underneath your torso, then return to the starting position.

4. Anti-Rotation: Pallof Press

• Stand sideways to a resistance band or cable machine. Hold the handle at your chest and press it straight out in front of you, resisting the pull of the band.

5. Rotational Stability: Russian Twists

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Lean back slightly and do this exercise with minimal rotation (for beginners as shown in the video), or with trunk rotation (if desired) holding a weight or medicine ball for added resistance.

6. Ab Reverse Curls

• Lying on your back with knees bent, lift your hips and curl them towards your ribcage, engaging your lower abs.

7. Rotational Power: Landmine Rotation

• Anchor one end of a barbell in a landmine attachment. Hold the free end with both hands and rotate it from side to side, driving the movement from your core.

8. Entire Core: Sliding Ab Tuck

• Get into a high plank position with your feet on sliders or socks. Pull your knees toward your chest, curling your pelvis and engaging your abs.

Building a strong core should be mostly about improving your overall strength, stability, and performance. By targeting all the key muscles and incorporating a variety of exercises, you can create a well-rounded core workout that delivers real results.

So, the next time you hit the mat, skip the endless crunches and focus on moves that challenge your entire core. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced lifter, these exercises will help you build the strong, functional core you’ve always wanted.

---

I'm grateful you're here! I want to make my articles available to everyone, which is why they're free. But if you find them helpful, please consider a small paid subscription. It helps cover the costs of running this site and allows me to continue independent, unbiased research and journalism. Thanks for your support!

If shy about commitments, feel free to leave a one-time (coffee) tip through a Ko-fi contribution! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

© 2025 (C) Jorg Mardian; "StrongHealth" on Substack.com