Core Strength Training: 5 Essentials For Stronger Abs

You Need These For a Stronger Core

When somebody hears “Core” they immediately think of a six pack, but the core is more than a set of washboard abs. Don’t get me wrong, I think six pack abs are cool and a status symbol few people can flaunt. Beneath your abs is your “deep core”, the muscles that stabilize the trunk and provide real core strength that braces your trunk and drives athletic performance. A well developed core requires implement all planes of motion and varieties of core movements in your program.

Get Deep with your core training and target all the muscles in your core instead of just crunching to get a six pack.

What People Think Core Strength is Vs. What Core Strength Actually is

If you want a six pack, this article is for you.

If you want a strong power belly, this article is also for you.

If you want to eliminate your back pain and create a sturdy trunk that’s capable of handling anything, this article is for you.

If you want a flat tummy and to be cute in a bikini, this article isn’t for you. You probably just need to trim some fat. But, this information is still helpful for you.

The Essentials

1. Flexion

2. Extension

3. Rotation

4. Stability

5. Progression

There are 3 planes of motion for movement: frontal, sagittal, and transverse. In order to get complete core training, you should be working through all three planes. You don’t need to work through all 3 planes at all times, but you should include exercises from each plane throughout your program so you don’t leave any stones unturned

Flexion

Exercise Examples: Leg Raises, Crunches, Sit-ups, Jefferson Curls

Flexion means decreasing the angle of the working joint. Think of crunching motions, there is a stretch in the spine and a contraction in the abs. Crunches have recieved a bad rep lately. They’ve been labeled as an “Bad”, that they’ll cause disc bulges, and other injuries. As with anything, context is important to consider. 100% of injuries happen because the capacity of the tissue under load was exceeded. The tissue couldn’t handle the demands placed upon it. If you’re weak, have a rigid spine, and only pattern over load crunches, it can hurt you, but that’s true for any movement.

Exhibit A. Chiropractors fear monger these more than anybody

Extension

Exercise Examples: Supermans, Back Extensions, Good Mornings, Reverse Hypers

Extension increases the angle of the working joint. Think of a back extension, the back muscles are contracting while the abs are stretching. Extensions is under worked by almost all the clients I have assessed over the last 7 years. People treat their low back like it’s made of glass. The reality is, your low back has muscles and joints (vertebrae) like any other part of your body and it can be trained. If it isn’t trained, it’ll be weak and prone to injury.

Anybody stuck at a desk job for most of the day is likely stuck in spinal flexion if they’re slumping over the computer. “Stretching” the back by performing more flexion likely isn’t going to fix your back pain, you already do it 8+ hours a day. You need some extension to strengthen the lower back musclulature to support your posture, ESPECIALLY if you’re seated all day and stuck in a flexed position.

Left is a flexed position

Start small and progress your way to more load or complex movements. I recommend high rep superman’s. Work your way up to doing 3 x 25 superman’s and isometrics like the ones listed below before loading up back extensions. Building endurance in the back will go a long way.

Rotation

Exercise examples: Russian Twists, Throws, Landmine Twists, Wood Chops

Russian Twists are one of the most commonly seen rotational exercises you’ll see but things like rotational medicine ball throws or wood Chops would be great additions. Oftentimes when folks get back pain from ab exercises it’s a result of their QL muscles. Again, if these muscles are tight and under worked, working them will make them sore just like literally any other muscle.

The QL act to stabilize the spine through rotation. We can mobilize the QL muscles by adding rotational movements. Rotational movements will also challenge the obliques more than the rectus abdominis.

Stability

Exercise examples: Planks, Side Planks, Dead Bugs, Bird Dogs, Paloff Presses

If you’re untrained or a novice to strength training I recommend starting here and sprinkling in lighter intensities of flexion, extension, and rotation. The problem with a lot of stability core exercises is that people never progress them (which is the next point so I won’t get into it here). Keep in mind, if you want a strong core you need load or force. Holding a 5 minute plank isn’t training your core strength, it trains core endurance. Just like bicep curling for 5 minute straight won’t train bicep strength either.

These exercises tend to be less progressive. Unless you have the knowledge on how to load them and the ability to do so, I’d recommend either using them as a starting point until you can do more scalable core exercises or use them in your warmup to prime your core before training.

Recently a lot of Instagram fitness bros have been poo-pooing the McGill big 3. I like the McGill big 3 if you’re coming off injury or debilitating back pain. However, I agree that they’re too low intensity to get sufficient stimulus long term. They can be a good tool if you’re getting back into training again, however just keep in mind we have to eventually progress to something more challenging.

Progression

Exercise examples: Add reps, Time, Load, or Velocity

When it comes to core training people just throw this out the window. They do a minute plank all the time, or they always do 15 reps of crunches, or always the same weight on a decline sit up. Again, core muscles are just like literally any other muscle group. They need to be progressed over time for you to see results.

Basic Core Progressions

Add Reps

Perform 3 floor based ab exercises: one flexion, one extension, one rotation.

Perform 12 reps of each in the first week

Perform 15 reps of each in the second week

Perform 20 reps of each in the third week

Add Reps

Simple. Perform 4 x 10-15 with a loaded core movement like a bosu crunch, weighted sit up, or rope crunch. Add reps until you can hit close to 15 reps each set. Once you can hit all 15 reps (or close to it) each set, then add weight.

Add Time

I also call this the accumulation method and i’ll use it typically more for stability based exercises or isometrics such as the L Sit or Hollow Hold.

Week 1 Perform the exercise for MAX time (Push yourself)

Week 2 add 25% to your max time. Accumulate that time with as many breaks as needed (ideally in 2-3 sets at most)

• Ex: If you held a hollow hold for 1:00, next week hold it for 1:15. If you fail at 55 seconds, rest for 15-30 seconds then knockout the last 20 seconds. Just accumulate the total time necessary.

Week 3 Add 25% to last weeks time and accumulate it.

Takeaways

Train your core through every plane of motion possible. You can alternate between one day in the week training your rectus abominals and the other day training the obliques. For one training block focus on things like side bends or side planks for the obliques and the next cycle you can do a rotational movement. Similarly, you can alternate between a heavy carry and a flexion based movement like a weighted crunch.

Don’t over think it. Select some exercises you like from each category and rotate them into your plan every 3-4 weeks. If you still need help figuring out some core exercises that would benefit you, drop a comment with a specific question and i’ll try to point you to the right direction.