Today I want to walk you through three different ways that you can train your core in your training. A lot of people like to talk about how we don’t need to train our core because things like crunches and sit-ups are useless, or that compound movements like squats and deadlifts are enough.
While compound movements do train our core and use it significantly, and you absolutely want to have a strong, stable core within those movements, we also want to make sure we’re training our core in a few different ways.
This isn’t just about building abdominal tissue for having visible abs or thicker, more defined abs for the aesthetic you want. It’s also about training that stabilization within our core that we can carry over into our lifts to help us have that strong trunk and core stability we need in those movements.
We don’t have to think of core training as just about training abs to have abs, but also training those muscles to transfer and carry over to the other things we’re doing in our training. Both of those goals are totally valid, and I’m going to walk you through three ways to accomplish this.
The first way we can train our core is through your classic bending or crunching movements – any sort of bending at the abdomen.
Examples of Flexion-Based Core Exercises:
These exercises involve your abdominal muscles contracting and moving through their range of motion. You’re actively crunching or moving at the abdomen in some direction, whether that’s forward, back, or rotational.
If you were using a cable pull-down machine, you’d have a cable overhead and you’d be coming down and crunching against that resistance. This first category is anything that has you bending at the abdomen or waist with intentional movement.
The second method involves isometrically holding your waist and abdomen in the same position – fighting against resistance to maintain stability rather than creating movement.
Examples of Isometric Core Exercises:
With planks, you’re maintaining that core stability throughout the entire exercise – you’re not trying to go up or down, you’re not moving around, you’re just maintaining that same position the entire time.
Dead bugs are particularly effective because you get into that braced position and lower your legs one at a time while maintaining core stability. There are tons of different dead bug variations you can incorporate.
Heavy carries like farmer’s carries train this specifically because you’re carrying weight but have to maintain that bracing, breathing, and support across your waist while doing so. You’re creating and maintaining pressure in the abdomen.
The third method involves fighting against rotation – resisting forces that want to pull you out of position.
Examples of Anti-Rotation Exercises:
These can include heavy carries where you’re fighting against the pull of uneven weight – carrying one kettlebell, one dumbbell heavier or lighter in one hand versus the other, carrying something overhead with only one arm, or carrying weight at your side with just one arm.
The Pallof press is a perfect example where you have a band or cable and you’re holding it out, pushing against the resistance while your core fights against the rotational force trying to pull you toward the anchor point.
Even though you’re still holding your core in that same stable position (like you would during a plank), you’re fighting against the pull of that weight or resistance, which creates a different training stimulus for your core muscles.
These three methods give you different ways to think about how you’re training your core in your workouts. You can incorporate all three approaches for comprehensive core development, or focus on the methods that best support your specific goals.
For Aesthetic Goals: Include more flexion-based exercises to build visible abdominal muscle.
For Performance Goals: Emphasize isometric stability and anti-rotation exercises that carry over to your compound lifts.
For Complete Core Development: Use all three methods throughout your training week.
If you’re not comfortable programming this within your own training, we’d love to have you in The Lyss Method where we program all of this for you. Our training programs strategically incorporate all three core training methods to build both strength and aesthetics.
For those looking to build a foundation in strength training fundamentals, my free lifting calculator can help you determine appropriate loads and rep ranges for your accessory work, including core training.
These three methods are not exhaustive – there are tons of ways to train your core beyond what I’ve covered in this post. But these give you a framework for thinking about core training that goes beyond just “doing crunches for abs.”
By incorporating flexion-based movements, isometric stability work, and anti-rotation exercises, you’ll build a core that not only looks strong but actually functions to support all your other training goals.
Remember, effective core training serves both aesthetic and performance purposes. Choose the methods that align with your goals, and don’t be afraid to incorporate all three for the most complete core development.
Keywords: core training, ab exercises, core workouts, isometric core exercises, anti-rotation training, core stability, functional core training, plank variations, dead bug exercise, farmer’s carries, core strengthening, abdominal training
I’m Exercise Physiologist, sports nutritionist, weight lifter, and ultra runner. I am here to bring science to your training in a no-nonsense way. I have helped thousands of women crush big lifting goals, cross race finish lines, and even do both. I’m here to help you do the same!
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