I don’t know about you, but my life is busy. So when I make time to workout, I make sure I make efficient use of my time.
As a personal trainer, I spend a lot of my time in the gym and I see so many people not getting the most from their workout. That’s where I come in!
In this blog post, I want to focus specifically on the all-important core exercises. There are so many to choose from. How is one to know which ones are most effective and which ones could be doing more harm than good?
Keep reading to find out which core exercises I do personally and with my clients, and which ones have not proven worthy.
THE BEST
I have several favorites, but for the sake of simplicity, I have narrowed down my best picks to three.
#1. Roll-out
For the most muscle activation, the roll-out tops my list. You will feel this exercise from the top of your abdominals, all the way down to the pelvis. The roll-out is also great for working your lats, rear shoulders, and triceps. You are also working your core while maintaining a neutral spine (a recurring theme you will see I adhere to), so it’s optimal for spine health.
A win-win.
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How to do it:
There are many ways to do the roll-out. It can be done with a stability ball (beginner), a TRX suspension trainer (can be adjusted for any level), or an ab wheel (advanced).
From a kneeling position, roll yourself forward keeping your arms straight and your hips tucked under.
Go out as far as you can go, then lift your hips and roll yourself back to the starting position. If you feel any discomfort in your lower back, do not roll out as far.
Try for 10 reps, 2-3 sets.
#2. Plank
The plank is a very popular core exercise for good reason. It is very effective, can be modified for all levels, keeps a neutral spine, and doesn’t require equipment.
Here, I’ll be going over 3 basic versions of the plank: front plank, side plank, and reverse plank.
How to do it:
Let’s go over the 3 basic forms:
Front plank: Position yourself facedown, either on your forearms or hands (like a Pushup position).
Now lift your knees, so you are only on your feet and forearms/hands. Keep your feet together, squeeze your glutes, tucking your hips under, while feeling a lift of the abdominals toward the ceiling.
Now engage the lats, as if you’re pulling your elbows toward your toes. You want to look down between your hands, keeping your head/neck in a neutral position.
If everything is shaking, you’re doing it right!
Hold 10-30 seconds, completing 2-3 sets.
Reverse plank: Position yourself face up, with your forearms or hands on the floor underneath your shoulders.
With your feet together, squeeze the glutes, lifting your hips.
Hold for 10-30 seconds, or turn into reps by lowering your hips to the floor and lifting for 10 reps, completing 2-3 sets.
Side plank: Just like it sounds, this is a plank lying on your side.
Just like the other planks, you can do this version on your forearm or hand. I recommend doing these on your forearm because supporting yourself with one hand can be hard on your wrist if you’re not used to it.
Make sure your elbow is lined up under your shoulder, and with the legs straight out to the side (knees bent for beginners, straight for advanced), lift your hips off the ground.
You can hold this position for 10-20 seconds or turn it into reps by lowering and lifting for 10 reps, completing 2-3 sets.
There are even more plank variations within these variations, but that can be a whole separate post on its own!
#3: Leg Lift with Pulldown
This is a very effective exercise and works different muscles all at once. Always thinking about that bang for your buck! This will work your abdominals (especially the lower abdominals), hip flexors, lats, rear shoulders, and triceps (bonus!).
How to do it:
For this exercise, you will need either a cable machine (if you have access to one) or a resistance band. Here is a resistance band that I have and recommend.
Set your cable arm to a setting above you but still within reach, or if you’re using the resistance band, anchor/tie it to something stable. I emphasize “stable” for safety. Below, I have my band wrapped around the leg of a squat rack.
Lying on your back, directly in front of and facing away from your cable or band, hold your handles slightly behind your head, with your arms straight. Your legs will be straight out in front of you on the ground (knees bent throughout for beginners or if you have low back pain).
Engage your core and at the same time, pull your arms down toward your hips and lift your legs until they are over your hips. Then take everything back to the starting position. Complete this for 10 reps, 2-3 sets.
Great job!
Now that you know the best exercises to do, let’s talk about a couple of exercises that I don’t waste my time with.
THE WORST
#1. Crunches
Not only are crunches not very effective, but they also put strain on your vertebrae and neck muscles. What’s more, your spine is repetitively flexing over and over again. Our daily lives already give us too much spinal flexion through sitting with poor posture as it is. The last thing I want to do is to add to it.
I balance it out by working in a neutral position, or healthy extension.
#2. Russian Twist
Similar to crunches, the Russian twist has you in spinal flexion, and then it adds rough twisting side to side. Twisting isn’t a bad thing, but for this exercise, you’re not in a good position, it can be a strain on the body (especially for those with low back pain), and it’s just not very effective or back-friendly.
There are better exercises to do that will be a better investment of your efforts and time, like the ones listed above.
In conclusion, we can all agree we want to get the most from our exercises and workouts. With so many options out there, it’s hard to know what is best for you. Choosing exercises like the best ones above will make sure you are getting the most from your workouts and your time while keeping the body strong and healthy and lowering your chance of injury.
Be sure to share this, follow me to be notified of my new blog posts, and check back frequently for more content like this. Reach out to me if you have any questions or would like my help. I love to hear from readers like you!
What are your favorite core exercises and why? Comment below!
Stay active, stay healthy, and stay young at heart!
Mary