Overview

The core is a bit of a confusing category. Here we’re going to define it as the rectus abdominis, the transverse abdominis, obliques, and spinal erectors.

The rectus abdominis are involved in spinal flexion.

The transverse abdominis is more of a stabiliser, but crucial to train particularly with isometrics.

The obliques are involved in trunk lateral flexion and rotation.

The spinal erectors are involved in spinal extension.

Because of this core training should generally be thought of as 4 (or 5) distinct motor patterns.

Erectors could be thought of as a back movement or a core movement, though it’s listed here for simplicity’s sake, in reality it will likely fall among other back exercises in an actual training session.

Prescription

Minimalist

An absolute minimalist approach means 1 movement ‘slot’.

In this case if we can only 1 motor pattern, there’s a clear winner:

• Any ab flexion

Moderate

If we have more resources to expend on the muscle group, it is of course the preferred approach.

In this case the movement slots would look like this:

• Any ab flexion
• Oblique rotation
• Erecter flexion

Maximalist

This is the approach if we are throwing everything at the kitchen sink. Use sparingly either if you are in a plateau or looking for a specialisation phase.

Here the movement slots might look like this:

• Upper ab flexion
• Lower ab flexion
• TVA isometric
• Oblique lateral flexion
• Oblique rotation
• Erecter extension

Standout exercises

Upper ab flexion movement

Decline Sit-up with ab mat

• Progress with holding a weight plate, you can experiment with holding it on your forehead or fully over your head with straight arms. If short on time this can also be a hybrid oblique exercise by doing a straight sit-up, rotating sit-up to one side, then the other.
• An ab mat is specified as it’s a game changer for more advanced lifters.

Cable Rope Crunch

• You’ll notice bodyweight or cables are the way to go with abs. This is a reliable option probably best done kneeling.

Ab Rollout

• A rollout with either a barbell or the ab wheel. While technically the ab wheel is more challenging because of the lower height, there’s a point for the barbell with the added stability. For the vast majority of people, regressions will be used here; either starting on your knees or starting on your feet but rolling towards a wall or rack as a stopping point. This is more of an isometric work than full flexion extension, though it still taxes the abs plenty.

Lower ab movement

Decline Leg Raise with ab mat

• Though this is not easy, if done right this is arguably the best exercise for pure hypertrophy of the lower abs.
• This is an inverted regular leg raise, so you are lying on a sit-up bench on the opposite way, with your hands grasping either the sit-up bar or using a rope attachment to do so. This essentially progresses to a dragon flag (technically a more difficult variant of the dragon flag if you have the ab mat).
• An ab mat is specified as it’s a game changer for more advanced lifters.

Lying Cable Reverse Squat

• This is a bit finicky to set up, you’ll need a cable machine, an attachment to hook your feet under, and enough floor space and/or yoga mat space.
• If possible though this is a very solid alternative and provides good variation to the bodyweight exercises.

Hanging Leg Raise and variations

• We’re grouping regressions and progressions all in this same category.
• Regressions are lying leg raise on the ground or a supported leg raise machine.
• Progressions are toe to bar leg raises.
• This isn’t the absolute best hypertrophy builder, but it is still absolutely a S tier exercise. What it lacks in hypertrophy it makes up for as general movement quality work. You’re getting grip work, a dead hang to decompress the spine, and significant hip flexor work especially as you progress to the toe to bar variants.

TVA isometric movement

These are essentially the identical exercises to ab movements, but you’ll perform the exercise differently to get a different focus. Listing it all again is a bit redundant but we will highlight two that work especially well for this transverse abdominis purpose.

Hanging Leg Raise

• Same exercise with the same benefits.

Cable Rope Crunch

• Same exercise with the same benefits.

Lateral flexion movement

Back Extension Side Bend

• Side bends done on a 45 degree back extension machine is pretty much ideal for this movement. Progress with holding a plate on one hand; you won’t need a lot of weight if going through an entire full ROM bend.

Rotation movement

Either of these options can be progressively overloaded which automatically makes it infinitely better than spamming Russian Twists with the same 6kg medicine ball for the next few decades.

Standing Cable Twist

• You can just hold the cable itself or perhaps a short single rope attachment. Essentially perform the Russian Twist but standing, and with more control.

Kneeling KB Twist

• Same as the cable variation really. Kneeling does seem to gel better with the kettlebell but it’s a minor detail.

Erector extension movement

Interestingly there’s pretty much no poor choice when it comes to training erectors, all of these should be done throughout your training life.

Jefferson Curl

• This should not be done by beginners.
• This can be done standing on elevation (jump box, stack of plates, etc) holding the barbell with your hands, or standing on the ground and holding the barbell with your elbows Zercher style.
• With the caution noted above, for intermediates and advanced lifters this is pure gold. Get strong with these and you will see flow on benefits with all your training.

45 Degree Back Extension

• This is the classic and possibly the best all-rounder erector exercise for hypertrophy. The loading potential is infinite as you can easily use a barbell, and occasionally strap in a light band as well to change the resistance profile. For regressions, bodyweight and banded bodyweight are great.

GHD Machine Back Extension

• Very similar to the 45 degree, but with the horizontal angle the resistance profile shifts. It’s harder to load comfortably with a barbell here, so a plate or two may be the max load you can work up towards.
• Strictly speaking this makes it not quite as good as the 45 degree back extension. However, if paired with the Jefferson curl this becomes the perfect complement and in fact marginally superior to the 45 degree – the Jefferson targets the lengthened position and the GHD machine targets the shortened.

Reverse Hyperextension

• Not the absolute best for pure hypertrophy if a Christmas tree lower back is your goal, but there’s little doubt this should be done for general back health as powerlifters have been doing for decades.
• The main problem here is most gyms will not have this piece of equipment.

Execution

With ab flexion, focus on going through a full ROM with the rectus abdominus. The shortened range might not be as deep as you think; keep a mind muscle connection with the abs. The lengthened range does require some arching of the lower back, so mindfulness is key to have the mind muscle connection on the abs and not feel an erector burn. This is also why an ab mat is so invaluable.

With the TVA isometrics, the exercises are generally the same as ab flexion but performed a bit differently. Here, expel air out of your diaphragm to focus on the deeper musculature underneath your rectus abdominis. Compared to the ab flexion, you should have even less range of motion especially at end range; your spine shouldn’t be going past neutral unlike the ab flexion work.

With lateral flexion, ensure your shoulders and hips are still aligned.

With rotation, make sure the turn is coming from your spine and not your hips.

With erector extension, this is pretty much the opposite of ab flexion. Generally speaking, and certainly for heavy sets, you’ll be going from neutral spine to rounded spine and avoiding an arched spine. On occasion, there’s definitely merit in sprinkling in a full ROM up to an arched spine, for lighter work.

Programming

Reps, tempo, sets, rest times

Core work don’t need any novel techniques, just focus on execution and effort and the rest will come.

Yes, this includes ab work. There’s no 100 rep ab exercise or 5 minute plank that will confer some secret hypertrophy growth.

Intensifiers and volume

Bodyweight ab exercises almost always work well with a mechanical drop set.

Apart from that, straight sets are generally the way to go here for most movements. This is especially true for erector work. Do not add intensifiers to erector work.

Sequence

Typically core work has been thrown at the end of workouts which is a reasonable approach.

If you are working both ab flexion and erector flexion within a session, always sequence the erector work first and ab work after it. This is an old John Meadows trick to help dissipate the back pump and focus on the mind muscle connection with the abs as well.

Depending on your session, you might actually start with an ab flexion movement first, if abs are a weak point you are trying to build up.