Popular Core Strength Training Exercises & Ab Exercises
Plank: In a face down position, balance on the tips of your toes and elbows while
attempting to maintain a straight line from heels to head. This exercise focuses on
both the anterior and posterior muscle groups of the trunk and pelvis.
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Side Plank: Start on your side and press up with your right arm. Form a bridge
maintaining a straight line from your hand to your foot. Rest on you r elbow to
increase the difficulty. This exercise focuses on the abdominal obliques and
transversus abdominus.
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Back Bridge: Lying on your back, raise your hips so that only your head, shoulders,
and feet are touching the floor. The supine bridge focuses on the gluteal muscles.
Stronger gluteals help maintain pelvic control.
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Pelvic Thrusts or Hip Lifts: Lie on your back with your legs bent 90 degrees at the
hip. Slowly lift your hips off the floor and towards the ceiling. Lower your hips to the
floor and repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.
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Oblique Twists: 1. Start by sitting on the floor with hips and knees flexed to
approximately 90-degree angles. 2. Grasp a medicine ball or small dumbbell and
swing it to the right and left as you keep the hips from rotating with the shoulders.
3. The arms are not perpendicular to the torso, but instead, kept low, near the
thighs, as the medicine ball is swung to each side.
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Dumbbell Lunges with Twist: Stand with feet hip width apart. Grasp DB's and
hold out in front of body. 2) Step forward 2-3 feet forming a 90 bend at the front
hip and knee. DO NOT allow front knee to extend past the big toe - may cause
injury. As you are lunging swing dumbbells across body towards the hip. 3)
Pushing off front foot, return to start position with legs and dumbbells. 4)
Remember to keep head and back upright in a neutral position. Shoulders and hips
should remain squared at all times. 5) Watch for proper knee alignment - do not let
front knee extend past big toe or deviate laterally or medially. Back knee should not
come in contact with floor.
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Push-ups (self-explanatory)
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Squats Visit this website for proper form.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/strengthtraining/a/howtosquat.htm
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V-sits:
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Begin in a seated position, contract your abdominal muscles and core, and lift
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your legs up to a 45-degree angle.
Reach your arms straight forward or reach up toward your shins, as you are able.
Maintain good core posture and a strong spine.
Hold this "V" position for several seconds to begin. As you get stronger, hold the
position longer.
 Return to your starting position slowly.
 Just before you reach the floor, stop and hold the position for a few seconds.
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Alternating Superman
 Lie face down on a mat with your arms stretched above your head (like superman)
 Raise your right arm and left leg about 5-6 inches off the ground (or as far as you
comfortably can).
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Hold for 3 seconds and relax.
Repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
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Other excellent core stability exercises include:
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Lat Pull Downs
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Leg Presses/Squats
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Crunches and crunch variations
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Regular lunges
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Back extensions
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Dead lifts
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Chin-ups
Abdominal Exercises: (Six Pack here we come!)
Bicycle Crunch:
 Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground.
 Put your hands beside your head.
 Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle
pedal motion.
 Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.
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Breath evenly throughout the exercise.
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Captain’s Chair Exercise
 Start with legs dangling and slowly lift your knees in toward your chest.
 The motion should be controlled and deliberate as you bring your knees up and
return them back to the starting position.
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Abdominal Crunch on Exercise Ball
 Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor.
 Let the ball roll back slowly and lie back until your thighs and torso are parallel
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with the floor.
Contract your abdominals raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees.
To work the oblique muscles, make the exercise less stable by moving your feet
closer together.
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Vertical Leg Crunch
 Lie on your back and extend the legs up with knees slightly bent.
 Contract your abs and raise up until your shoulder blades leave the floor.
 Keep your chin up; don't pull on your neck.
 Keep your legs in a fixed position.
 Lift your torso toward your knees.
 Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
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Reverse Crunch
 Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor
 Place hands on the floor or behind the head.
 Bring your knees up towards the chest so they bend about 90 degrees
 Contract your abs and lift your hips off the floor in a very small movement.
 Lower and repeat.
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Crossover Crunch
 Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
 Cross your right leg over your left leg so your right ankle is resting on your
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left knee.
Place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears.
Contract your abdominal muscles as though you are doing a crunch
Slowly twist your torso and touch your left elbow to your right knee.
Exhale as you lift up
Slowly lower to the starting position
Inhale as you lower
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions and switch legs and do the same
number of reps on the other side.
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Seated Oblique Twist w/ Medicine Ball
 Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
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Contract your abs and sit at about a 45 degrees angle.
Hold a medicine with both hands directly in front of you
Contracting your abs, twist slowly from your torso to your right and touch the
medicine ball to the floor beside you.
Quickly, but smoothly, contract your abs and twist your torso and touch the
medicine ball to the other side.
o Repeat for the desired number of reps.
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Oblique Crunch
 Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
 Slowly drop your legs to the left and let your knees rest near the floor.
 Place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears.
 Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold.
 Curl up slowly so both your shoulders lift off the floor a few inches.
 Hold for a count of 2 and return to the start position.
 Repeat for the desired number of reps and switch to the other side.
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Basic Abdominal Crunch
 Lie on your back, bend your knees, placing your hands on the sides of your head.
 Contract your abs and flatten your lower back against the floor.
 Slowly lift your shoulder blades one or two inches off the floor.
 Exhale as you lift, keep your neck straight and chin up.
 Hold for a few seconds (don't hold your breath).
 Slowly lower while keeping your abs contracted.
 Repeat up to 20 reps this perfect form for each rep.
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