A strong core can provide a multitude of benefits, both in daily life and sports. The core contributes to spinal and torso control, stabilisation and power delivery during explosive movements such as running, jumping, pressing, throwing and squatting, whilst allowing for more simple movements such as sitting, standing, twisting, bending and rotating, in both a controlled and effective manner.

With a mass of benefits, your core muscles really can aid your day-to-day life, in and out of the gym. However, it is not always clear what muscles are considered ‘core’ muscles, or how to effectively target them. Read on to learn more about how your core is not just about your abs, and how there is much more to a strong and efficient core than a six-pack.

What Exercises Target Your Transverse Abdominals?

The transverse abdominals are deep core muscles which wrap around the upper body that play a vital role in keeping the spine and pelvis stable. They aid good posture and contribute to overall core strength. They are also an important component of the breathing process. Whilst lifting and moving, strong transverse abdominals can reduce lower back injuries, support functional movements, and aid in the simplest of tasks such as standing, sitting, or walking.

Compound Exercises for the TVAs

There is a vast array of exercises that target the transverse abdominals. Weighted examples include squats into overhead presses, kettlebell swings or cable woodchoppers. If, however, you are looking for bodyweight exercises, you could try mountain climbers on a Gym Bench, dead-bugs, or lunges with rotation.

Isolation Exercises for the TVAs

Isolating core muscles can provide a challenge, as most work in tandem to provide a strong body. However, effective examples for isolating the TVAs include pelvic tilts, seated TVA activation and wall dead-bugs.

What Exercises Target Your Rectus Abdominis?

The rectus abdominis muscles, often referred to as the abs or six-pack, are two tall, flat muscles that run along the front of the abdomen. They provide vital support to the spine, stabilise the core, assist in breathing and posture, aid daily movements such as bending, and provide protection to vital organs. They play a huge part in sports performance by supporting balance, power transfer and control in explosive movements, like jumping, sprinting, throwing, and in strength training, pressing and squatting. Developing these muscles aids towards the shredded look aspired to by budding bodybuilders.

Compound Exercises for the Rectus Abdominis

Compound exercises for the rectus abdominis muscles include the deadlift, front squat, and overhead press. If you are looking for something with less equipment or that does not require heavy lifting, bodyweight exercises such as hanging leg raises, push-ups or mountain climbers are a great option. Renegade rows are a lightweight, functional but equally challenging exercise often seen in circuit training.

Isolation Exercises for the Rectus Abdominis

Effective bodyweight exercises for isolating your abs include crunches, reverse crunches, and sit-ups. You can add resistance to any of these exercises with weight plates for sit-ups, and cables for crunches. Alternatives include toe touches, ab rollouts and lying leg raises.

What Exercises Target Your External Obliques?

Your external obliques are located on each side of your abdomen. They run from the lower ribs to the pelvis, and are crucial for rotating your trunk, stabilising your core and lateral flexion. They assist in twisting, spinal support and posture management. Strong external obliques contribute to a well-rounded core, and can amplify your sports performance, enhancing rotational power, which are useful for racket and bat sports, throwing, and kicking movements.

Compound Exercises for the External Obliques

There is a vast array of compound exercises that work the external obliques. Examples include deadlifts, woodchoppers (performed with cables or Medicine Ball), overhead squats or Turkish get-ups. Bodyweight alternatives include twisting lunges, side planks with leg raises or bicycle crunches.

Isolation Exercises for the External Obliques

Medicine ball Russian twists are a great option to isolate your external obliques using home gym equipment. Oblique twists, including their cable resistance counterpart, are effective as are knee to elbow crunches in the side-plank position, standing or cable oblique crunches or cross-body mountain climbers.

What Exercises Target Your Internal Obliques?

The internal oblique muscles run in the same space as the external obliques and are located beneath. They also run from the lower ribs to the pelvis and support rotation, trunk stability and bending movements. They enhance sports performance in similar ways to the external obliques, providing performance boosts in disciplines requiring rotational power, prioritising balance and promoting efficient power transfer between the lower and upper body.

Compound Exercises for the Internal Obliques

Compound exercises for the internal obliques are like those for the external obliques, with deadlifts, overhead squats, woodchoppers and twisting lunges proving good for development. If you are looking for alternatives, you could consider barbell landmine twists, dumbbell side bends or medicine ball rotational slams.

Isolation Exercises for the Internal Obliques

As with compound exercises, good internal oblique isolation can be had with the same exercises mentioned for external obliques. Russian twists, side planks, oblique v-ups, cable Pallof presses, and knee-to-elbow crunches are effective options to develop your internal obliques.

What Exercises Target Your Erector Spinae?

The erector spinae muscles are located deep in the back, and run up the spine from the lower back, terminating at the neck. They assist in rotation, extension, and stabilisation of the spine. Like the other muscles mentioned, they help maintain posture, keep the spine aligned and assist in movements such as lifting and bending. In sport, the erector spinae help support powerful, explosive movements such as jumping and sprinting. They are crucial for stability and balance, both whilst static and moving.

Compound Exercises for the Erector Spinae

If you are looking to strengthen your erector spinae muscles, you are spoilt for choice! Barbell exercises such as the deadlift, squat, RDLs, good mornings and bent-over rows provide options you can perform in virtually any gym. Kettlebell swings, farmers walks or hyperextensions provide functional options, with bodyweight examples such as the superman hold, glute bridge or bird-dog providing no-equipment alternatives.

Isolation Exercises for the Erector Spinae

The Back Hyperextension Bench (also known as the hyperextension) is viewed fondly as an isolation exercise for the erector spinae, and can be performed bodyweight on a hyperextension, or using cables for resistance. Reverse hyperextensions are also beneficial for the strengthening of these muscles. Cable back extensions, stability ball back extensions and the superman raise also provide proven effectiveness.

What Exercises Target Your Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor muscles and associated connective tissues are found in the base of the pelvis, and support organs such as the bladder, intestines and in females, the uterus. It plays a vital role in preventing incontinence, aiding posture, and allowing for efficient movement. As well as improving core stability, a strong pelvic floor can improve breathing under intense workloads, assist with balance, and support effective power transfer. It is a common misconception that only women need to train their pelvic floor muscles, but it’s important for everyone.

Compound Exercises for the Pelvic Floor

A number of compound movements involve the pelvic floor, some of which may already be in your routine. Squats, deadlifts, glute bridges, lunges and step-ups all contribute to a healthy pelvic floor, with standing overhead presses and wall sits also playing their part.

Isolation Exercises for the Pelvic Floor

Kegels are potentially the simplest and most frequently performed pelvic floor exercise. Other choices include supine pelvic floor contractions, bridges (maintaining a pelvic floor focus), seated pelvic floor squeezes, and toe-taps) keeping the pelvic floor engaged throughout).

Training your core effectively can positively affect your daily movements, functions, physique, sports performance, and reduce injury risk. Hopefully, this article has provided you with a better understanding of the different muscles that make up the core, as well as providing new options and ideas for you to incorporate into your daily routines and gym workouts for a healthier, stronger, and more stable body.

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Tags: Exercise Type > Strength