Here are the ultimate core workouts designed to boost strength, stability, and sculpt that enviable six-pack.

Are your deadlifts hitting a plateau? Do you find your shoulders hunching forward as you run? Or perhaps you’ve noticed yourself slumping over your desk one too many times. Whatever your motivation for enhancing your core strength, our comprehensive guide to the best core exercises is here to assist you in building strength, stability, and those coveted six-pack muscles. But it’s not just about aesthetics.

From the moment you rise out of bed until you retire for the night, your core is constantly engaged. That’s why we’ve enlisted the expertise of Marvin Burton, head of fitness at Anytime Fitness UK, to prepare your core for action, whether you need it to power through 80 minutes of rugby or simply carry your groceries home from the supermarket.

“Your core isn’t something that you can switch on or off,” says Burton. “It’s always engaged. If I ask you to try getting out of bed without using your core, it’s impossible. Every time you sneeze, cough, or laugh, your core is contracting, so it’s crucial to build sufficient core strength for any task you’re undertaking.”

What Muscles Make Up the Core Consider the relationship between your abs and your core much like the relationship between your biceps or triceps and your arms: one comprises a single muscle while the other encompasses multiple muscles.

“By training your core, you’re targeting the area surrounding the center of your body,” explains Burton. “When someone mentions doing an ab exercise, they’re typically referring to the muscles at the front of the stomach.” Your core muscles extend from your neck down to your pelvis and include muscles such as your traverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, multifidus, and erector spinae.

Why You Should Train Your Core From injury prevention to enhanced sports performance, there are numerous reasons to train your core. Let’s delve into some of them in greater detail with the help of Burton and the latest scientific research.

A Strong Core Improves Your Posture Research published in Isokinetics and Exercise Science reveals that core training can enhance postural stability. Men who participated in three hour-long pilates sessions per week for two months experienced significant improvements in postural stability tests.

A Strong Core Enhances Muscle Building in Other Areas Interested in developing impressive chest muscles? Well, building a strong core is essential. “If you’re a guy aiming for a bigger chest but you have a weak core, that contributes to forward pulling and rounding of the shoulders,” notes Burton. Core exercises can correct this and help you achieve the chest you desire.

A Strong Core Benefits Athletic Performance According to research from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, many people have weak deep core muscles. Runners with weak deep core muscles are at a higher risk of developing low-back pain due to poor form resulting from a weak core.

“A strong core isn’t just beneficial for runners; it’s essential for most sports,” explains Burton. “When you start to slouch while running, you limit the amount of oxygen entering your lungs. Improving your posture and maintaining core strength are crucial for optimizing oxygen intake and overall athletic performance.”

How to Engage Your Core Knowing which exercises target your core is essential, but understanding how to engage it properly ensures effective training regardless of the muscle you’re working. Engaging your core involves bracing your body as if you’re anticipating a blow to your midsection. While this may seem simple, turning it into an unconscious action takes practice. Burton offers a straightforward method to learn how to engage your core effectively:

“Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Press your lower back into the ground and try to prevent your hand from passing through the gap by pressing down slightly and tensing your core muscles. Hold this position for six to 10 seconds, rest, and repeat three to four times.”

“As you progress, try standing and contracting. Once you understand the sensation, it becomes easier to comprehend what engaging the core entails. Remember, your glute muscles, stomach, and breathing should all contribute to the contraction. The key is to find a balance where you can contract and breathe simultaneously without straining.”

How to Strengthen Your Core To strengthen your core, incorporate 1-3 of the following exercises into your routine during each session. Aim for 2-3 sessions per week, including 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps. Here are some core-strengthening exercises to consider:

1. Plank: A fundamental exercise that challenges your entire core.
2. Glute Bridge: Strengthens your glutes, essential for core support.
3. Dead Bug: Tests your core strength in a safe and controlled manner.
4. Flutter Kicks: Engages your core stabilizers without straining your lower back.
5. Swimming Superman: Targets your entire core and upper body.
6. TRX Row: Utilizes suspension training to engage your core effectively.
7. Dragon Flag: An advanced move that works your entire core and upper body.
8. Russian Twists: Enhances rotational movements crucial for many sports.
9. Barbell Rollout: Challenges your core with a full range of motion.
10. Medicine Ball Slam: Provides an intense core workout with correct form.
11. Cable Woodchop: Incorporates rotational movements while standing.
12. Hanging Leg Raises: Builds abs and improves core stability and strength.
13. Turkish Get-up: Enhances stability, mobility, balance, and strength.
14. L-sit: Demonstrates midline stability and strength.
15. Bear Crawl: Improves full-body strength, balance, and coordination.
16. Hollow Rock: An advanced exercise that works your entire core.
17. Plank Pull Through: Challenges your core to remain stable during movement.
18. Renegade Row: Strengthens your back, abdominals, obliques, and erector spinae.
19. Copenhagen Plank: Focuses on adductor muscles and hip stability.
20. Kneeling Landmine Rotations: Targets oblique muscles and spine stability.
21. Pallof Press: Engages your core by resisting rotation.
22. Single Arm Farmer’s Carry: Challenges your