20 Exercises To Reshape Your Core and Lose Fat
Think of your core muscles as the sturdy central link in a chain connecting
your upper and lower body.
Kneel on the floor and hold an ab wheel beneath your shoulders.
Brace your abs and roll the wheel forward until you feel you’re about to lose tension in your core and your hips might sag.
Roll yourself back to start.
Do as many reps as you can with perfect form and end the set when you think you might break form.
2. Arms-High Partial Sit-up
Lie on your back, knees bent at 90 degrees.
Raise your arms straight overhead, keeping them pointing up throughout the exercise.
Sit up halfway, then steadily return to the floor.
That’s one rep.
3. Barbell Rollout
Load the bar with 10-pound plates and kneel on the floor behind it.
Your shoulders should be over the bar.
Brace your abs and roll the bar forward, reaching in front of you until you feel your hips are about to sag.
Roll yourself back.
4. Barbell Russian Twist
Grasp the bar near the very end again—this time with both hands.
Stand with feet at shoulder width.
Swing the bar to your left, pivoting your feet as needed.
Then swing to your right.
5. Swiss Ball Crunch
Lie back on the ball with feet shoulder-width apart on the floor.
Your lower back should be supported by the ball.
Place your hands behind your ears and tuck your chin.
Curl your body up off the ball until you’re sitting up.
6. Dip/Leg Raise Combo
Suspend yourself over the parallel bars at a dip station.
Bend your knees slightly and raise your legs in front of you until they’re parallel to the floor.
This will build you a magazine-worthy six-pack.
7. Flutter Kick
Lie on your back with legs straight and arms extend out at your sides.
Lift your heels about 6 inches off the floor and rapidly kick your feet up and down in a quick, scissor-like motion.
8. Front Squat
Set a barbell on a power rack at about shoulder height (if you don’t have a rack, clean it to your shoulders).
Grasp the bar with hands at shoulder width and raise your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Take the bar out of the rack and let it rest on your fingertips—as long as your elbows stay up, you’ll be able to balance the bar.
Step back and set your feet at shoulder width with toes turned out slightly.
Squat as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.
9. Horizontal Cable Woodchop
Set an adjustable cable pulley to shoulder level (or attach a band to a sturdy object) and grasp the handle with both hands.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart, perpendicular to the anchor point and arms extended, far enough away from the machine so there’s tension on the cable.
Twist away from the machine as if you were chopping into a tree.
Keep your feet stationary.
10. Leg Raise
Lie on the floor and hold onto a bench or the legs of a heavy chair for support.
Keep your legs straight and raise them up until they’re vertical.
Lower back down, but stop just short of the floor to keep tension on your abs before the next rep.
11. Plate Russian Twist
Sit on the floor in the top position of a sit up.
Holding a plate with both hands, extend your arms in front of you.
Explosively twist your body to one side and then twist back.
Alternate sides.
12. Medicine Ball Mountain Climber
Hold the ball with both hands and get into pushup position on the floor.
Drive one knee up to your chest, then quickly drive it back while you raise the opposite knee.
13. Pike to Superman
Get into pushup position with your toes on the ball.
Bend your hips and roll the ball toward you so your torso becomes vertical.
Roll back so your body is straight again and extend your spine, then roll the ball up your legs so your body forms a straight line with arms extended overhead but hands still on the floor.
You should look like Superman flying downward.
That’s one rep.
Pull with your lats to return to the pushup position and begin the next rep.
14. Plank
Get into push-up position and bend your elbows to lower your forearms to the floor.
Hold the position with abs braced.
15. Pullup to Knee Raise
Hang from a pullup bar with hands outside shoulder width and palms facing away from you.
Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar and then raise your knees to your chest in the top position.
16. Pushup Rocket
Get into pushup position with your feet in the cradles of a suspension trainer.
Perform explosive pushups so that your hands leave the floor and you can clap in midair.
17. Resisted Reverse Crunch
Lie on your back on the floor and wrap the band around the arches of your feet.
Cross the ends of the band over each other to make an “X” and grasp the ends with opposite hands.
Bend your hips and knees so that your knees are near your chest and then crunch your torso off the floor.
Extend your legs while you raise your arms overhead, keep your shoulder blades off the floor.
That’s one rep.
18. Swiss Ball Rollout
Rest your forearms on the Swiss ball and extend your legs behind you.
Brace your abs and roll the ball forward as you extend your arms and hips.
When you feel you’re about to lose tension in your abs, roll yourself back.
19. Medicine Ball Seated Knee Tuck
Sit on a bench and squeeze the medicine ball between your feet.
Extend and elevate your legs out in front of you and extend your torso so that your body forms a straight line.
Hold on to the bench for support.
Crunch your torso forward and bring your knees to your chest.
20. Side Plank
Lie on your left side resting your left forearm on the floor for support.
Raise your hips up so your body forms a straight line and brace your abs—your weight should be on your left forearm and the edge of your left foot.
Hold the position with abs braced.
The necessary motions either originate in your core, or move through
it.
If you want SIX PACK ABS, read on!
No matter where motion starts, it ripples upward and downward to adjoining links of the chain.
No matter where motion starts, it ripples upward and downward to adjoining links of the chain.
Thus, weak or inflexible core muscles can impair how well your arms and
legs function.
That saps power from many of the moves you make.
Properly building up your core cranks up the power.
A strong core also enhances balance and stability.
It can help prevent falls and injuries during sports or other
activities.
In fact, a strong, flexible core underpins almost everything you
do:
Everyday acts.
Everyday acts.
Bending to put on shoes or lift a package, turning to look behind you,
sitting in a chair, or simply standing still — these are just a few of the
many mundane actions that rely on your core and that you might not notice
until they become difficult or painful.
Even basic activities of daily living, bathing or dressing, for example:
call on your core.
On-the-job tasks.
On-the-job tasks.
Jobs that involve lifting, twisting and standing all rely on core
muscles.
But less obvious tasks, like sitting at your desk for hours, engage your
core as well.
Phone calls, typing, computer use and similar work can make back muscles
surprisingly stiff and sore, particularly if you’re not strong enough to
practice good posture and aren’t taking sufficient breaks.
A healthy back.
A healthy back.
Low back pain, a debilitating, sometimes excruciating problem
affecting four out of five Americans at some point in their lives, may be
prevented by exercises that promote well-balanced, resilient core
muscles.
When back pain strikes, a regimen of core exercises is often prescribed
to relieve it, coupled with medications, physical therapy, or other
treatments if necessary.
Sports and other pleasurable activities.
Sports and other pleasurable activities.
Golfing, tennis or other racket sports, biking, running, swimming,
baseball, volleyball, kayaking, rowing and many other athletic activities
are powered by a strong core.
Less often mentioned are sexual activities, which call for core power and
flexibility, too.
Housework, fix-it work and gardening.
Housework, fix-it work and gardening.
Bending, lifting, twisting, carrying, hammering, reaching overhead, even
vacuuming, mopping and dusting are acts that spring from, or pass through,
the core.
Balance and stability.
Balance and stability.
Your core stabilizes your body, allowing you to move in any direction,
even on the bumpiest terrain, or stand in one spot without losing your
balance.
Viewed this way, core exercises can lessen your risk of falling.
Good posture.
Good posture.
Weak core muscles contribute to slouching.
Good posture trims your silhouette and projects confidence.
More importantly, it lessens wear and tear on the spine and allows you to
breathe deeply. Good posture helps you gain full benefits from the effort
you put into exercising, too.
Weak, tight, or unbalanced core muscles can undermine you in any of these realms.
Weak, tight, or unbalanced core muscles can undermine you in any of these realms.
And while it’s important to build a strong core, it’s unwise to aim all
your efforts at developing rippling abs.
Over training abdominal muscles while snubbing muscles of the back and
hip can set you up for injuries and cut athletic prowess.
If washboard abs are your holy grail, it’s essential to trim body fat
through diet and aerobic exercise and build strong abdominal muscles
through frequent core exercise sessions.
1. Ab Wheel Rollout
1. Ab Wheel Rollout
Kneel on the floor and hold an ab wheel beneath your shoulders.
Brace your abs and roll the wheel forward until you feel you’re about to lose tension in your core and your hips might sag.
Roll yourself back to start.
Do as many reps as you can with perfect form and end the set when you think you might break form.
2. Arms-High Partial Sit-up
Raise your arms straight overhead, keeping them pointing up throughout the exercise.
Sit up halfway, then steadily return to the floor.
That’s one rep.
3. Barbell Rollout
Load the bar with 10-pound plates and kneel on the floor behind it.
Your shoulders should be over the bar.
Brace your abs and roll the bar forward, reaching in front of you until you feel your hips are about to sag.
Roll yourself back.
4. Barbell Russian Twist
Grasp the bar near the very end again—this time with both hands.
Stand with feet at shoulder width.
Swing the bar to your left, pivoting your feet as needed.
Then swing to your right.
5. Swiss Ball Crunch
Lie back on the ball with feet shoulder-width apart on the floor.
Your lower back should be supported by the ball.
Place your hands behind your ears and tuck your chin.
Curl your body up off the ball until you’re sitting up.
6. Dip/Leg Raise Combo
Suspend yourself over the parallel bars at a dip station.
Bend your knees slightly and raise your legs in front of you until they’re parallel to the floor.
This will build you a magazine-worthy six-pack.
7. Flutter Kick
Lie on your back with legs straight and arms extend out at your sides.
Lift your heels about 6 inches off the floor and rapidly kick your feet up and down in a quick, scissor-like motion.
8. Front Squat
Set a barbell on a power rack at about shoulder height (if you don’t have a rack, clean it to your shoulders).
Grasp the bar with hands at shoulder width and raise your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Take the bar out of the rack and let it rest on your fingertips—as long as your elbows stay up, you’ll be able to balance the bar.
Step back and set your feet at shoulder width with toes turned out slightly.
Squat as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.
9. Horizontal Cable Woodchop
Set an adjustable cable pulley to shoulder level (or attach a band to a sturdy object) and grasp the handle with both hands.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart, perpendicular to the anchor point and arms extended, far enough away from the machine so there’s tension on the cable.
Twist away from the machine as if you were chopping into a tree.
Keep your feet stationary.
10. Leg Raise
Lie on the floor and hold onto a bench or the legs of a heavy chair for support.
Keep your legs straight and raise them up until they’re vertical.
Lower back down, but stop just short of the floor to keep tension on your abs before the next rep.
11. Plate Russian Twist
Sit on the floor in the top position of a sit up.
Holding a plate with both hands, extend your arms in front of you.
Explosively twist your body to one side and then twist back.
Alternate sides.
12. Medicine Ball Mountain Climber
Hold the ball with both hands and get into pushup position on the floor.
Drive one knee up to your chest, then quickly drive it back while you raise the opposite knee.
13. Pike to Superman
Get into pushup position with your toes on the ball.
Bend your hips and roll the ball toward you so your torso becomes vertical.
Roll back so your body is straight again and extend your spine, then roll the ball up your legs so your body forms a straight line with arms extended overhead but hands still on the floor.
You should look like Superman flying downward.
That’s one rep.
Pull with your lats to return to the pushup position and begin the next rep.
14. Plank
Get into push-up position and bend your elbows to lower your forearms to the floor.
Hold the position with abs braced.
15. Pullup to Knee Raise
Hang from a pullup bar with hands outside shoulder width and palms facing away from you.
Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar and then raise your knees to your chest in the top position.
16. Pushup Rocket
Get into pushup position with your feet in the cradles of a suspension trainer.
Perform explosive pushups so that your hands leave the floor and you can clap in midair.
17. Resisted Reverse Crunch
Lie on your back on the floor and wrap the band around the arches of your feet.
Cross the ends of the band over each other to make an “X” and grasp the ends with opposite hands.
Bend your hips and knees so that your knees are near your chest and then crunch your torso off the floor.
Extend your legs while you raise your arms overhead, keep your shoulder blades off the floor.
That’s one rep.
18. Swiss Ball Rollout
Rest your forearms on the Swiss ball and extend your legs behind you.
Brace your abs and roll the ball forward as you extend your arms and hips.
When you feel you’re about to lose tension in your abs, roll yourself back.
19. Medicine Ball Seated Knee Tuck
Sit on a bench and squeeze the medicine ball between your feet.
Extend and elevate your legs out in front of you and extend your torso so that your body forms a straight line.
Hold on to the bench for support.
Crunch your torso forward and bring your knees to your chest.
20. Side Plank
Lie on your left side resting your left forearm on the floor for support.
Raise your hips up so your body forms a straight line and brace your abs—your weight should be on your left forearm and the edge of your left foot.
Hold the position with abs braced.
