Core Exercises
The complete core exercise index — planks, crunches, leg raises, Russian twists, ab wheel rollouts, cable woodchoppers, and dead bugs. A strong core transfers to every other lift and reduces lower-back injury risk. This collection organizes movements by equipment and difficulty so beginners and advanced lifters can both find appropriate work.
Training Guide
The core is more than the six-pack: it is the obliques that rotate and resist rotation, the deep transverse layer that braces, the rectus that flexes the trunk, and the lower-back stabilizers that keep the spine safe under load. Training only crunches trains one function of at least four — and the functions you skip are the ones that make squats, deadlifts and daily life safer and stronger.
The library's 99-exercise core family covers every function: anti-extension (Plank, Ab Roller), flexion (Crunches, Cable Crunch), rotation and anti-rotation (Russian Twist, Cable Russian Twists), leg-driven lower-ab work (Hanging Leg Raise), and conditioning (Air Bike).
Programming guide: - Train core 2–4x weekly at the end of sessions, 5–10 minutes per session - Rotate one brace, one flexion and one rotation movement across the week - 2–3 sets of 30–60 seconds for holds, 10–20 reps for dynamic movements - Visible abs come from body-fat level, not from rep counts — train the core, manage the kitchen
All Core Exercises
99 exercises- 3/4 Sit-UpBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Ab Crunch MachineMachineIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Ab RollerBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Advanced Kettlebell WindmillKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Air BikeBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Alternate Heel TouchersBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Barbell Ab RolloutBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Barbell Ab Rollout - On KneesBarbellAdvancedPrimary: Abs
- Barbell Rollout from BenchBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Barbell Side BendBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Bent-Knee Hip RaiseBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Bent PressKettlebellAdvancedPrimary: Abs
- Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side BendsCableBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Bottoms UpBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Butt-UpsBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Cable CrunchCableBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Cable Judo FlipCableBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Cable Reverse CrunchCableBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Cable Russian TwistsCableBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Cable Seated CrunchCableBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Chin To Chest StretchBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Neck
- CocoonsBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Cross-Body CrunchBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Crunch - Hands OverheadBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Crunch - Legs On Exercise BallBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- CrunchesBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Dead BugBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Decline CrunchBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Decline Oblique CrunchBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Decline Reverse CrunchBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Double Kettlebell WindmillKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Dumbbell Side BendDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Elbow to KneeBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Exercise Ball CrunchBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Exercise Ball Pull-InBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Flat Bench Leg Pull-InBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Flat Bench Lying Leg RaiseBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Frog Sit-UpsBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Gorilla Chin/CrunchBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Hanging Leg RaiseBodyweightAdvancedPrimary: Abs
- Hanging PikeBodyweightAdvancedPrimary: Abs
- Isometric Neck Exercise - Front And BackBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Neck
- Isometric Neck Exercise - SidesBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Neck
- Jackknife Sit-UpBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Janda Sit-UpBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Kettlebell Figure 8KettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Kettlebell Pass Between The LegsKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Kettlebell WindmillKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Abs
- Knee/Hip Raise On Parallel BarsBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Kneeling Cable Crunch With Alternating Oblique TwistsCableBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Landmine 180'sBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Leg Pull-InBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Lower Back CurlBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Lying Face Down Plate Neck ResistanceBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Neck
- Lying Face Up Plate Neck ResistanceBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Neck
- Medicine Ball Full TwistBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Neck-SMRBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Neck
- Oblique CrunchesBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- Oblique Crunches - On The FloorBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Abs
- One-Arm High-Pulley Cable Side BendsCableBeginnerPrimary: Abs
Core Exercises by Equipment
Other Muscle Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best core exercises?
Three movements cover the main functions: the Plank (and its harder progressions) for bracing and anti-extension, the Hanging Leg Raise for the lower-abdominal and hip-flexor chain, and the Cable Crunch for loaded flexion that can actually be progressed in weight. Add a rotation move like the Russian Twist if your sport or life demands it. That is a complete core menu in under ten minutes.
Do crunches give you visible abs?
Crunches build the abdominal muscle underneath, but visibility is decided by the layer of fat above it — and fat is managed by total calories, not by any exercise. Training abs makes them thicker and better shaped; a calorie deficit makes them visible. Do both: direct core work 2–4 times weekly, and a moderate deficit with high protein when the goal is definition. Our calorie calculator can set that deficit for you.
How often should I train core?
Two to four short sessions weekly is ideal — the core recovers faster than large muscles, but it also works isometrically in every squat, deadlift and carry. Ten minutes at the end of a session, rotating between a brace, a flexion and a rotation movement, beats one long weekly ab marathon. If your lower back feels chronically tight, reduce flexion volume and prioritize bracing and hip-hinge quality.
Do I need direct core work if I squat and deadlift?
Heavy compounds train the core isometrically — bracing under load is real work — but they do not develop the visible abdominal wall much, nor rotation strength. Direct core training fills both gaps: it thickens the abs, improves control in the stretched and rotated positions, and builds endurance in the stabilizers for when heavy sets get long. Ten minutes, 2–4 times a week, is the whole price.
Is the ab roller a good core exercise?
Excellent — it is one of the strongest anti-extension progressions available: as the wheel rolls out, your core must resist arching under growing leverage. Start from the knees with a short rollout range, progress the distance session by session, and only move to standing rollouts once you can keep the lower back flat throughout. Stop the set the moment your hips begin to sag — that is fatigue, not weakness.
How do I get visible abs?
Three levers, in order of impact: a sustained calorie deficit (moderate, protein-sparing), consistent full-body training that keeps muscle while fat drops, and direct core work so the abs underneath are worth revealing. Genetics decide where fat leaves last — for most people that is the midsection — so patience matters. Use our calorie and macro calculators to set the numbers, then let 8–16 weeks of consistency do the rest.
Free Fitness Calculators
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