What Is the Core? Muscles, Function and the Best Core Exercises

Your core is the group of muscles around your lower spine, pelvis and hips, sometimes called the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. It includes your abs, obliques, deep abdominal wall, lower back muscles, glutes, hip muscles, diaphragm and pelvic floor. Its main job is to keep your spine stable and pass force between your upper and lower body.

What parts make up the core?

Think of the core as four pieces working together:

• The lumbar spine, your lower back vertebrae and the muscles that support them
• The pelvis and sacrum, the base everything connects to
• The abdomen, every layer of it, not only the six-pack muscle on top
• The hip joints, where your thigh bones meet your pelvis

The fitness and infomercial industries simplified this to “abs” because crunch gadgets are easier to sell. Any program that treats the core as only abs is missing most of it.

What does the core actually do?

Your core keeps your trunk stable so your arms and legs can produce force. When you squat, deadlift, sprint, throw or carry groceries, your core braces to keep your spine in a strong position and pass force through your body.

When it works well, you can brace under a heavy squat, feel your midsection working on every big lift and move without your lower back taking over.

Is core strength the same as having abs?

No. Visible abs come mostly from low body fat. Core strength comes from training your trunk to resist and control movement. You can have a six-pack with a weak core, or a strong core with a layer of fat over it. Strong, integrated core training does more for your performance and your back than isolated crunches.

Why do compound lifts train the core?

Squats, deadlifts, overhead presses and loaded carries force your whole core to brace to keep you upright under load. That is a big reason these lifts are the backbone of good programs. They train stability and strength at the same time.

What are the best core exercises?

I group core work by what it trains:

• Resisting extension: planks, ab wheel rollouts, dead bugs
• Resisting rotation: Pallof presses, cable anti-rotation holds, single-arm carries
• Resisting side bending: side planks, suitcase carries
• Controlled rotation: cable woodchops and low-to-high chops
• Hip and glute strength: glute bridges, hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts

What are good standing cable ab exercises?

If you hate crunches and sit-ups, standing cable work trains your core in a more functional way. These are four I use often:

1. Pallof press. Stand side-on to a cable at chest height, hold the handle at your chest and press it straight out without letting it pull you around. 3 sets of 10 to 12 per side.
2. Pallof press with overhead reach. Press out, then raise your arms overhead while staying square. 3 sets of 8 per side.
3. High-to-low cable woodchop. Pull the cable from above one shoulder down across your body to the opposite hip, turning through your hips and chest. 3 sets of 10 to 12 per side.
4. Low-to-high cable chop. The same pattern from the bottom up. 3 sets of 10 to 12 per side.

Keep your ribs down, squeeze your glutes and move slowly.

How often should I train my core?

Two to three times a week, 5 to 10 minutes at the end of a session, on top of your compound lifts. Pick one exercise from two or three of the groups above.

For more, read 4 reasons your physique is weak and what makes TRX training so special. If you want core work built into a full plan, take the XPL quiz.