Any time you ever step into a commercial gym, you more than likely see the same pattern play out. It's not a bad thing, people just aren't getting the right information (typically because of social media). And the exercise category this happens with most is core training.
One group thinks diet is the only piece of the puzzle. And yes, if you want to see your abs, you need to be lean enough. But being lean only reveals a muscle that's already been built. Just like your arms or your legs, your abs need direct, intentional training to grow, and building that muscle actually makes it visible at a wider range of body fat levels too, not just at single digit body fat.
The second group knows core training matters, but their execution and exercise selection is letting them down. I see standing kettlebell marches (fantastic for shoulder and hip stability, not much for building your abs), planks held with a completely disengaged core, and knee raises that turn into a full body swing powered by the hip flexors instead of the abs.
If you're going to train your core - and everyone should - let's make sure you're actually training it well.
Here are my favorite exercises for building a strong, functional core, broken down by rectus abdominis (your "abs") and obliques.
Before we get into the movements, here's why this matters beyond how it looks.
From an Injury Standpoint: Research on core stability consistently shows that a well trained core improves spinal stability and neuromuscular control, which helps prevent the excess shear force on your lumbar spine that leads to low back pain. Multiple studies and systematic reviews have found core strengthening programs reduce pain and disability in people who already deal with chronic low back pain, and the same style of training is used as a preventive strategy for people who don't have pain yet.
From a Strength Standpoint: Your core is the middle link in the chain between your upper and lower body. Research across sports, from racket sports to combat sports to jumping and throwing, shows a stronger, more stable core improves how efficiently force transfers from your legs through your trunk and into your arms. A weak or poorly controlled core creates "energy leaks," meaning you generate force in your hips and legs but lose some of it before it ever reaches the bar, the ball, or your opponent. Build a stronger core and more of the force you create actually gets used.
So no, this isn't just about visible abs. It's about a spine that holds up over decades of training and a body that transfers force efficiently in everything you do.
Rectus Abdominis: -Strict toes to bar
-Strict knees to elbow
-Reverse crunch
-Ab rollout
-Banded reverse crunch
-Flat bench reverse crunch
-Incline bench reverse crunch
-Stall bar leg raise
-Incline bench leg raise
-Supine toes to bar
-Knees to bar
-Cable crunch
Obliques: -Hanging oblique raise
-Side lying oblique crunch
-Windshield wiper
-Landmine oblique twist
-Cross body toes to bar
-DB side bend
-45 degree oblique raise
Tips to Consider Anything hanging needs to be controlled. If you're swinging, you're likely using your hip flexors to generate momentum instead of your abs to generate the movement. Regress to a reset between reps by touching your toes back to the ground.
Unless the exercise is designed to extend through the spine (cable crunch, for example), you want to maintain a hollow position and keep your low back from arching. If your low back is arching during ab wheel rollouts, you're not getting the most out of the movement, and you're putting your spine in a compromised position. Regress the range of motion, or the exercise itself, until you can control it.
Train your abs like you train everything else: with intent, with control, and with a reason behind every rep.