Core Exercises

Evidence-based core drills to build anti-extension, anti-rotation, and lateral stability—designed for runners, athletes, and active adults who want strong, resilient trunks without endless crunches.

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Core Stability 50+ exercise videos • Most use just a band, sliders, or a Swiss ball

Banded Plank Walk Intermediate–Advanced

High-tension plank with a band around the wrists as you walk the hands forward and back to challenge shoulder stability and anti-extension core strength.

Barrel Rolls Intermediate

Hug a Swiss ball between the arms and legs and roll side to side to train rotational control without stressing the low back with repeated flexion and extension.

Bear Crawls Beginner–Intermediate

Quadruped crawl with knees just off the floor to train full-body coordination, trunk stiffness, and shoulder–hip linkage as you move forward or backward with control.

Bird Dog Exercise Beginner

Classic quadruped reach with opposite arm and leg to build spinal control, hip stability, and low-back-friendly trunk endurance in a supported position.

Body Saw Slider Plank Intermediate–Advanced

Forearm plank with feet on sliders, sawing the body forward and back to level up anti-extension demands far beyond a standard plank hold.

Bosu Ball Front Plank Intermediate

Front plank with the forearms or hands on a Bosu to add instability, forcing more shoulder control and deep core engagement to hold neutral alignment.

Dead Bug 123 Swiss Ball Squeeze Variation Intermediate

Simple but highly effective way to train core control by progressively increasing pressure into a Swiss ball while maintaining proper rib and spine position.

Dead Bug 1-Arm Overhead Variation Intermediate

Dead bug with a single arm reaching overhead at a time to increase anti-extension demand and challenge shoulder control while keeping the low back flat to the floor.

Dead Bug Around The World Variation Intermediate

Coordinated dead bug pattern moving arms and legs through a “round the world” sequence to train control through multiple vectors without losing trunk position.

Dead Bug Exercise Beginner

Foundational supine core drill with alternating arm and leg lowering while keeping the ribs down and low back pressed into the floor for spinal-friendly trunk work.

Dead Bug Heel Taps + Progressions Beginner–Intermediate

Heel-tap variations starting with short ranges and building to longer reaches, great for scaling difficulty while maintaining solid lumbar control and breathing.

Dead Bug Karate Chop + Bicycle Variation Intermediate–Advanced

Fast arm “chops” paired with bicycle-style legs to add rotational and coordination demands on top of a traditional dead bug pattern.

Dead Bug Press Variation Intermediate

Simple but powerful way to increase core tension by pressing the stationary arm and leg together while the same-side arm and leg move.

Dead Bug Rock And Roll Variation Intermediate

Rocking the body slightly up and down in the dead bug position to increase time under tension and challenge trunk stiffness against motion.

Dead Bug Single-Sided Barrel Roll Intermediate

A high-control core drill that challenges anti-rotation strength, rib position, and pelvic stability as you “barrel roll” to one side while maintaining a strong, braced trunk.

Dead Bug Swiss Ball Resist Variation Intermediate

Press arms and legs into a Swiss ball while moving one limb at a time, ramping up core tension and bracing demand without high external load.

Dead Bug Swiss Ball Squeeze Variation Beginner–Intermediate

Maintain a light squeeze on the Swiss ball between arms and legs as you alternate movement to help reinforce rib position and core engagement during motion.

Dead Bug Swiss Ball Transfer Variation Intermediate–Advanced

Pass the Swiss ball from shins to hands and back while fully extending arms and legs, making this one of the more demanding dead bug progressions in your library.

Dead Bug Wall Press Beginner–Intermediate

Press the hands gently into a wall while performing dead bug leg movements, helping people feel true trunk tension and rib position without heavy loading.

Dead Bug With A Kettlebell Variation Intermediate–Advanced

Use a kettlebell as a counterweight while moving arms and legs to increase challenge to the deep core and shoulders without overloading the spine directly.

Dead Bug With A Swiss Ball Variation Intermediate

Hold a Swiss ball between hands and shins during dead bug patterns to add a simple but effective challenge to trunk tension and coordination.

Dead Bug With Bands Variation Intermediate–Advanced

Anchor bands overhead or behind you to add external resistance to the arms or legs during the dead bug, scaling tension for higher-level core work.

Dead Bug With Dumbbells Variation Intermediate–Advanced

Use light to moderate dumbbells in the hands to progress dead bug difficulty, adding load while still prioritizing lumbar position and breathing control.

Dumbbell Side Plank Intermediate–Advanced

Side plank loaded with a dumbbell to ramp up lateral trunk demand, shoulder stability, and hip control on the support side.

Front Plank Variation: Arm Reach Intermediate

Reach one arm at a time from a front plank to challenge anti-rotation control while maintaining level hips and a strong midline brace.

Front Plank Variation: Body Saw Intermediate–Advanced

Rock your body forward and back in a front plank position to increase lever length and make the anterior core work significantly harder to stay neutral.

Front Plank Variation: Elbow Taps Intermediate

Tap alternating elbows or shoulders while holding a plank to train stability against small disturbances without letting the trunk twist or drop.

Front Plank Variation: Elbows To Hands Intermediate–Advanced

Transition between forearm and high plank positions to blend core endurance with shoulder strength and controlled movement of the trunk.

Front Plank Variation: Front To Side Intermediate–Advanced

Rotate between front and side plank positions to train anti-rotation, lateral stability, and smooth transitions while maintaining spinal alignment.

Front Plank Variation: Glute Taps Intermediate

Tap alternating glutes with your hands from a plank position to challenge hip control and trunk stability without losing a neutral spine.

Front Plank Variation: Kettlebell Drag Thru Intermediate–Advanced

Drag a kettlebell side to side under the body during a plank to increase anti-rotation demand and mix in a small loaded reach component.

Front Plank Variation: Knee To Elbow Intermediate–Advanced

Drive the knee toward the elbow in a controlled manner from a plank to blend hip mobility, trunk strength, and anterior chain loading in one movement.

Front Plank Variation: Walk Overs Intermediate–Advanced

Walk the hands over and back across a small object while holding plank posture to increase time under tension and lateral control demands.

Kettlebell Suitcase Carry & Variations Beginner–Advanced

Loaded carry with a single kettlebell at your side, plus progression options, to train anti-lateral flexion, grip strength, and hip–trunk control while walking or marching.

Modified Side Plank Beginner

Side plank with the bottom knee bent and supported on the floor, making lateral trunk strengthening accessible early in rehab or for those new to side planks.

Modified Side Plank With Hip Abduction Beginner–Intermediate

Add top-leg raises to a modified side plank to blend lateral core endurance with glute med strength in a joint-friendly, supported setup.

Quad RNT Intermediate

Reactive neuromuscular training setup with a band pulling the knees while you control trunk and hip position, teaching better alignment under load and motion.

Quadruped RNT Bear Crawl Variation Intermediate–Advanced

A powerful way to improve core stiffness, pelvic control, and anti-rotation strength by maintaining constant pressure into a Swiss ball while hovering in a bear crawl position.

Reverse Plank Beginner–Intermediate

Supine plank with hips driven up toward the ceiling to strengthen the posterior chain and challenge shoulder extension and trunk control from the backside.

Side Plank Beginner–Intermediate

Classic side plank hold to build lateral trunk endurance, shoulder stability, and hip strength—an essential building block for many of your progressions.

Side Plank Star Variation Intermediate–Advanced

Lift the top leg into a star position while holding a side plank to push lateral stability, hip strength, and balance to a higher level of difficulty.

Side Plank With Bosu Ball Intermediate–Advanced

Perform your side plank with the forearm or feet on a Bosu to increase instability and demand more from the core and shoulder stabilizers.

Side Plank With Feet Elevated Intermediate–Advanced

Elevate the feet on a bench or step while side planking to increase lever length and loading on the lateral core and hip musculature.

Side Plank With Hip Abduction Intermediate–Advanced

Add top-leg raises to a full side plank to challenge glute med, lateral trunk, and hip control simultaneously in a demanding frontal-plane drill.

Side Plank With Knee Drive Intermediate–Advanced

Drive the top knee toward the chest from a side plank to incorporate hip flexion work and dynamic trunk control under load.

Side Plank With Leg Lift Intermediate–Advanced

Lift and lower the top leg in a controlled fashion while holding a side plank to build lateral hip strength on top of a solid core base.

Side Plank With Rotation Intermediate–Advanced

Thread the top arm under the body and rotate, then return to open side plank, to integrate controlled rotation with strong lateral trunk support.

Single-Arm Farmer Carry March Intermediate

March in place with a single heavy weight at your side to train unilateral trunk stability, hip control, and posture under load in a small footprint drill.

Slider Plank Walk Intermediate–Advanced

Place feet on sliders and crawl forward, backward, or diagonally in a plank to hammer the entire anterior core while keeping the shoulders and hips stable.

Stability Ball Rollout Intermediate

Kneeling rollout on a Swiss ball to train anti-extension strength in a way that is often more joint-friendly than full ab wheel rollouts for many people.

Stir the Pot Core Exercise Intermediate–Advanced

Forearms on a Swiss ball while making slow circles to hit anti-extension and anti-rotation at once, creating a high-demand core challenge in a small space.

Stir the Pot Variations Using a Swiss Ball Advanced

A collection of Stir the Pot progressions that layer in different directions, tempos, and ranges to push core control and shoulder endurance even further.

Suitcase Carry Exercise Beginner–Intermediate

Simple one-sided carry to teach upright posture and anti-lateral flexion strength, serving as a great entry point before progressing to more advanced carry variations.

Swiss Ball Body Saw Intermediate–Advanced

Forearms on a Swiss ball with a sawing motion forward and back to create an intense anti-extension challenge on an unstable surface for the entire anterior chain.

Swiss Ball Plank Variation Intermediate

Plank variations performed with the forearms on a Swiss ball to challenge core stability and shoulder control beyond ground-based plank work.