spine core
Obliques exercises
Trunk rotation, side bending, and anti-rotation control.
132
Exercises
50
Primary target
Related exercise guides
Home equipment tiers prioritize bodyweight, walls, chairs, towels, bands, and household loads before gym-only equipment.
360 Breathing (Hands on Ribs)
Learn to expand your ribs in all directions like an umbrella. This is the foundation of thoracic mobility and posture.
Ab Crunch Machine
You sit on an ab machine with your feet hooked under the leg pads and your hands on the top handles. Your triceps rest on the arm pads. You lift your legs and crunch your upper body forward against the machine.
Ab Wheel Crawls
Start in a plank with the feet on an ab wheel. Walk forward on the hands while the wheel rolls behind, following the feet.
Ab Wheel Knee Tucks
Start in a high plank with both feet in the cradles of an ab wheel. Pull both knees toward the chest so the wheel rolls in, then extend the legs back.
Ab Wheel Single-Arm Rollout
Kneel with an ab wheel in one hand and the other arm folded behind the back. Roll the wheel out and back under that one hand.
Ab Wheel Standing Rollout
Stand upright holding an ab wheel in front of your thighs. Hinge forward, set the wheel on the floor and roll it out until your body hovers fully extended above the floor. Pull yourself back up through the hinge to standing.
Ab Wheel V-Rollout
Kneel with an ab wheel in your hands. Roll the wheel out diagonally to one side, return to centre, then roll out diagonally to the other side.
Band Jack-Knife Sit-Up
You lie on your back with your head toward a high band anchor, holding the band handle in both hands overhead. You raise your arms, trunk and legs together to meet, then lower with control.
Band Resisted Hip IR/ER (Standing)
Standing hip rotation against band resistance for rotational control and strength.
Barbell Windshield Wipers, Supine
You lie on your back holding a barbell above your chest with straight arms. You lower your legs to one side, bring them back to the middle, then lower them to the other side.
Battle Ropes
Create waves with heavy ropes for conditioning and arm power. High-intensity exercise for return to sport.
Bear Hold
Hold a position on hands and toes with knees slightly off ground. Challenges shoulder stability.
Bird Dog
On hands and knees, extend opposite arm and leg. Builds shoulder stability and core strength together.
Bird Dog (Contralateral Chain Training)
Trains the posterior chain to work diagonally across the spine - the way we actually move in life. Essential for spine stability.
Bird Dog (SI Safe)
Quadruped core stability exercise teaching anti-rotation control. Critical for SI joint stability during movement.
Bird Dog - Full (Contralateral)
Extend opposite arm and leg while on all fours. One of the most back-friendly core exercises that builds stability and coordination.
Bird Dog - Leg Only
On all fours, extend one leg straight back while keeping your hips level. This builds back and hip stability without aggravating most back conditions.
Bird Dog with Band Resistance
Bird dog with band around extending limbs for added resistance. Advanced anti-rotation core exercise.
Bird Dog with Elbow to Knee
Full bird dog with a crunch: bring elbow and knee together under your body, then extend. Adds dynamic movement to the classic exercise.
Bird-Dog
From hands and knees, extend opposite arm and leg. Classic core and back stability exercise.
Bodyweight Standing Wood Chop With Clasped Hands
You stand with feet shoulder-width apart and clasp your empty hands together as if gripping an axe handle. You raise your hands up and across your body, then chop them down diagonally.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Single-leg squat with rear foot elevated. Builds unilateral leg strength and hip stability for SI joint support.
Cable Chop (Anti-Rotation)
Diagonal pulling pattern for rotational core strength. Trains controlled rotation through upper back while protecting SI joint.
Cable Chop - High to Low
Pull a cable from high to low diagonally across your body. Builds rotational core strength with controlled movement.
Cable Lift (Anti-Rotation)
Diagonal pushing pattern for rotational core strength. Complements the chop pattern for balanced rotational training.
Cable Lift - Low to High
The opposite of the chop - pull a cable from low to high across your body. Builds upward rotational power.
Cable/Band Row
Horizontal pulling exercise for upper back and trunk stability. Improves posture and trunk stability for SI joint protection.
Child's Pose with Reach
Rest in child's pose and walk your hands forward to stretch your shoulders and back.
Conventional Deadlift
The classic barbell deadlift. Builds whole-body strength when performed with proper technique. Requires good hip hinge mechanics.
Copenhagen Plank (Short Lever)
Side plank variation with adductor emphasis using elevated leg position. Short lever version for beginners.
Counter Push-Up
Push-up performed against a counter or elevated surface. Intermediate step between wall and floor push-ups.
Counter-Top Push-Up
Push-up against kitchen counter or sturdy surface. Progression from wall push-ups, more wrist loading.
Crocodile Breathing
Lie on your stomach to feel your belly and ribs expand into the floor. This teaches diaphragmatic breathing and calms the nervous system.
Cutting Drill (45-degree)
Jogging forward then cutting at a 45-degree angle. Sport-specific movement for athletes returning to cutting/pivoting activities.
Dead Bug (SI Safe)
Core stability exercise that maintains neutral spine while moving limbs. Essential for SI joint control and protection.
Dead Bug (Spine Chain Stability)
The gold standard for training the core to protect the spine during arm and leg movement. Teaches the whole chain to work together.
Dead Bug - Contralateral
The full dead bug: extend opposite arm and leg simultaneously while keeping your back stable. One of the best anti-extension core exercises.
Dead Bug - Heel Taps
Lie on your back and slowly lower one heel to tap the floor while keeping your back stable. This teaches core control without stressing your spine.
Dead Bug - Leg Extension
A more challenging dead bug where you extend one leg out straight while keeping your back flat. Excellent for building anti-extension core strength.
Dead Bug Arm Reach
Lie on back and reach arms overhead while keeping back flat. Works core and shoulder control together.
Dead Bug with Band Pull
Dead bug with added resistance from band pull-down. Increases challenge to core stability and anti-extension control.
Decline Crunch
Lie on a decline bench with the legs secured and the hands lightly at the head. Press the small of the back into the pad and roll the shoulders up.
Diaphragmatic Breathing (90/90 Position)
Learn proper breathing to calm pain, relax tight back muscles, and improve core timing. The 90/90 position takes pressure off your lower back.
Diaphragmatic Breathing (Belly Breathing)
Deep breathing using your diaphragm to reduce neck muscle tension and improve relaxation. Foundation for neck health.
Dumbbell Crunch-Up, Held Against the Chest
You lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, holding one dumbbell upright against your chest in both hands. You press your lower back into the floor, curl your upper body up, then lower.
Dumbbell V-Up
You lie flat on your back, arms overhead gripping one dumbbell, legs straight. You lift your straight legs and trunk together toward each other, then lower back down.
Dynamic Front-Plank-to-Side-Plank Rotation Drill
You start in a forearm plank with your body in a straight line. You turn onto your right side into a side plank without letting your hips drop. Then you turn back and repeat.
Floor Sit-Up
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hands beside your head. Lift your head and shoulders, bring your chest up toward your knees, then lower slowly. You may feel your abdomen and the front of your hips working.
Frog Sit-Ups
Lie on your back with the soles of the feet together and the knees dropped wide. Cross the arms over the chest and curl the upper body up.
Front Plank (Forearm Plank)
Hold a straight-body position on your forearms. Builds overall core endurance to support and protect your lower back.
Front Plank with Shoulder Taps
Add anti-rotation challenge to your plank by tapping alternate shoulders. Builds rotational stability for the spine.
Front Squat
Barbell squat with bar in front rack position. Emphasizes quadriceps and requires upright torso.
Goblet Squat
Squat while holding a weight at your chest. The counterbalance often helps depth and form.
Good Morning (Bodyweight)
Bodyweight hip hinge exercise for posterior chain activation and hamstring flexibility.
Half-Kneeling Thoracic Rotation
Assume a half-kneeling position and rotate your torso. Adds hip stability challenge to thoracic rotation.
Hanging Bicycle Crunches
Hang from a bar with your legs extended below you. Pull one knee high while extending the other leg in a cycling motion. Switch legs and keep alternating.
Hanging Windshield Wipers
Hang from a bar and pull your legs up until the feet point toward the ceiling. Rotate your legs and hips in a controlled way to one side, then through the center to the other side.
Hip Flexor March (Supine)
Controlled hip flexor strengthening performed lying on back without spinal strain.
Hip Hinge Drill
Foundational movement pattern teaching proper hip hinge mechanics for deadlift preparation.
Hip Hinge with Dowel
Teaches the fundamental hip hinge pattern while maintaining a neutral spine. Essential for protecting the back during bending and lifting.
Hip Thrust (Bench)
Gold standard glute strengthening exercise with upper back elevated on bench.
Jackknife on the Pilates Mat
You lie on your back with your arms long by your sides. You lift your legs and seat up and overhead until your legs are parallel to the floor, then reach them to the ceiling. You lengthen your body toward the floor with control.
Jackknife on the Pilates Spine Corrector
A lying overhead leg move on a Pilates spine corrector. With your head toward the barrel and hands on the handles, you reach your legs up and over toward the barrel, keeping them long and together.
Jackknife on the Pilates Wunda Chair
You lie on your back with your head an inch from the wunda chair pedal edge, holding the sides of the pedal and reaching your legs to the ceiling. You lift your hips up and over without pulling the pedal down.
Janda Sit-Up
A sit-up from lying with the knees bent at ninety degrees and the feet flat. Tighten the glutes and hamstrings hard, then rise slowly on the floor with no equipment.
Kettlebell Across-the-Body Chop
You stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in both hands beside one hip. You lift it slowly across your body on a diagonal, then lower it back.
Kettlebell Bear Crawl Drag
Take a crawling position with your knees hovering off the floor and a kettlebell under your body. Grip the handle with one hand and bear crawl forward, dragging the kettlebell along the floor. Switch hands and continue.
Kettlebell Russian Twist
You sit slightly reclined with your feet on the ground, holding a kettlebell by its horns with both hands. You turn your trunk from side to side, tapping the kettlebell lightly beside each hip.
Kettlebell Sit-Up and Press
Lie on your back with your knees bent and a kettlebell on your chest. Do a full sit-up, then press the kettlebell smoothly overhead once you are sitting upright. Lower it to your chest and roll back down.
Lateral Lunge (Controlled)
Side lunge with emphasis on controlled movement for adductor and glute development.
Lateral Lunge (Loaded)
Weighted side lunge for adductor and glute strength in frontal plane.
Leg Press (Hip-Dominant)
Leg press with high and wide foot position emphasizing hip extensors.