spine core
Rectus Abdominis exercises
Trunk flexion and anterior core support.
82
Exercises
51
Primary target
Related exercise guides
Home equipment tiers prioritize bodyweight, walls, chairs, towels, bands, and household loads before gym-only equipment.
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.
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.
Bear Hold
Hold a position on hands and toes with knees slightly off ground. Challenges shoulder stability.
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.
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.
Burpee
Squat and place your hands on the floor, then kick your legs back into a plank. Lower your chest, bring your feet back in, and finish with a vertical jump. You may feel your whole body working and your breathing speed up.
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 - Low to High
The opposite of the chop - pull a cable from low to high across your body. Builds upward rotational power.
Cat-Camel (Cat-Cow)
Alternate between arching and rounding your back on all fours. This gentle motion lubricates your spine and reduces stiffness.
Cat-Camel (Full Spine Wave)
The classic spine mobility exercise that moves each segment of the spine sequentially. Wakes up the entire spine chain and lubricates the joints.
Cat-Cow
Classic spine mobility exercise alternating between rounding and arching your back. Warms up the entire spine.
Copenhagen Plank (Short Lever)
Side plank variation with adductor emphasis using elevated leg position. Short lever version for beginners.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Knee Raise
Hang from a pull-up bar with straight arms and an overhand grip. Lift both bent knees together to above hip level, then lower your legs slowly without swinging. You may feel your stomach, hips, grip and forearms working.
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 Thrust (Bench)
Gold standard glute strengthening exercise with upper back elevated on bench.
Inverted Row
Row your body up to a bar while lying under it. Like a reverse push-up.
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.
Machine Seated Side Crunch
You sit upright on a side-crunch machine with the chest pad against your torso, gripping the handles with feet under the supports. You bend sideways against the lever, then return slowly.
Medicine Ball Diagonal Chop, Straddle-Stance Squat-and-Rotate
You stand with a wide stance holding a medicine ball at your waist. You sweep the ball up over one shoulder, then drive it down and across your body while squatting and rotating.
Monkey Bars Oblique Knee Raises
Hang from an overhead bar. Drive the knees up diagonally toward the outside shoulder, then switch sides.
Mountain Climber on the Pilates Wunda Chair
You put one foot on top of the wunda chair and the other on the pedal, with your fingertips on the back edge of the chair. You round over your front leg and hover while your pedal leg pumps the pedal eight times.
Pallof Press
Anti-rotation core exercise that challenges hip and trunk stability against lateral pull.
Pallof Press (Anti-Rotation)
The premier anti-rotation exercise. Trains the entire spine chain to resist rotational forces - essential for protecting the spine.
Pallof Press (Band/Cable)
Anti-rotation core exercise using band or cable resistance. Excellent for training the core to resist twisting forces that stress the SI joint.
Pallof Press - Half Kneeling
Perform the Pallof press in a half-kneeling position. This adds hip flexor stretch and more stability challenge.
Pallof Press - Kneeling
Kneel beside a cable or band and press it straight out, resisting the rotation. This anti-rotation exercise is excellent for lumbar stability.
Pallof Press - Standing
The standing version of Pallof press. Stand sideways to a cable or band and press out, challenging your core to resist rotation.
Pallof Press with Step-Out
Advanced Pallof press variation with lateral step during press. Increases anti-rotation demand with split stance.
Parallette Knee Tucks
Support the body on straight arms between two parallettes. Draw both knees up to the chest, then lower them without touching the floor.
Plank (Full)
Standard forearm plank for core endurance. Essential exercise for anti-extension core stability.
Plank (Modified - Knees)
Modified front plank from knees for core endurance. Builds foundational core strength before progressing to full plank.
Plank Up-Down
Start in a straight-arm plank. Lower one forearm to the floor, then the other, then press back up one arm at a time, changing the leading arm each time. You may feel your stomach, shoulders, arms and buttocks working.
Plank on Fists
Hold plank position on fists to keep wrists neutral. Good option for those who can't tolerate wrist extension.
Plank on Hands
Hold high plank position with straight arms. Builds elbow stability and core strength simultaneously.
Redcord Suspended Waist-Sling Side Crunch
You lie on your side with a sling around your waist, hung from ropes on a ceiling mount, and your hands behind your neck. You bend your trunk sideways to lift, then lower with control.
Reverse Bear Crawl
Set up in a bear-crawl position with your knees hovering just off the floor. Step your hands and feet backward. Push firmly through your palms and keep your hips low and stable as you crawl.
Reverse Crunch
Lie on your back with your knees bent above your hips and your palms down. Curl your hips off the mat so your knees move toward your chest, then roll back down. You may feel your stomach muscles working, especially low down.
Reverse Plank
Lie face up with legs straight and prop yourself on both forearms. Press through your heels and forearms to lift your hips into a straight line from ankles to shoulders. You may feel the backs of your thighs, buttocks, shoulders and stomach working.
Sandbag Russian Twist
You sit leaned back about 45 degrees with your feet flat, holding a sandbag in both hands in front of you. You twist your torso to one side and then the other.
Scissor Kick
Lie on your back and press your low back into the mat. Lift both straight legs a little, then lower one leg while the other lifts, without letting a heel touch. You may feel the lower stomach and the front of your thighs working.
Side Sit Ups Advanced on the Pilates Ladder Barrel
An advanced side bend over a Pilates ladder barrel. You lie draped on your side with the bottom leg anchored and the top leg reaching, hands behind your head, and lift your waist up and over the barrel.
Sit-Up Punches at the Free-Standing Bag
Lie on your back in front of a free-standing bag with your feet toward it. Sit up, curling your trunk toward the bag, and give two punches at the top. Lower back down under control.
Slider Plank Jacks
Set a high plank with both feet on sliders and your hands under your shoulders. Glide both feet wide at the same time, then glide them back in together. Keep your upper body as still as you can.
Stability Ball Crunch
Lie back on a stability ball with your shoulders, back and tailbone on it and your feet flat. Curl your upper back up toward your thighs, keeping your tailbone on the ball. You may feel the front of your stomach working.