Whether you’re new to fitness or are a seasoned gym-goer, these core workouts for men will work your abs from every angle.
The key to developing a strong core and defined set of abs is to work the entire abdominals and lower back from a variety of angles, so you get balanced muscle growth. Endless crunches won’t cut it, but doing a mixture of moves that target your upper, lower and side abs, as well as your deep-lying stabilising muscles, will have a positive effect.
Which core workout is right for you?
Wondering which of the core workouts for men you should try from the options below? If you’re a complete beginner to fitness, or you’re returning after a break, it makes sense to start with the beginner core workout before advancing to the more difficult circuits. If you’ve been working on your core strength for a few months, try the intermediate core workout to continue your training journey. Or if you’re a practiced pro and have been strength training for years, head to the advanced core workouts for a real challenge.
Why you can trust the workouts in Men’s Fitness
At Men’s Fitness we pride ourselves on delivering information that serves a singular purpose: to improve some aspect of your health, fitness or wellbeing. For over 16 years, we’ve been publishing authoritative health and fitness content – written by our expert editors and contributors – in the form of the monthly Men’s Fitness magazine. Each of our workouts has been created by either a highly experienced editor or expert contributor, and has been tested and used in real-world situations. The first three workouts were created by performance coach Amoila Cesar, and the last advanced core workout – the toughest of the bunch – was designed by fitness coach Luke Goulden.
Beachbody trainer Amoila Cesar demonstrates Cat/Cow from the beginner core workout
Reps
20
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
Start on all fours with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees on the ground in a table top position
Inhale, dropping your chest as you push your hips into an anterior tilt and shoulder blades back into ‘cow’ position
Lift your chin and chest, and gaze forward
For ‘cat’, exhale as you draw your belly button to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling
2. Low plank
Reps
60 secs
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
Assume a prone position
Place your elbows and forearms on the ground. Your elbows should be under your shoulders and bent at 90 degrees
Tuck your chin so your head is in line with your body. Keep your head in line with your spine and belly button drawn in
Hold for 60 seconds
3. Deadbug
Reps
20
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
Lie on your back with your arms extended in front of your shoulders
Bend your hips and knees to a 90-degree angle
Tighten your abs and press your lower back into the floor
Take a deep breath in as you exhale, slowly extend your left leg toward the floor and bring your right arm overhead
Keep your abs tight and don’t let your lower back arch
Slowly return your arm and leg to the starting position
Repeat with your opposite arm and leg. Continue alternating
Intermediate core workout
1. Plank shoulder tap
Plank shoulder tap from the intermediate core workout
Reps
20
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
Start on your hands and knees
Your hands and knees should be shoulder-width apart
Lift your knees off the ground and push your feet back, bringing your body to full extension
Begin to tap one hand at a time to the opposite shoulder, keeping your hips level to the ground
The goal is to not rock your hips side to side while tapping your shoulder
2. Toe touches
Reps
20
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
Lie on your back with your legs together, fully extended on the ground
Keep your arms extended outward with palms down
With your knees slightly bent, raise your legs straight up in the air until your feet are parallel with the floor
Reach your arms toward your feet, forming a 45-degree angle. Your head should still be on the floor. This is your starting position
Roll forward as you exhale, lifting your torso off the floor as you try to touch your toes with your fingers
Inhale as you slowly reverse the motion back to the starting position. Repeat for a complete set
3. Side plank hip tap
Reps
20
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
Lie on your side with your forearm flat on the floor and bottom elbow lined up directly under your shoulder, with both legs extended out in a long line
Feet can either be staggered for more stability, or stacked for more of a challenge
Engage your core and lift your hips off the floor, forming a straight line from your head to your feet
Slowly lower your hip, tapping the ground, then raise to the start position
Repeat for 20 reps
Advanced core workout 1
1. Dumbbell drag
Dumbbell drag from the advanced abs workout
Reps
20
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
Assume the plank position
Position your feet wider than hip distance to form a stable base
Place the dumbbell just behind your right hand. Engaging the glutes, lower back and abdominal muscles, reach the left arm across the chest to grab the dumbbell, dragging it on its side by the handle under your body
Pause when the dumbbell is just behind the left hand, stacked below the shoulder
Repeat on the opposite side
2. Dumbbell side plank snatch
Reps
20
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
Assume the side plank position
Grab one dumbbell with the opposite arm
Keeping the dumbbell close to your body, begin lifting the dumbbell vertically across your chest, snatching it to the sky
The dumbbell and your wrist should be directly above your shoulder, creating a half ‘T’
Return to the start and repeat
3. Slider army crawl
Reps
3 forward, 3 back
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
Grab two sliders (or paper plates). Put both feet in the centre of the sliders and go down into a low plank position
Your elbows should be under your shoulders, and bent at 90 degrees
Your forearms should be parallel
Begin crawling forward, only using your elbow and forearms to move. Both legs should be straight and flexed as you drag your body back and forth
4. Chin-up knee drive*
Reps
20
Sets
3
Rest
60 secs
*Pull-up bar required
Grab the pull-up bar with your palms facing your torso
As you have both arms extended in front of you, keep your torso as straight as possible while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out
Begin to pull yourself up to raise your chin over the bar, contracting your shoulder blades
As your body rises, raise one knee towards your chest, leaving the opposite leg straight
As you lower from the chin up, also lower your knee back to starting position
Repeat on the opposite side, continuing to alternate legs
Advanced core workout 2
For most people, core training means an endless number sit-ups, crunches, Russian twists and so on. But the trouble with these exercises is that they require a load of movement, especially through spinal flexion – which, when done repeatedly, can lead to pain and discomfort.
Instead, it helps to understand a bit about how the body functions, and how you can maximise your training to improve how it functions and feels. Your core muscles exist to resist excessive motion in the spine – which is why plank variations are so effective. As such, it pays to train them to get better at doing just that – which this workout does.
Pay attention to your hips: maintain a partial posterior pelvic tilt, or slight tuck of your tailbone, throughout. Imagine wearing a belt and trying to tilt the belt buckle up towards your chin. Focus on your breathing: inhale and exhale down into your abdominals. And maintain a neutral spine position at all times.
For each exercise:
Reps
45-60 each side
Sets
3
Rest
30-45 secs
1. Deadbug ISO hold
Lie down, and fix your lower back to the floor – keep it in contact throughout
Reach to the sky and pull your shoulder blades apart (protraction)
Lightly touch your toes on the floor with bent knees, and hold
The deeper and longer the breath, the better
Remember: toes just lightly on the floor and don’t let your shoulders drop
2. High plank knee to elbow
Start by stacking your shoulders directly over your hands, keeping your arms straight, and push away from the floor
Bring your right knee up to your right elbow – as close as possible – and hold
Hold for time, then switch sides
3. Single-leg hollow hold
The key here is resisting extension in the spine – in other words preventing your lower back from arching/extending, while maintaining a braced midsection
Keep a partial posterior tilt, breathe down into your stomach and pull your belly button down into your body
Reach towards your feet if reaching over your head compromises your hip/back position
Fully extend one leg and bend the other into the body
4. High side plank with reach
This exercise will bring balance and length to your body
Keep the supporting arm below the shoulder, keep the hip elevated away from the floor, and again that slight tuck of the tailbone
I prefer not to stack my feet on top of each other, but do what works for you
Reach overhead with your arm and hold
5. Single-arm high plank
Start in your high plank position – the main difference here is to go wider with your feet to help with a more stable base
Once you feel stable, lift the arm and extend it down the side of your body
With the supporting arm, push away from the floor. Again, keep that tailbone slightly tucked, and remember to breathe
6. High side plank knee to elbow
Start with both legs extended on the floor, with your shoulder above your supporting arm
Slowly draw your knee to your elbow and hold
Focus on breathing, and maintain that slight tuck of the hips
In need of an exercise mat for these core workouts? We recommend the Body Power Never Quit mat
Laurence is a sports, fitness and lifestyle writer. He began his journalism career in Beirut and Amsterdam, before returning to the UK to write for the likes of ProCycling, What Mountain Bike and Outdoor Fitness magazines. In the process of writing 'Bikepacking (Mountain Bike Camping Adventures on the Wild Trails of Britain)', he cycled and wild camped across some of most remote places in the UK, subsequently taking TV presenter Sean Fletcher on one of his off-road cycling adventures for an episode of BBC Countryfile.
