When you think of the core, what comes to mind? Most people think of six pack abs, however, the core consists of much more than that. This no equipment core and upper body workout will target key areas to help you build strong, functional core stability.
Focusing on vanity muscles can act as a great motivator for people, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to a strong and functional core. It’s helpful to think of the core as not only the front abdominal area, but the entire midline pillar – everything from your pelvic floor to your shoulders, as well as the back and sides of the body.
In this post, we’ll dive into the importance of core strength and the benefits of core exercises. We’ll end with a no equipment core and upper body workout you can do at home.
Why is Core Strength and Stability Important?
Core strength contributes to the stability of the spine and is important for postural control in movements.1 By focusing on the core stability and strength, you can improve your ability to move functionally, lift more, and help prevent injury.
As previously mentioned, the core should be thought of as not only the abdominal region, but also the entire midline pillar (front, back, top to bottom, and side to side). It spheres around the entire trunk and spine, allowing our limbs to move.
Working up the spine, the core can be thought of as the following muscles:
- Pelvic Floor
- Multifidus Muscle (group of deep back muscles)
- Internal Obliques
- Transverse Abdominis (deep abs)
- External Obliques
- Rectus Abdominis (six pack)
- Diaphragm (respiratory muscle)
- As well as all the muscles down the back, up the chest, and along the side of the midline pillar
Because a strong and functional core includes the upper body, I put together this no equipment core workout to target the abdominal muscles, back, mid traps, and low traps. The first two supersets focus on the upper body, and finishes in the front abdominal muscles.
How to Engage Your Core Correctly
Instead of thinking about ‘the six pack’ as an isolated part of the body, think about working the whole core through the entire body. The core isn’t like the bicep or hamstrings, so we shouldn’t treat it the same.
From our discussions above, though whole core encompasses several components, there are three key pieces that act as the base of core stability:
- Diaphragm (respiratory muscle)
- Transverse Abdominis (deep abs)
- Pelvic Floor
By understanding how to move in these three areas, you’ll be able to engage your core correctly and move more functionally. Together they act as a canister, a concept called intra-abdominal pressure (IAP).
When engaged properly, it becomes a contained pressure system starting with breath (the diaphragm) pushing onto the pelvic floor, and activating the low transverse abdominus, which wraps around you like a corset. These three key pieces are the foundation of core stability that will allow you to progress functionally. I recommend watching this video for a full guided walkthrough from Dr. Jen Esquer, PT, DPT, someone who has revolutionized how I move.
Next up, we’ll go over a no equipment core stability workout. Use this activation at the end of your workout, or as a check-in with your core!
Looking for a full body warm-up? Try this Chest and Hip Flexor Mobility Flow or Mobility Flow for Desk Jobs.
No Equipment Core Activation and Upper Body Workout
Superset 1
These prone I and Y holds will help you understand how to activate through the mid and low traps, to prevent over-activation of the upper traps.
Keep your gaze to the floor for the entire duration of exercise to keep the spine in neutral.
Prone I Holds (10 sec. holds, 3 reps)
Roll shoulder blades down and back, away from the ears, and squeeze together. Then start to hover the thumbs off the ground, and squeeze arms by your side. Hold for 10 seconds. You should be barely lifted here!.
Prone Y Holds (10 sec. holds, 3 reps)
Arms start in a high diagonal. Pull shoulder blades away from ears to activate the lower traps. Then with elbows straight, pull the shoulder blades back and together. Then start to hover arms off the ground. Hold for 10 seconds. You should be barely lifted here as well!
Superset 2
The push-up prone W will engage the chest and back, while the serratus wall flexion focusing on shoulder flexion using the lower traps, upper traps, and serratus.
Push-Up Prone W (8 reps)
Start in a plank or on your knees. Lower down to the floor. Keep gaze to the ground, as arms extend and lift. Take the thumbs behind the ears, as you pull the shoulders away from the ears. Extend back out, hands back by the chest. Push the floor away on an exhale and return back to plank.
Serratus Wall Flexion (8 reps)
Stand about a foot away from the wall. With your elbows in front of your shoulders, push your shoulders away from the spine. Think of elbows pushing into the wall. Bend the knees and tuck the tailbone underneath slightly. When you can’t go any further, draw the arms up by engaging through the lower traps. Draw elbows back, and return to standing.
Superset 3
These exercises will focus on three key pieces of the core: the diaphragm, transverse abdominis (deep abs), and pelvic floor. With these exercises, you’ll understand how all three work together to help you functionally activate and build core stability.
Start each exercise inhaling and exhaling (rib cage pulls down, pelvic floor draw up, tightening from hip bone to hip bone) to get to a starting position. Remember to BREATHE – sync each inhale with a movement, and exhale with another.
Heel Glides (8 Reps each side)
Inhale as your heel glides out, exhale as it slides back.
Supine Marches (8 reps each side)
Exhale as you lift.
Supine Tap (12 reps)
Inhale as you lower your foot, exhale as you return.
- Hsu, Shih-Lin et al. “Effects of core strength training on core stability.” Journal of physical therapy science vol. 30,8 (2018): 1014-1018. doi:10.1589/jpts.30.1014
