Strengthening the CORE is a very common goal, regardless of age and fitness level. Whether to protect the spine and mitigate the risk of injuries, to diminish back pain, or simply to look good, a strong core is something we all want. So how do we best accomplish that? What are the best CORE exercises?
A 2020 Systematic Review (PMID 32560185) can help us answer some of those questions. The researchers compared muscle activity of the trunk muscles during core stability exercises (sit ups, planks, crunches, leg raises, ab-wheel, back extensions, etc) and free-weight exercises (push ups, lunges, squats, kettlebell swings, deadlifts, etc).
So before we get to the results, let's remember what the CORE is. Traditionally, the muscles surrounding the lumbar spine are considered our core muscles: rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques, transversus abdominis, multifidus, erector spinae, etc. We know that we have other muscles that highly impact our ability to increase intra-abdominal pressure and brace, like the glutes and the lats, but today we’ll focus on the previous mentioned ones.
The 67 studies reviewed had different protocols, but they mostly performed sets of 5, 6 or 10 reps, in healthy adults, and EMG activity was used to determine muscle activation.
The most interesting finding was that the free-weight exercises were just as good, and sometimes better, than specific core exercises. For example, for the rectus abdominis, the highest EMG activity was found during back squats and bulgarian split squats (lunges with back foot elevated). For the erector spinae, deadlifts, back squats and hip thrusts led the way.
These results support the theory that the main function of the CORE is to stabilize the spine, not necessarily to create movement, and therefore the isometric contractions needed during the multi-joint, free weight exercises, are enough to strengthen the core without the need of specific core strengthening.
Does this mean you should stop doing your sit-ups, planks and arch holds? Absolutely not. But it definitely suggests that you should incorporate squats, deadlifts and lunges to your training routine. Combining the free-weights with the specific core, in our opinion, will bring the best results.
And like any other muscle, proper intensity and adequate rest are key. When you train your core, make sure you work hard enough, and then give those muscles a couple days to recover. Good training! Willian Alba
I love that you include references to the research articles.