Proven Deep Core Workout: Get Ripped from the Inside Out by Veteran Personal Trainer

Do you suffer from ongoing back pain, have trouble maintaining your posture, or feel your core strength is holding you back? These issues often stem from the same place — weak deep core muscles.

As a personal trainer with more than three decades of experience, I’ve seen firsthand the life-altering effects of strong deep core muscles.

I’ve developed a deep core workout to help alleviate discomfort, boost performance, and lay a solid base for general fitness. I’ve tried and tested this with several of my clients, and today, I will share it with you.

15 Exercise Deep Core Workout

1. Barbell Hip Thrust
2. Clamshell
3. Open the Doors
4. Stomach Vacuum
5. Knee Hovers
6. Dead Bug
7. Deep Nasal Breathing
8. Deep Belly Smash
9. Core Balance
10. Arm Raise
11. Extended Arm Raise
12. Band Step Out
13. Farmer’s Walk
14. Bear Crawl
15. Star Jump

Deep Core Workout Exercises

An effective deep core workout will target each muscle individually and include some exercises that work the deep core as a unit. In the following sections, I’ll describe three movements for each deep core muscle and then three moves that work them all together.

3 Pelvic Floor Exercises

Doing specific exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles will help you to overcome urinary problems and incontinence. Having a strong pelvic floor will also improve your sex life.

Barbell Hip Thrust

1. Sit on the floor with a lightly loaded barbell in front of you (start with just the bar).
2. Position a bench behind you and rest your shoulder blades on it.
3. Roll the bar up your lower body to rest at the level of your pelvis.
4. Bend your knees and grab the bar to support it.
5. Thrust your hips up as high as you can.
6. Contract your pelvic floor muscles in the top position.
7. Lower and repeat.

Clamshell

1. Lie on your side with your legs stacked, one on the other, and knees bent.
2. Lift your top knee to open your legs while keeping your feet together.
3. Hold this open position for a two-count.
4. Return to the start position.

Open the Doors

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent to the sides and the soles of your feet touching each other.
2. Bring your feet in as close as is comfortable to your hips.
3. Maintaining an upright torso, place your elbows on your knees.
4. Gently push down on your knees to stretch the pelvic floor.
5. Hold for 10-15 seconds, drawing in a deep breath.
6. Relax and repeat.

3 Transverse Abdominis Exercises

By focusing on the transverse abdominis, you’ll tighten your body’s natural girdle. This promotes stability, strength, and balance.

Stomach Vacuum

1. Lie supine on the floor, placing a pillow or pad under your tailbone. Your knees should be bent, and your arms should be by your sides.
2. Breathe in deeply and then fully exhale.
3. Pull your abdomen in towards your spine. Think about touching your belly button to your lower back. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
4. Relax and then repeat.
5. Once you’re comfortable doing the floor version of the vacuum, move to a standing version.

Knee Hovers

1. Get down on your knees with your feet tucked under your butt. Place your hands on the floor under your shoulders.
2. Breathe out as you pull your belly button in towards your spine.
3. Lift your knees while keeping your hands on the floor.
4. Hold for 20 seconds.

Dead Bug

1. Lie on your back with knees bent at a right angle and both feet in the air. Press your back into the floor as you raise your arms. Pull your stomach toward your spine.
2. Simultaneously, bring your right arm and left arm down to the floor. Keep your stomach tight throughout the movement.
3. Alternate sides to complete your rep count.

3 Diaphragm Exercises

Diaphragm exercises will help you become a more efficient breather, allowing you to bring more oxygen into your body with every breath. It’ll also help improve posture and core stability.

Deep Nasal Breathing

1. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and clasped hands on your belly.
2. Take a deep breath through your nose, drawing in your belly button.
3. Hold for five seconds.
4. Breathe out through the nose, pushing your belly button out.

Deep Belly Smash

1. Get down in plank position on your forearms, placing a soccer or basketball between your belly and the floor.
2. Relax your abs as you roll the ball to the left and right.
3. Continue rolling the ball across your abs for 15 seconds.
4. Relax and repeat.

Core Balance

1. Lie on your back with your feet together and legs extended. Lift your head and shoulder off the floor and extend your arms by your sides.
2. Bring your feet about six inches off the floor.
3. Inhale and hold for 3 seconds.

3 Multifidus Exercises

Multifidis exercises will increase spinal support, reduce back pain, and improve posture.

Arm Raise

1. Lie prone on the floor with your legs extended and your hands palm down on the floor. Your left elbows should bent at a right angle at your side with your forehead resting on your right hand.
2. Pull in your belly button, keeping your spine neutral.
3. Lift your left arm off the floor about six inches.
4. Hold for 5 seconds
5. Lower and repeat with the right arm.

Extended Arm Raise

1. Lie on your back with your legs extended and your hands palm down on the floor. Extend your left arm overhead while your forehead rests on your right hand.
2. Pull in your belly button, keeping your spine neutral.
3. Lift your left arm off the floor about six inches.
4. Hold for 5 seconds
5. Lower and repeat with the right arm.

Band Step Out

1. Anchor a resistance band at the level of your ribs. Stand side on to the band about three feet away from it. Grab the band with both hands and hold it in front of your body with elbows extended.
2. Take three steps away from the anchor point to stretch the band. Fight against the band’s inward pull.
3. Take three steps back to the start position.

3 Functional Deep Core Exercises

Here are three exercises that force your deep core muscles to work together to stabilize your body.

Farmer’s Walk

1. Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells and stand with them at your sides, feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Take small steps to advance for about five yards. Try not to let the weights swing.
3. Turn and walk back to your start position.

Bear Crawl

1. Get down on all fours in the table-top position. Your palms and toes should be in contact with the floor.
2. Tighten your core as you bring your knees off the floor.
3. Crawl forward by advancing alternate hands and feet.
4. Advance five yards, then turn and crawl back to the start position.

Star Jump

1. Stand with your feet together and arms by your sides. Pull your belly button in.
2. Jump your feet apart as you extend your hands overhead.
3. Reverse the motion and repeat with speed to complete your rep count.

3 Deep Core Workouts

I recommend that you perform three deep core workouts per week. Do them on alternate days to allow your deep core muscles enough time to recover and strengthen. 

Each workout should consist of five exercises — one for each muscle and one that works them together. Here are three deep-core workout options with recommended sets and reps. 

Deep Core Workout 1 

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Hip Thrust	2	12
Stomach Vacuum	2	10
Deep Nasal Breathing	2	10
Arm Raise	2	10
Farmer’s Walk	2	10-yard walk

Deep Core Workout 2

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Clamshell	2	12
Knee Hovers	3	15
Deep Belly Smash	2	12
Extended Arm Raise	2	12
Bear Crawl	2	10-yard crawl

Deep Core Workout 3

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Open the Doors	3	12
Dead Bug	3	15
Core Balance	2	12
Band Step Out	2	6-8
Star Jump	2	20

What are Deep Core Muscles?

The deep core muscles consist of:

• Transverse abdominis
• Multifidus 
• Pelvic floor
• Diaphragm

Understanding what these muscles do will help you understand why you’re doing the exercises in the deep core workout.

Transverse Abdominis

The transverse abdominis (TV) is the deepest, innermost layer of all abdominal muscles. It is like your body’s personal weight belt. When the TV contracts, it causes hoop tension around your midsection like a girdle or corset.

When this muscle is weak, it won’t be able to cinch tight. This leads to instability in the spine and pelvis. The result will probably be lower back or hip pain because all the load will be on that area of your body.

Multifidus

The multifidus muscle lies deep in the spine, spanning three joint segments. It works to provide joint stabilization at each segmental level. Each vertebra needs stiffness and stability to work effectively to reduce the degeneration of joint structures.

Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor muscles are like a hammock that runs from the pubic bone to the hip bone. These muscles act as a protection for the uterus, the bowels, and the bladder in women and the bladder and bowels in men. 

The best way to identify your pelvic floor muscles is to contract to stop your urine flow when taking a pee. Those muscles you feel tightening are the ones we will be working on in the deep core workout. 

Diaphragm

The diaphragm is a muscle that divides the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. It works with the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis to provide stability and support to the core.

Benefits of a Deep Core Workout

Most gym goers don’t give much, if any, attention to their deep core muscles. They tend to focus on the more visible ab muscles. Here are four reasons for you to add a deep core workout to your schedule:

1. Core strength: When you strengthen the muscles that lie deep within your core, such as the transverse abdominis and pelvic floor, you create stability for your body. This increases your balance and rigidity. It also helps you to self-correct if you trip or stumble.
2. Better posture: When you strengthen the deep core muscles, you increase support for and enhance the spine alignment. This results in improved posture and less back pain.
3. Lower injury risk: The stronger your deep core muscles, the better your body’s natural girdle will be able to protect your pelvis and spine from misalignment injuries.
4. Improved functional strength: Improving your deep core strength improves your everyday lifting, twisting, and running performance. Athletes will also see an improvement in skill-related movements involving the core.

Conclusion

Adding a deep core workout to your routine may not give you six-pack abs, but it will improve your overall functionality. It will also help to prevent injury, reduce lower back pain, and improve your posture.

By training your deep core muscles thrice a week, you will soon see a dramatic increase in strength and functionality. The three deep core workouts I’ve presented in this article will provide you with the versatility and targeted muscle activation to give you those results. Try them for yourself, and let us know in the comments how they work for you.

More Core Workouts:

• Washboard Abs Workout
• The Best Six-Pack Abs Workout You Can Do At Home
• 15 Best Kettlebell Core Exercises and Workout for Stronger Abs
• 30-Day Abs Challenge for A Rock-Hard Core
• The 17 Best Standing Abs Exercises for All Fitness Levels

 

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