What core exercises will give me a “6 pack”?

I hate to break it to you, but you can do all the abdominal exercises in the world and still not have a 6-pack. There is a lot that plays into getting a “ 6-pack” including genetics, diet, and exercise.

Your core does a lot of work throughout the day. It is what connects your legs to your arms. There are many exercise classes out there that focus on just the “core”, such as a class called “15 minute abs”. While these classes might be beneficial for some people, in general they are not necessary and can even be harmful.

If you have a pelvic floor dysfunction (any symptoms of pelvic pain, bladder issues, issues pooping) or you have not been exercising your core on a regular basis and then all of the sudden you do a 15 minute ab class, that could cause back pain or a flare of your pelvic floor symptoms.

Now, don’t get me wrong, if you are training for a muscle competition and you need to have a “6-pack”, then absolutely, doing ab specific exercises is very important. However, for most people who do not have a body type that would show off a “6-pack”, doing ab exercises for 15 minutes is not going to do too much for you except cause abdominal muscle pain. possibly back pain, and could increase pelvic floor symptoms such as pain, urinary urgency and frequency, or even difficulty emptying your bladder or your bowel.

I personally, do not have a “6-pack” so take this for what you want. However, I would say that my core is strong. I am able to lift and carry my 50lb child if needed without back pain or any other pain. Doing isolated ab exercises is NOT NECESSARY to have a functional core. This means that your core will be strong enough for you to do all the things you want to do, you won’t have back pain, you will feel strong, you just might not have that “6-pack”.

So what core exercises are good and safe to do?

First, the core consists of more than just the abs. The core includes your hips, your butt, your back. Doing full body exercises are beneficial for all those muscle groups. I suggest speaking with your physical therapist to go over what exercises are specifically beneficial for you. In general, squats, lunges, supermans, are good “core exercises” as long as your form is good and you are engaging the muscles that need to and should be engaged.

Anytime you are lifting, pushing, or pulling, your transverse abdominis (TA) muscle should be engaged. This muscle is your deepest abdominal muscle. This muscle is the most important muscle for core support. If you engage this muscle every time you lift, push, or pull something, not just while exercising, but while living your life, you will likely develop a strong and functional core.

If you want to specifically work on getting your abdominal muscles stronger. I would recommend asking your physical therapist to advise you on your specific needs. However, in general, planks and side planks with good form, bridges, supermans, TA marching are usually good exercises to do. However, form is very important. For example, if your butt is sagging during your plank, that can cause back pain.

Exercises to avoid

In general, I do not like telling people not to do an exercise, especially via a blog post that is very general and not specific to any person individually. I think this can cause more harm than good, because if people are exercising that is GREAT and I do not want to discourage anyone from moving their body. However, there might be some exercises that are not great for your body. If you are unsure if an exercise is a good one for you, speak with your physical therapist about how to do it in a way that will work for you to avoid getting injured or worsening your symptoms.

Some abdominal exercises that put a lot of pressure on your pelvic floor if they are not done correctly or if your body is not ready for them are sit-ups, crunches including bicycle crunches, any leg lifts where both legs are straight and off the ground, v-ups, any exercise in a v-sit with your legs off the ground. If you want to do these exercises, be sure to have your physical therapist check to make sure you are engaging the correct muscles to help you get stronger.

No matter what, do this after any form of exercise to help your pelvic floor

During exercise your pelvic floor muscles contract to help support your body. This is especially true with core exercises. Be sure to “stretch” your pelvic floor muscles after you exercise to get them to relax. The best exercise to help with this is to take a deep breath in through your nose and breathe all the way down to your pelvic floor to get it to relax/lengthen. You can do this while in a pose that helps your muscles stretch. Watch this video for a good way to relax your pelvic floor after exercise.

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to us. Click the button below if you want us to check your form with any exercise.