Getting abs of steel has never been easier than with these exercises.

Strengthening the core should be, for anyone who cares about their health, an essential goal. Not only because it will help us define our abs, but because it is essential for aspects such as balance and stability, in addition to improving in other sports disciplines. In the same way, it is also vital for our daily movements, to reduce back pain and improve our posture.

Many think that the core is trained in the same way as the superficial abdominals and that we will simply have to do hundreds of repetitions of the same exercises we did in high school. However, that is not the case. Although this can also be useful, the most effective thing will be to practice weight-bearing exercises that challenge our muscles more so that they can grow.

One of the most underrated materials when working the core is the kettlebell. With this type of weight, we can do an infinite number of very effective exercises. Specifically, there are three movements that are key to developing core strength. If we are not yet at a sufficient level to do them with weight, we can start practicing them without equipment and doing more repetitions and, later, pick up dumbbells or kettlebells.

In this training, we must prioritize doing the movements in a slow and controlled manner and, if possible, doing fewer repetitions and picking up a considerable amount of weight, because what we are interested in is working on muscle strength.

Plank with lateral drag

The first exercise consists of doing 16 repetitions of plank with lateral drag, which we will repeat for 3 rounds. We will have to place ourselves in a plank position , with the kettlebell on the floor on one of our sides, at the height of our trunk. With the opposite arm we grab it and drag it to the opposite side and so on, alternating both arms.

kettlebell exercises, strength training, exercise, fit, strong core, defined abs — Man doing a kettlebell plank, image: Unsplash

The fundamental thing in this exercise is that the hips do not swing. In this way, we will be working the core very intensely, because we will be resisting the temptation to rotate the body. We must keep the body rigid, without the back arching, ensuring that the only thing that moves is the corresponding arm.

Russian twists

This exercise is more classic and is usually included in almost all abdominal routines, because it works the obliques very efficiently. We will have to do three rounds of 20 repetitions each.

We sit on the floor and position ourselves in a V position. We can rest our feet on the floor or leave our legs elevated. We will have to concentrate on rotating the torso, carrying the kettlebell from side to side, keeping our eyes focused on it. If it is very difficult for us, we can start doing this exercise without weight and with our feet supported, to work on our strength and balance little by little.

Abdominal pullover

The last exercise may be the most complicated, but the truth is that it not only works the core, but also the back, shoulders and practically the entire upper body. It is very important to control the position of our spine and pelvis, keeping the core activated at all times and the back in a neutral position, without arching it.

We lie on the floor, with our hands above our head holding the kettlebell. We raise our legs and lift our shoulders, head and arms off the ground. From there, using strength with the abdominals, we will have to try to bring the kettlebell together with the legs, bringing the knees and arms up to the chest. It is an exercise that we can also start doing without weight and advance as we master it.

With these three exercises we can strengthen the core quickly and the best thing is that we can continue introducing changes and variations to make them more challenging over time. We can practice them after a gym session or simply add one of them to different sessions. If we start working now, we will soon have abs of steel.

[via GQ Spain]