Core Training for Athletes
Athletes don't need endless crunches. They need a trunk that resists, transfers and produces force. Here's how to train it for sport.
Core training for athletes should focus less on how your abs look and more on what your trunk can do: resist unwanted movement, transfer force from your legs to your upper body, and produce powerful rotation when the sport demands it. A good athletic core program includes anti-extension, anti-rotation and anti-lateral-flexion work, loaded carries, and rotational power drills, done two or three times a week alongside strength training. The goal is a trunk that stays stiff when it should and moves fast when it should.
Here's how to think about it, which exercises matter most, and a weekly plan you can slot into your training.
What the core does in sport
In almost every sport, force starts at the ground and travels up through your legs, hips and trunk to your arms or a ball, bat or opponent. If your trunk leaks energy by bending, twisting or collapsing at the wrong time, you lose speed and power, and you may put more stress on your lower back.
The core has three main jobs for athletes:
| Job | What it looks like in sport | Example exercises |
|---|---|---|
| Resist movement | Staying upright in a tackle, holding position when cutting | Plank variations, Pallof press, suitcase carry |
| Transfer force | Sprinting, jumping, lifting, pushing in a scrum | Squats, deadlifts, carries, dead bugs |
| Produce rotation | Throwing, swinging, striking, kicking | Medicine ball throws, cable chops |
Most athletes need all three. The balance depends on the sport.
The building blocks
Anti-extension
These stop your lower back from arching under load. Good options are the ab wheel rollout, long-lever planks, body saws and the hollow body hold. They help with sprinting mechanics, overhead throwing and keeping a solid trunk under contact.
Anti-rotation
These train you to resist twisting. The Pallof press, half-kneeling cable holds and single-arm planks are classics. Being able to resist rotation is what makes powerful, controlled rotation possible.
Anti-lateral flexion
These train the sides of your trunk to stop you bending sideways. Side planks, Copenhagen planks for the adductors and obliques together, and the suitcase carry are excellent. They matter for cutting, changing direction and single-leg work.
Rotational power
Once you can control rotation, train it fast. Medicine ball rotational throws against a wall, scoop tosses and the cable woodchopper teach your hips and trunk to work together. Keep reps low and intent high.
Hip flexion and lower ab strength
Kicking, sprinting and grappling need strong hip flexors and lower abs working together. Hanging leg raises and reverse crunches are good here.
How sport changes the emphasis
- Field and court sports (football, soccer, basketball, rugby): prioritise anti-rotation, lateral stability and carries, plus some rotational power for cutting and contact.
- Rotational sports (baseball, golf, tennis, hockey): emphasise rotational power and anti-rotation, and balance both sides of the body.
- Combat sports and grappling: heavy emphasis on trunk endurance, carries, anti-extension and flexion strength.
- Track and endurance: anti-extension, single-leg stability and hip control. Runners have their own guide in core training for runners.
- Lifting sports: bracing under heavy load, so see breathing and core bracing.
A sample weekly core plan for athletes
This assumes you're already doing two or three strength sessions a week. Add core work at the end of those sessions, or rotational power near the start when you're fresh.
Day 1: power and anti-rotation
- Medicine ball rotational wall throw: 4 x 5 per side, full intent, rest 60 seconds
- Half-kneeling Pallof press: 3 x 10 per side, 2-second hold
- Ab wheel rollout: 3 x 6-10
Day 2: stability and carries
- Suitcase carry: 3 x 30 m per side, heavy
- Copenhagen side plank: 3 x 15-20 seconds per side
- Dead bug with band resistance: 3 x 8 per side
Day 3: strength and flexion
- Hanging leg raise: 3 x 8-12
- Cable crunch: 3 x 10-12
- Cable woodchopper: 3 x 8 per side, controlled
Each block takes 15-20 minutes. During heavy competition periods, cut volume by around half and keep the power and stability drills. The free interval timer is useful for holds and carries.
Progression for athletes
Athletic core training progresses through more than just weight:
- Control first. Can you hold the position perfectly at slow speed?
- Then load. Heavier carries, stronger bands, harder levers.
- Then speed. Faster medicine ball throws and chops once control and strength are in place.
- Then sport-specific positions. Split stance, single leg, reacting to a partner.
Skipping straight to speed with poor control is a common source of lower back irritation. You can check your baseline with the core strength test and retest every few weeks.
Does an athlete need visible abs?
No. Plenty of very strong, powerful athletes don't have visible abs, and visible abs don't guarantee a strong core. Visibility depends mostly on body fat, and many sports perform better at a body fat level that suits the athlete rather than the lowest possible number. If an athlete does want to lean out, it should be a moderate deficit that protects training and recovery, ideally planned with a coach or sports dietitian and timed away from key competitions. Our guide to how to lose fat without losing muscle covers the basics.
Common mistakes
- Doing high-rep crunches and calling it core training. Fine as a bonus, but it misses most of what sport demands.
- Only training one side. Rotational athletes especially need to balance both directions.
- Rushing to power drills. Build control and strength first.
- Doing core work before heavy lifts. Fatigued trunk muscles can make heavy squats and deadlifts less stable.
- Training through pain. Back or groin pain in athletes needs proper assessment by a doctor or sports physical therapist.
Where AbShred fits
AbShred is a pre-launch iPhone app that scores six ab zones from one photo, including Obliques, Deep Core and Symmetry, and builds a weekly plan that starts with your weakest zone. For athletes, the Symmetry score could be a prompt to check whether you're training one side more than the other. It's an AI estimate for motivation, not a performance or medical assessment. Join the waitlist at abshred.com.
FAQ
What is the best core exercise for athletes?
There isn't one. A combination of anti-rotation (Pallof press), anti-extension (rollouts), lateral stability (suitcase carry, side plank) and rotational power (medicine ball throws) covers what most sports need.
How often should athletes train core?
Two or three times a week for 15-20 minutes is enough for most athletes, with lower volume during competition periods.
Should athletes do crunches?
They can, as part of a balanced program. Flexion strength matters in many sports. Just don't make crunches the whole plan.
Does core training improve athletic performance?
A strong, well-controlled trunk supports force transfer and stability, which many coaches see as important. It works best alongside strength, speed and skill training, not as a replacement.
Should core work be done before or after practice?
Light activation drills are fine before. Harder core training is usually better after practice or at the end of strength sessions so your trunk is fresh when you need it most.