7 Advanced Weight Training Exercises For a Stronger Core for Athletes 

More often than not, weight training exercises are reserved for bigger muscle groups such as chest, lats and legs. However, that doesn’t mean smaller muscle groups such as biceps, triceps and shoulders cannot benefit from the same exercises.

Most compound movements work on a primary and a secondary muscle group. Unfortunately, not all of them focus on abdominal muscles or strengthening the core.

So it's important to set aside some time to work on the abdominal muscles to strengthen the core.

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Weight Training Exercises to Build a Strong Core

Here are seven exercises you should focus on during your regular workout routine to build a strong core, especially if you're into athletics:

1) Landmine Rainbow

Landmine Rainbow is a strength training move that requires you to use a barbell. It enables you to work on your core by creating an arc shape with your arms.

You need to place the barbell in the landmine and hold up the other end with your arms. The other end should be near eye-level. Start making arcs with your arms while keeping your spine stable and core engaged. Your shoulders and hips should remain stable as well.

You can add weight to the barbell as your core becomes stronger.

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2) Single Arm Landmine Press

A single arm landmine press is similar to a landmine rainbow in terms of position and posture. Instead of creating an arc with your arms, you need to push the barbell up.

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3) Rollout

This is one of the weight training exercises that requires core strength to be done efficiently.

Put your knees on the mat, and have the barbell with two weights in front of you. Extend your arms as you roll the barbell away from you, and use your core strength to pull the barbell towards you.

You can build core strength for this advanced movement by using ab rollers, which use the same mechanism.

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4) Side Bend with Barbell

Weight training exercises aren’t limited to presses and pulls. Some of them are simple side bends that are done by locking the barbell behind your neck with your arms.

Not only can you side bend with this position, but you can also do twists. Both these movements work on the obliques.

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5) Barbell Sit-up

Another complicated yet advanced weight training exercise is the barbell sit-up. This isn’t a traditional sit-up, which you need to do to enable your muscles to develop some strength.

To do this exercise, hold the barbell above yourself with extended arms. Lift your chest out, and raise your upper body using your core strength to do this exercise.

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6) Barbell Overhead Carry

This is an exercise that does not directly work on the core muscles, but it requires engaged core muscles for balance and stability.

You need to hold the barbell above your head with your arms extended and elbows locked. Keep your arms at shoulder-width, and hold it. The overhead carry focuses on your obliques and engages core muscles for balance while strengthening them to withstand resistance.

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7) Zercher Squat

This is a squat variation that works on your core muscles more than your legs. To do this exercise, hold the barbell between your upper arms and forearms, on your elbow crook. Use your chest to hold it closer to your body, and proceed to do squats.

As the weight is quite close to your core muscles, the overall movement focuses on the abdominal muscles as well as your legs.

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Bottom Line

To improve your core strength, you have to focus on advanced weight training exercises. They provide more resistance, which boosts the abdominal muscles to become stronger.