The best CrossFit abs workouts will provide the tools you need to build a strong, stable core to protect you from injury and enhance your performance in the box. Your core stabilises and controls much of your movements, and is vital for spinal health, so it’s important to focus on your core in training.
The movements of our body occur along three different planes. A great deal of WODs and exercises virtually ignore the third. Here’s how to attack, train and strengthen this weakness using the following CrossFit Abs Workouts.
Muscles of the Core
Movements of the Core
Action of the Trunk | What the Action Looks Like (Move Your Body!) | Primary Muscles |
Trunk flexion | Bend forward, or “curl up” action | Rectus abdominis (trunk flexors) |
Trunk extension | Stand up straight (from bent over), bend backwards | Erector spinae (back extensors) |
Trunk rotation (ipsilateral and contralateral rotation) | Twist to the left and right | Internal and external obliques |
Lateral trunk flexion | Bend to the side | Obliques and one side of rectus abdominis and erector spinae |
Compression of the abdomen | Draw your belly button into your spine | Transverse abdominis |
Spinal stability | Holds your spine stable during movement | Multifidi |
THE SAGITTAL PLANE
Think about the exercises you do. Squats, thrusters, deadlifts, clean and jerks, pull-ups, handstand push-ups; in all these movements the weight is transferred up and down along a straight line. All these movements occur along the sagittal plane. The sagittal plane divides the body into two symmetrical halves – left and right.
1 Sagittal Plane CrossFit Abs Workout
- 21 Strict toes to bar
- 21 Overhead squats
- 15 Strict toes to bar
- 15 Overhead squats
- 9 Strict toes to bar
- 9 Overhead squats
For the weight, men should use 50kg and women 35kg.
2 LAUREN FISHER CORE WORKOUT FOR THE SAGITTAL PLANE
5 sets not for time of:
- 20 V-Ups
- 15 Tuck Crunches
- 20 Second Hollow Hold
- 20 Second Arch Hold
Check out how to enhance your core strength through the Coronal plane on the next page…
Image Sources
- Crossfit-abs: CrossFit Inc
- alonso-reyes-0HlI76m4jxU-unsplash: Photo by Alonso Reyes on Unsplash