Weighted vs Non-Weighted Core Workouts
Developing a complete core ranks among the most important tasks an athlete will face in the quest to become stronger and better performing while staying injury free. Much more than the ‘six pack’, or even the entire lower-trunk musculature (including the transverse abdominis and internal and external obliques), the core comprises a complex of muscles, many of which are hidden beneath the showy exterior muscles that are most commonly associated with core development.
Besides the more obvious abdominal muscles and associated areas, the core also includes the pelvic floor muscles, multifidus, erector spinae, deep cervical flexors and diaphragm along with minor core muscles such as the gluteus maximus, trapezius and latissimus dorsi.11 Hitting this complex grouping can be an equally complex task involving a range of specialized movements and training approaches.
However, whatever the goal – greater size and strength or improved performance – targeting the core as a complete unit need not take up massive amounts of precious training time. In fact, assuming you are correctly executing a broad selection of heavy compound movements on a regular basis, you are probably doing a pretty good job of maintaining a solid core that will, in turn, serve as an impressive foundation for continued training success – whatever the discipline.13, 19, 20
Which leads to a question many a perplexed trainee has asked at one time or another: does core training require resistance or can it be done with bodyweight alone? In other words, are heavy deadlifts and weighted crunches (among others) needed to fully enhance the core, or will pelvic tilts and high-rep knee-raises (among others) get the job done with equal effectiveness?
If pressed for a quick response, the answer is that both methods can be effective in their own way. However, dig a little deeper and we’ll find that there is one approach that is, by far, superior. Read on to find what it is and how you can use it to best train your core for maximum size, strength and performance enhancement.
Before discussing the best way to maximize core development, it’s worth reiterating that the more tools we have in our training toolkit, the better our chances of building a well-balanced physique. This extends to core size, strength, and stability.
With the exception of a few movements that may or may not work for a given individual (upright rows and bench dips, for example), most exercises do hold certain benefits. When it comes to building the core, all core movements will therefore provide some beneficial effect, even if ‘only’ to warm up the relevant muscles before the star players can finish the job.
When seeking to build the core, the question of weighted versus non-weighted comes down to the best of two workable options, though both strategies have merit and should, to a greater or lesser extent, be incorporated to provide a more balanced training approach.
The key thing to remember above all else is that proper form remains the first consideration, regardless of whichever core movement is used. If technical considerations are not strictly adhered to, any core movement (weighted or non-weighted) may, at best, provide minimal returns, and, at worst, promote injury. With that in mind, let’s now review the best core training options to ensure you have the best possible training foundation.

If you are wanting to, say, build the biceps to their fullest potential the last thing you would be advised to do is grab a pair of two-pound dumbbells and perform endless repetitions. Do this, and you’ll most likely end up with elbow problems before you gain as much as an ounce of muscle on your upper arms. And think of all the time you’ll waste in exchange for minimal returns.
The same holds true for the muscles of the core. To fully stimulate any progress in size and strength, you’ll need to hit your core the same way you target any other muscle grouping: with moderate to heavy weights and reps in the 10-12 range. Yes, this means abs too.
Forget 50 rep sets of unweighted crunches and endless pelvic tilts. While great as a warm up or rehab strategy for those recovering from serious injury, such movements will not give your core the intensive stimulus it needs to super-compensate with increasingly more muscle and progressively greater strength. Instead, do the following:
Address the Fundamentals
Before targeting the core with specific movements for specific areas, always place front and center a good selection of basic, heavy compound lifts. Besides allowing more weight to be lifted, and thus more pressure to be placed on the core (both direct and indirect), such movements incorporate multiple muscles, including much, if not all, of the core musculature.10
The basic function of the core is to stabilize the body (specifically the spinal column) when in an anti-gravity upright position or when working through various planes of motion.3 Whether throwing, kicking, running, jumping or lifting weights overhead, a strong core helps to maintain the structure of the body and assist with proper movement execution.
Conversely, a weak core will not only limit athleticism (including strength, speed, flexibility and power output) but may also invite injury.1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 17 Thus, it makes sense that the kinds of movements that work to enhance athleticism (i.e., heavy compound lifts) will also serve to strengthen the core.
When assessing the best lifts for maximal core strength and stability it’s worth noting that the core muscles also act to stabilize and protect the spine by limiting excessive movement (including extension, flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation) in multiple directions. Thus, the best core movements will, when executed correctly, create a degree of stiffness within the major muscles to ensure that the spine is held in a rigid position and is therefore protected against injury.17, 18
In this regard, all exercises (specifically standing variations) are to some degree core movements and this is one major reason why a well-balanced training program remains a non-negotiable requirement when wanting to enhance athleticism and prevent injury from occurring.
A foundational principle of core training is resistance – both in terms of amount of weight lifted and movement restriction (i.e., correct range of motion and nothing more). As such, the most effective core training movements accommodate gradual weight increases to challenge the key core muscles while also featuring anti-flexion, anti-extension, and anti-rotation benefits to challenge the core to resist pulling one way or another.
Remember: it’s in the body’s resistance to breeching proper form that much of our core strength will be developed. Therefore, the proper execution of a broad range of basic movements should our first core-strengthening consideration.
The best compound core movements include:
- -Overhead barbell or dumbbell presses
- -Deadlifts
- -Squats
- -Bench Presses
- -Bent-over barbell rows
- -Farmer’s Walk (not strictly a compound lift, but nevertheless an effective multi-muscle builder and ultra-strenuous on the core)
Enhance Specific Core Movements
Then there are the ‘core-specific’ movements that tend to be more effective at isolating the major core muscles. These include the v-up crunch variation, leg raise, plank, bicycle crunch, regular crunch, bridge and hyperextension (preferably while lying flat, as the machine version may aggravate the knee joints).7
While traditionally performed unweighted, each of these movements can be made more effective by including a degree of resistance. A weight vest is one effective strategy. Ankle and wrist weights also work well. For certain movements (all crunch variations, for example), a lighter pair of dumbbells may also do the job nicely. The key thing to remember is that, regardless of the kind of weight used, the resistance must be appropriate to the individual and not interfere with proper movement execution.
Key benefits to weighted core movements include: greater strength gains and more corresponding muscle growth; less body fat (particularly around the midsection) given that the more muscle we have the harder it will be for the body to maintain its fat surplus; a greater workout challenge to improve training adherence; ever shifting limits which force the muscles to work harder with each session; shorter workouts due to the intensive nature of added resistance (non-weighted movements mean we must work longer and perform more reps to get similarly appreciable returns).
So, while unweighted core movements performed with higher reps can and will produce great results, as with all forms of training progression, a movement must be made harder on an incremental basis to further challenge the core. Increasing the resistance remains the best way to honor this all-important mandate.
The best core-specific movements include:
- -V-up crunch variation
- –Leg raise
- -Plank
- -Bicycle crunch
- -Regular crunch
- -Hyperextension
- -Ab wheel rollout
Be Unorthodox
In addition to the primary inclusion of heavy compound and weighted core-specific movements are a selection of less conventional core builders which, when used judiciously, can complement a solid core training plan of attack.
The major benefit to including such movements (as featured below) is the extra challenge each provides; a challenge which forces the body to work through various unaccustomed planes of motion to forcefully target certain areas of the core that may not receive adequate stimulation via more conventional means. For example, while the basic abdominal crunch and deadlift hit the entire ab wall, the landmine anti-rotation movement exerts more direct pressure on the hard-to-target oblique muscles.
The best unorthodox core-specific movements include:
- -One-arm dumbbell bench presses
- -One-legged kettlebell deadlifts
- -Side plank cable rows
- -Landmine anti-rotation movement
- -Medicine ball slams
Building a solid core, as we have learned, is crucial for the overall structural integrity of the body as well as injury prevention. But even with an impressive core training plan such as the one featured below, the body (in particular, the skeletal system) will, over time, begin to deteriorate. This is where a good selection of joint health supplements can make a world of difference. The following supplement stack can be used to support the training plan below, to keep you in the training game longer and enable you to become stronger with advancing age.
ALLFLEX
ALLFLEX is an all-in-one joint formula that’s designed to rapidly reduce inflammation, relieve pain and improve joint mobility to enhance athletic performance and preserve the longevity of the our most valuable and underrated training asset: the ever-degrading network of joints which enable us to lift progress-boosting poundages.
Featuring cutting-edge compounds’ UC-II (Type II Undenatured Collagen), today’s most advanced alternative treatment in preserving joint health, OptiMSM® (Methylsulfonylmethane), the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and critical to joint health, and 3- LASTIN® (Boswellia serrata, (gum) extract – Std. to 70% boswellic acid), clinically proven to successfully fight the specific inflammation that leads to joint pain and immobility, among other similarly effective joint health ingredients, ALLFLEX is the go-to joint formula for long-term training success.4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16
COLLAGEN
A major constituent of ALLFLEX, collagen (specifically hydrolyzed collagen peptides) has become one of the star supplements of the past decade. As well as providing 10mg of the fastest acting collagen to significantly reduce joint pain and build stronger joints, this triple-action product also features highly bioavailable versions of vitamin c and biotin for their proven support in the formation of healthy skin, nails and hair.
The extra collagen insurance afforded with ALLMAX COLLAGEN will ensure that the joints, skin and other supportive structures of the body retain their integrity and continue to become stronger (rather than degrade) with each workout.
VITASTACK
Another all-in-one formula that’s stood the test of time for its effectiveness in improving health on multiple levels, VITASTACK’s wide selection of beneficial nutrients synergistically work to enhance seven-functions of importance to health and wellbeing.
Among these functions is skeletal and joint health which VITASTACK addresses with a skeletal-core matrix of ingredients including glucosamine, chondroitin, manganese, calcium, boron and vitamin D, each specifically selected to boost joint health and improve skeletal functioning as a whole.
Whether taken in powder of pill form, this product works alongside ALLFLEX AND ALLMAX COLLAGEN to ensure your core building workouts can be completed with full intensity and less risk of injury.

Monday
Morning: Cardio: Bike, Stepper or Treadmill: 45 minutes steady state (maintaining a maximum heart rate of between 120-130 beats per minute).
Evening: Back and Biceps – perform program of your choosing, emphasizing unilateral movements (such as one arm rows/pulldowns) and major compound lifts (including deadlifts and bent rowing). Select from the above-listed movements.
Tuesday
Core Day (morning or evening)
-V-Ups (with weight vest) SS with Hanging Leg Raises (with ankle weights or DB between feet): 3 sets of 15 reps per set
-Plank Hold SS with Ab wheel Rollout (with weight vest): 3 sets of 1-minute Plank Hold/12 reps of Rollouts
-Bicycle Crunches (with ankle weights) SS with Floor Hyperextensions (with weight vest): 3 sets of 12 reps per set (per movement)
-Weighted Landmine Anti-Rotation Movement (with barbell): 3 sets of 12 reps per set
Wednesday
Morning: Cardio: Bike, Stepper or Treadmill: 45 minutes steady state (maintaining a maximum heart rate of between 120-130 beats per minute).
Evening: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps – perform program of your choosing, emphasizing unilateral movements (such as one arm dumbbell bench presses and one arm overhead presses) and major compound lifts (including bench presses and standing barbell presses). Select from the above-listed movements.
Thursday
Morning: Cardio: Bike, Stepper or Treadmill: 30 minutes of HIIT, alternating between 30 seconds moderate intensity and 30 seconds super-high intensity (maintaining a maximum heart rate of between 140-150 beats per minute during the high intensity phase).
Evening: Legs (Quads, Hams and Calves) – perform program of your choosing, emphasizing unilateral movements (such as one-legged curls and one-legged calf raises) and major compound lifts (including squats and barbell lunges). Select from the above-listed movements.
Friday
Morning: Cardio: Bike, Stepper or Treadmill: 30 minutes of HIIT, alternating between 30 seconds moderate intensity and 30 seconds super-high intensity (maintaining a maximum heart rate of between 140-150 beats per minute during the high intensity phase).
Saturday
Core Day (morning or evening)
-Weighted Crunches (holding weight plate overhead): 4 sets of 12 reps per set
-Medicine Ball Slams SS with Bicycle Crunches (with ankle weights): 3 sets of 1-minute of Ball Slams/15 Crunches
-Ab Wheel Rollouts SS with Lying Leg Raises: 3 sets of 12 reps per set (per movement)
-One -Legged Kettlebell Deadlifts SS with Plank Holds: 3 sets of 12 reps per leg for Deadlifts/1-minute per set for Plank Holds
Sunday
Morning: Cardio: Bike, Stepper or Treadmill: 30 minutes of HIIT, alternating between 30 seconds moderate intensity and 30 seconds super-high intensity (maintaining a maximum heart rate of between 140-150 beats per minute during the high intensity phase).
Always be sure to carb up correctly when preparing to complete your new core training plan. Besides an obligatory serving of the designer carb fuel CARBION+ immediately prior to hitting the gym, always consume a solid pre-workout meal an hour out from training. Here, a decent complement of low glycemic carbs is crucial. One such carb is sweet potato, but only when prepared correctly.
When boiled, sweet potato is relatively low on the glycemic index (a number assigned to the rate at which a food source influences blood glucose levels – the higher the GI (Glycemic Index), the higher our circulating blood glucose will be, which makes bodyfat storage more likely). In fact, boiled sweet potato has a GI rating of 41, which makes it a low GI food and an excellent nutrient-dense carb choice. However, what many dieters do not often realize is that certain foods can have vastly different effects on blood sugar levels (and weight loss!) depending on how they are prepared.
Ever notice how baked sweet potato tastes so sweet, like eating candy? Also notice how satiating baked sweet potato is (it keeps you full for hours afterward)? Well, by baking sweet potato (as opposed to boiling it) you transform it into a high glycemic food with a GI rating of 91 – a rating very close to that of pure sugar. By baking it, you have taking what is a healthy low GI food and turned it into a food that’ll keep you from burning excess adipose. Take home message: when dieting for fat loss, always boil, and never bake, your sweet potato!
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