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Every movement here needs nothing but the floor. Each one lists what it trains, how to do it well, and the mistake people actually make. Point at a muscle to narrow it down.
11 exercises for core
Core · Shoulders also Quads, Triceps, Hip flexors
How to move
- Knees an inch off the floor
- Opposite hand and foot move together
- Hips level — no side-to-side sway
- Crawl slow enough to stay quiet
What usually goes wrong
- Hips piking up in the air
- Hips swaying side to side with each step
- Knees dragging on the floor
- Holding the breath
Obliques · Core also Lower back, Hip flexors
How to move
- Lie on your back, arms out wide like a T
- Lift knees over hips, bent to 90 degrees
- Lower both knees to one side under control
- Keep both shoulders glued to the floor
- Only go as far as your shoulders allow
What usually goes wrong
- Shoulders lifting off the floor as the knees drop
- Letting the legs crash down instead of lowering slowly
- Knees drifting away from the hips
Obliques · Core also Hip flexors
How to move
- Press your lower back into the floor
- Drive your elbow toward the opposite knee
- Extend the other leg long, heel off the floor
- Rotate from the ribs, not the neck
- Slow and smooth — no bouncing
What usually goes wrong
- Pulling on the head and cranking the neck
- Elbows flapping while the torso barely rotates
- Lower back arching off the floor as the legs extend
- Racing through reps with tiny range
Beginner · one side at a time Core · Obliques also Glutes, Shoulders, Lower back
How to move
- Push the floor away with the support hand
- Reach long through fingers and heel
- Thread the arm under your chest, then re-extend
- Keep hips level the whole time
- Move slow — no wobble
What usually goes wrong
- Hips rotating along with the arm
- Arching the lower back as the leg lifts
- Dropping the extended leg between reps
- Speeding through the reach-through
Core also Shoulders, Triceps, Glutes
How to move
- Hands under shoulders, fingers spread
- Push the floor away so the upper back doesn't collapse
- Squeeze glutes, ribs down
- One straight line from head to heels
What usually goes wrong
- Shoulders shrugged up toward the ears
- Hands drifting too far forward of the shoulders
- Lower back sagging
- Hanging passively on locked elbows
Obliques · Core also Hip flexors, Lower back
How to move
- Legs straight up over your hips
- Sweep both legs side to side like wiper blades
- Press your arms into the floor for control
- Stop before the opposite shoulder peels up
- Move slower than feels necessary
What usually goes wrong
- Legs dropping too low and yanking the lower back
- Using momentum to swing the legs back up
- Bending the knees more on one side than the other
Core · Hip flexors also Shoulders, Quads, Chest
How to move
- stack shoulders directly over wrists
- pull one knee to the chest, then switch
- keep hips down in line with the shoulders
- brace like a moving plank
What usually goes wrong
- hips piking toward the ceiling
- weight shifting back so the shoulders trail the hands
- feet barely leaving the floor as fatigue sets in
Core · Shoulders also Obliques, Triceps, Glutes
How to move
- Set the feet wider for a bigger base
- Shift your weight before the hand leaves the floor
- Hips stay square to the floor — no rocking
- Tap slow and own every rep
What usually goes wrong
- Hips rotating and rocking with each tap
- Rushing the taps to get them over with
- Sagging into the supporting shoulder
Intermediate · one side at a time Obliques · Core also Shoulders, Glutes, Inner thigh
How to move
- Stack the feet, elbow under shoulder
- Drive the bottom hip up — make one straight line
- Press the floor away so the shoulder stays tall
- Reach the top arm to the ceiling
What usually goes wrong
- Hips dipping toward the floor mid-hold
- Rolling backward out of a straight line
- Neck craning down at the floor
Core · Hip flexors also Triceps, Shoulders, Quads
How to move
- Hands by the hips, push the floor away hard
- Shoulders pressed down away from the ears
- Pull the knees to the chest and hold
- Lean slightly forward over the hands
What usually goes wrong
- Shrugging up into the shoulders
- Elbows bending under load
- Feet dragging or resting on the floor
Core · Hip flexors also Triceps, Shoulders, Quads, Forearms
How to move
- Lock the elbows and push tall through the shoulders
- Squeeze the legs straight and point the toes
- Lift the legs from the hips, chest proud
- Keep pushing the floor away for the whole hold
What usually goes wrong
- Knees bending as fatigue sets in
- Shoulders creeping up toward the ears
- Legs dropping well below parallel
These are cues from a reviewed catalogue, not personal instruction. Train within your own limits and stop anything that hurts.
