How to Build a Strong Core & Abs

Galpin promotes Momentous Fiber Plus Prebiotic, mixing a scoop in water nightly to cover gaps in daily fiber intake.

Galpin endorses the Eight Sleep Pod 5 mattress cover for cooling, heating, and sleep tracking; he's used it for over three years.

Use the Biering-Sorensen test (hold upper body parallel to ground off table edge) to assess back extensor endurance and low back pain risk.

Galpin recommends the Sahrmann 5 progression as a pass/fail core stability assessment; failing at level 3 or below is highly problematic.

Heavy sled pushes are recommended for safely loading the core with high force demand for performance-oriented core training.

Galpin recommends David protein bars (28g protein, 150 cal, 0g sugar) as a convenient way to hit daily protein targets.

Pallof presses/holds are recommended as anti-rotation and anti-flexion exercises to train core stability.

Superman exercises are recommended for extension-based core training of spinal erectors and posterior chain.

Reverse hyperextensions are listed as an extension-based core exercise option.

Side planks (including variations with rows or suspended on TRX) are recommended for lateral core training.

Galpin's favorite rotation exercise: wide stance, cable at mid-rib height, rotate upper body to pull rope across body while feet stay forward.

Russian twists are listed as a more advanced rotational core exercise.

Cable woodchops are recommended for training the obliques through rotational movement.

Stir-the-pot on a stability ball (forearms on ball, circling) trains the transverse abdominis through anti-movement under dynamic conditions.

When doing flexion-based ab work, curl up and down one vertebra at a time to reduce risk of aggravating low back pain.

For ab hypertrophy, train sets to 1-2 reps in reserve (close to failure) with 10-20 working sets per muscle per week.

Galpin endorses LMNT electrolyte mix (1000mg sodium, 200mg potassium, 60mg magnesium, no sugar) for hydration, especially during heavy training/sweating.

For aesthetics, Galpin recommends roughly a 50/50 split between big compound movements and core isolation exercises; for performance ~75/25 toward compound; for back pain/feel ~75-80/20-25 toward isolation.

Ab wheel rollouts are a recommended anti-extension exercise that heavily activates rectus abdominis with minimal spinal compression.

Dead bugs (optionally loaded with kettlebell, ankle weights, or bands) are recommended as anti-extension exercise that loads the core without spinal compression.

Heavy single-side suitcase carries are recommended as an anti-lateral-flexion and anti-rotation exercise that allows very heavy loading of the core safely.

Cable crunches allow heavy concentric loading of the rectus abdominis without spinal compression, useful for both aesthetics and progression.

Big compound lifts like deadlifts activate the core more than isolation exercises and should form the bulk of core training for performance goals.

Bird dogs are safe core exercises that can be performed daily as part of pain/feel-focused programming.

Galpin's 5-step core progression: (1) isometric control to fatigue, (2) anti-movement/eccentric to fatigue, (3) anti/eccentric with heavy load, (4) concentric to fatigue, (5) concentric with heavy load.

Use planks as the first step in core progression: an isometric hold to develop position control and fatigue resistance before progressing to loaded/dynamic work.