Muscle of the month
Monthly workouts targeting specific muscles
Each month we’ll focus on a different muscle so you can learn how to train different areas of your body.
May Muscle of the Month: Abdominals (Abs)
Week 1 – The Core of It All
Your core isn’t just for beach season, it’s your body’s central support system. From lifting weights and twisting to balancing and breathing, your abdominals are working harder than you think.
Think beyond the six-pack, your transverse abdominis and obliques are essential for spinal stability and injury prevention.
Want to squat heavier or press more overhead? Strengthen your core first. It’s not just accessory work, it’s foundational.
Week 2 – More Than Just Crunches
Still doing endless crunches? It’s time to upgrade your core game.
Traditional ab exercises like crunches only target one part of the puzzle, the rectus abdominis. For a stronger, more functional midsection, train all planes of movement:
- Rotation (e.g. cable woodchoppers)
- Anti-rotation (e.g. Pallof press)
- Extension/flexion control (e.g. dead bugs, rollouts)
Training the core from all angles builds real-world strength not just aesthetics.
Pro Tip: Add core work at the start of your session as a primer – it’ll fire up stabilisers for better compound lifts.
Want a stronger deadlift, squat, or overhead press? It starts with your core.
When lifting, your abs brace your spine, transfer power, and prevent collapse under load. Without core control, your strength leaks and injuries creep in.
This week, focus on bracing techniques try the “can of soda” method:
1.Breathe into your belly
2.Brace like you’re about to be punched
3.Maintain that tension through the lift
Combine this with loaded carries, planks, and anti-extension work for a rock-solid trunk.
Week 3 – Strong Core, Strong Lifts
Drill: Farmer’s carries, 3 x 20m, heavy enough to challenge grip and posture.
Week 4 – Train Your Core Like an Athlete
Strong abs are good. A resilient, responsive core is better.
Athletes don’t isolate abs – they train the entire kinetic chain. So should you.
Combine traditional core work with integrated movements:
- Landmine rotations
- Single-arm carries
- Overhead squats
- Cable anti-rotation holds
These exercises teach your core to stabilise under load, under fatigue, and through movement – the way it works in sport and life.