The Top 3 Core Exercises For Guys Over 40?
Ready For Hollow Holds? Take These Core Stability & Core Strength Tests To Know For Sure.
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Strip Off Body Fat Using A Single Kettlebell
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Take this core stability test, and then this core strength test to see if you have what it takes to jump into Hollow Holds.
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Most men over 40 are training their abs in the wrong order.
They jump straight to Hollow Holds, planks, and crunches — skipping the two exercises that make all of them actually work.
The result: years of "core training" with a low back that still complains, a midsection that still rolls over the jeans, and a core that still can't do its one real job. Here are the 3 exercises I actually recommend — and the sequence that makes them work.
THE TWO TYPES OF ABS MOST MEN DON'T KNOW ABOUT:
Before I give you the exercises, you need to understand what you're actually training — because most core programs confuse the two completely.
The Inner Unit:
These are your deep stabilizing muscles — the ones that stabilize your spine, pelvis, and shoulders so you can move the way you want to move. You can't see them. You can't feel them "burning." But they are the foundation that everything else sits on. Most men over 40 have essentially lost access to these muscles from years of sitting, compensation patterns, and training that skipped this layer entirely.
The Outer Unit:
This is your six-pack — the rectus abdominis — plus the muscles that attach to your spine, rib cage, and pelvis that you CAN see. Your obliques, glutes, spinal erectors, and even your lats are part of this system.
Here's the sequence most men get backwards:
They train the outer unit (crunches, planks, Hollow Holds) before the inner unit is working.
The result: the outer unit tries to do two jobs at once — stabilize AND move — and does neither well. Your low back picks up the slack. And you end up with a "core routine" that's quietly building the compensation pattern you were trying to fix.
The right sequence: inner unit first, outer unit second. Every time.
EXERCISE 1 — DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING:
I know what you're thinking. Breathing? Really?
Yes. Really. Think of your inner unit musculature as a Coke can. The diaphragm is the lid. If the lid doesn't work, the can can't pressurize. And without pressure, your spine has no internal support — no matter how many crunches you do.
Here's what diaphragmatic breathing actually trains:
- Internal Core Pressure
- Reflexive Core Timing
- Rib and Pelvis Position
- Less Neck and Low Back Overwork
- Stability While Breathing
How I use it: as a neurological warm-up before every training session, and on off days as part of restoration work.
EXERCISE 2 — DEAD BUGS (done correctly):
Dead Bugs are one of my favorite core exercises — but only when done correctly. Most men turn them into floor aerobics: arms flailing, legs flopping, ribs flaring, low back arching. That's not a Dead Bug. That's lying on your back and losing.
Done correctly, here's what they train:
- Reflexive Core Control
- Low Back Protection
- Rib and Pelvis Control
- Better Breathing Under Tension
- Limb Movement Without Spinal Chaos
How I use it: same as breathing — neurological warm-up before training, and restoration work on off days.
EXERCISE 3 — THE HOLLOW HOLD:
The Hollow Hold is where you lie on your back and look like a banana — arms and legs extended, lower back pressed toward the floor, everything tight. This is the exercise most men jump straight to. And that's exactly the problem. If you skip Diaphragmatic Breathing and Dead Bugs and go straight to Hollow Holds, you cannot fully access your deep core musculature. Which means you risk giving yourself a hernia — or injuring your lower back. Or both.
Build the foundation first. Then here's what the Hollow Hold adds:
- High-Tension Core Control
- Anti-Extension Strength
- Rib and Pelvis Connection
- Full-Body Tension
- Better Preparation for Harder Training
Before you attempt Hollow Holds: take the core stability test and core strength test. They'll tell you whether your foundation is ready.
How I use it: as dedicated core strength work — mixed into the main training session or immediately after.
THE SEQUENCE THAT MAKES IT ALL WORK:
Step 1 — Diaphragmatic Breathing: neurological warm-up + off-day restoration
Step 2 — Dead Bugs: neurological warm-up + off-day restoration
Step 3 — Hollow Hold: dedicated strength work, in-session or immediately after
In that order. Every time. Skip the sequence and you're training the outer unit on a foundation that isn't there yet.