How to Train Your Core the Right Way (Hint: It’s Not About Crunches)

Oct 14

The truth about “core training” most women never learn

If you ask most women what they do for their core, you’ll probably hear: “I do crunches,” “planks,” or “I just try to tighten my abs.”

But here’s the thing, your core isn’t just your abs.
It’s a system.
It includes your diaphragm, pelvic floor, deep abdominals, and back muscles, all working together to stabilize your body and manage pressure when you move, lift, or even breathe.

When one part isn’t doing its job (like when you “suck in” your stomach or hold your breath through a lift), the rest of the system has to compensate. That’s when you start to see things like back pain, bloating, pelvic heaviness, or that little “pooch” that won’t go away no matter how many planks you do.

So what should core training look like?

It starts with connection and control, not crunches.

The goal isn’t to make your abs “tight.”
It’s to teach your core to respond to movement, breathing, and load the way it’s meant to.

Here’s what that looks like in action:

Breathe through your lifts. Inhale through your nose and feel your ribs expand in every direction. Exhale with intention and feel your abs gently hug in.
Ditch the constant “suck in.” That pressure has to go somewhere and it’s usually down into your pelvic floor or out through your belly.
Stack your ribs over your hips. Good alignment helps your core actually work for you, not against you.
Train in layers. Start with connection (like deep core breathing and 90-90 drills), then layer in strength (anti-rotation presses, carries, loaded squats).

You can’t build a strong core on dysfunction — and when you get this right, your lifts feel more powerful, your back feels supported, and your body starts working as one solid team.

Why this matters for women

Women’s bodies go through unique changes, pregnancy, postpartum, hormonal shifts, stress, posture changes, even years of “sucking in”, all of which can affect how the core functions.

Learning to train your core the right way is about reclaiming that connection to your body.
It’s strength, confidence, and longevity not just aesthetics.