3 Core Strengthening Exercises with Physique Pro Qaden Lee

A few months ago IFBB Pro and Team ON Athlete Qaden Lee stopped by to visit the Muscle & Strength HQ in Columbia, SC.

While he was in town, he gave us a few pointers on how to train.

Today, he discusses his top 3 favorite core strengthening exercises.

Check them out, try them out, and let us know some of your personal favorites in the comments section below!

Exercise 1: Cable Rope Crunch

The first movement Qaden touches on is the cable rope crunch.

There are a few variations you can do with this exercise. The most popular are facing away and facing towards the cable stack. Qaden prefers to face the machine.

The key to this movement is really focusing on engaging your abs and core. Make sure you’re not jerking the weight around and preform this exercise in sets of 12-15 reps.

Exercise 2: Plated Machine Crunch

Qaden’s next favorite exercise that he describes is the plated machine crunch. One thing you want to make sure to do with this exercise is to make sure you always keep your back up against the pad.

When using this machine, don’t worry about loading it with a lot of weight. At the end of the day, controlled repetitions will help you accomplish your goal with this exercise.

Be sure to get a nice full squeeze and exhale when doing the motion. If you’d like to make this movement a little bit more advance, try keeping your legs extended.

Exercise 3: Oblique Twist with Medicine Ball

The last and final movement Qaden covers is the oblique twist with a medicine ball. There are a couple of variation you can use with this exercise as well.

For beginners, Qaden recommends keeping your feet on the ground. This limits the need to use your lower back to stabilize the movement.

The next level variation is elevating your feet off the ground the entire time. Doing so incorporates all of your core muscles to help stabilize your body and carry the medicine ball through the plane of motion.