Never Train Your Core Until You Do This First
Discover how the “Elevator” technique teaches you to activate your deep core muscles, build true spinal stability, and make every core exercise safer and more effective before you ever attempt planks, deadlifts, or heavy lifting.
Why Most People Train the Wrong “Core”
When most people think about core training, they picture the visible muscles on the front of the stomach, especially the rectus abdominis (the vertical “six-pack” muscles). That is the muscle group targeted by crunches and sit-ups.
But those surface muscles are not the main reason your core keeps your body safe.
Your core’s real job is to stabilize your spine. The muscles that do this best are deeper and more internal. They wrap around your torso horizontally, creating the feeling of a supportive “weight belt” that keeps everything stacked, solid, and protected during movement.
If you skip proper deep-core activation and jump straight into planks, deadlifts, and heavy core exercises, you may be building strength on top of instability. That often leads to compensation, poor form, and unnecessary strain in the lower back.
What the “Elevator” Is and Why It Works
The “Elevator” is a simple core activation drill designed to turn on your deep stabilizers by creating intra-abdominal pressure. Instead of pulling the belly in, you learn to press outward with controlled tension. This helps activate a wider group of deep core muscles that support your spine from the inside.
This matters because once your deep core is activated:
Your spine becomes more stable and protected
Your movements feel smoother and stronger
Exercises like planks, push-ups, and deadlifts become safer and easier to perform with good form
How to Do the Elevator Core Activation
You can practice this standing, seated, or lying down. The steps are simple, but the details matter.
Find the right spot
Locate your belly button.
Locate the top of your hip bones.
Place two fingers on each side, about halfway between your belly button and the top of your hip bone.
Press inward. You should be able to press fairly firmly.
Activate the deep core
Take a big breath in.
Push your fingers outward using your core muscles.
If you are struggling to feel it, use this shortcut:
Cough once and try to “hold” the end of the cough.
Notice how your fingers get pushed outward.
That outward pressure is the deep core activation you want to learn to control.
The 3 Levels of the Elevator
Each level is performed for one minute. Start where you are, and only progress when you can complete the level with control.
Level 1: Activate and release
This is your foundation for learning the feeling.
Inhale and push your fingers outward with your core.
Hold briefly.
Exhale fully and relax completely.
Repeat for one minute.
Goal: Build awareness and consistent activation.
Level 2: Hold tension with small breaths
This level builds endurance and control.
Inhale, push your fingers outward, and keep that tension.
Take small breaths in and out while maintaining outward pressure the entire time.
Continue for one minute.
It is normal if the contraction “flickers” at first. Stay calm, keep practicing, and aim for steadier control over time.
Goal: Maintain deep-core engagement without losing the contraction.
Level 3: Full breathing with stability and movement
This level trains you to keep your core active during real-world movement and exercise.
Inhale and push outward with your core.
Exhale all the way without letting the fingers move inward.
Inhale again without losing tension.
Once you can do that, practice maintaining the contraction while walking or changing positions.
Goal: Keep deep-core stability during full breathing and movement, which is essential for lifting, pushing, and carrying.
How to Use the Elevator Before Planks and Strength Training
Once you can activate your deep core reliably, you can apply it to exercise.
Before planks, deadlifts, push-ups, or any loaded movement:
Do one minute of the Elevator
Then bring that same “internal weight belt” feeling into your workout
This helps you stabilize your spine and reduces the chances of compensating through the lower back.
Conclusion
A stronger core is not built by doing more crunches. It is built by learning how to stabilize from the inside out.
The Elevator is one of the simplest and most effective ways to activate deep core muscles before you train. Start with Level 1, build control with Level 2, then master real stability with Level 3.
When your core is properly activated, everything gets easier: your posture, your lifts, your planks, and your everyday movement.