Movement pattern

The brace pattern

Holding the trunk still while something tries to bend, extend or twist it.

The shape of the movement

44MOVEMENTS

Planks, dead bugs, Pallof presses and ab-wheel rollouts all belong here. This is what the trunk actually does under a heavy bar, which is why anti-movement work transfers better than endless crunches.

37 of the 44 run without a gym. A pattern with no home version in it is a pattern you will skip.

SOURCE·Published exercise references·PATTERN ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION, NOT BY EQUIPMENT·REVIEWED JUL 2026

How a movement lands in the brace pattern

Start from the joint action, not the sensation. A muscle is credited when the action it produces is the one being resisted.
Credit exactly one role per exercise: prime mover, or synergist and stabiliser. Nothing is listed twice.
Rank by technical demand on a 1–5 scale — how much practice the movement needs to be done safely, not how hard the set feels.
Attach the published MET category so the energy figure on every card traces back to the same table.

The attribution rules in full →

SOURCE·Published exercise references·ATTRIBUTION BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026

Every brace movement

Brace exercises, easiest first.REVIEWED · JUL 2026
Exercise	Primary muscle	Equipment	Level
Bicycle Crunch	Obliques	Bodyweight	Beginner
Bird Dog	Lower back	Bodyweight	Beginner
Crunch	Abs	Bodyweight	Beginner
Dead Bug	Abs	Bodyweight	Beginner
Heel Tap	Obliques	Bodyweight	Beginner
Machine Crunch	Abs	Machine	Beginner
Oblique Crunch	Obliques	Bodyweight	Beginner
Plank	Abs	Bodyweight	Beginner
Reverse Crunch	Abs	Bodyweight	Beginner
Sit-Up	Abs	Bodyweight	Beginner
Banded Dead Bug	Abs	Bodyweight + Resistance band	Beginner
Cable Crunch	Abs	Cable machine	Beginner
Captain's Chair Knee Raise	Hip flexors	Machine	Beginner
Decline Crunch	Abs	Bench	Beginner
Flutter Kick	Hip flexors	Bodyweight	Beginner
Lying Leg Raise	Hip flexors	Bodyweight	Beginner
Mountain Climber	Abs	Bodyweight	Beginner
Plank Up-Down	Abs	Bodyweight	Beginner
Plank with Leg Lift	Abs	Bodyweight	Beginner
Scissor Kick	Hip flexors	Bodyweight	Beginner
Side Plank	Obliques	Bodyweight	Beginner
Toe Touch Crunch	Abs	Bodyweight	Beginner
Body Saw	Abs	Bodyweight + Suspension trainer	Intermediate
Cross-Body Mountain Climber	Obliques	Bodyweight	Intermediate
Decline Sit-Up	Abs	Bench	Intermediate
Hanging Knee Raise	Hip flexors	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Intermediate
Hollow Body Hold	Abs	Bodyweight	Intermediate
Long-Lever Plank	Abs	Bodyweight	Intermediate
RKC Plank	Abs	Bodyweight	Intermediate
Side Plank with Hip Dip	Obliques	Bodyweight	Intermediate
TRX Fallout	Abs	Suspension trainer	Intermediate
TRX Plank	Abs	Suspension trainer + Bodyweight	Intermediate
V-Up	Abs	Bodyweight	Intermediate
Weighted Plank	Abs	Bodyweight + Weight plate	Intermediate
Weighted Sit-Up	Abs	Bodyweight + Weight plate	Intermediate
Ab Wheel Rollout	Abs	Ab wheel	Advanced
Barbell Rollout	Abs	Barbell	Advanced
Copenhagen Plank	Adductors	Bodyweight + Bench	Advanced
Hanging Leg Raise	Hip flexors	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Advanced
Hollow Rock	Abs	Bodyweight	Advanced
Star Side Plank	Obliques	Bodyweight	Advanced
L-Sit	Abs	Bodyweight + Dip bars	Advanced
Standing Ab Wheel Rollout	Abs	Ab wheel	Advanced
Toes to Bar	Abs	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Advanced

The other patterns

PushDriving resistance away from the torso — horizontally in a bench press, vertically in an overhead press.PullDrawing resistance towards the torso — horizontally in a row, vertically in a pull-up or pulldown.SquatKnee-dominant lower-body work: hips and knees bend together with the torso staying relatively upright.HingeHip-dominant lower-body work: the hips travel back and forward while the knees stay relatively still.LungeSplit-stance and single-leg lower-body work, one leg clearly in front of the other.CarryHolding a load and walking with it. Trains grip, trunk and shoulders in one uncomplicated package.RotationTurning the trunk under load, or throwing and swinging across the body.IsolationOne joint, one muscle group, no help from anywhere else.

The questions that come up on the floor

What is the brace pattern?

Holding the trunk still while something tries to bend, extend or twist it. Planks, dead bugs, Pallof presses and ab-wheel rollouts all belong here. This is what the trunk actually does under a heavy bar, which is why anti-movement work transfers better than endless crunches.

Which muscles does bracing train?

Across the 44 brace exercises on this site, the prime movers are the abs, obliques, lower back, adductors, hip flexors. Which one leads depends on the angle and the equipment, not on the pattern alone.

How often should I train the brace pattern?

Twice a week is a sensible default for every pattern. A programme built on movement patterns rather than muscles is harder to leave holes in — if every week contains a push, a pull, a squat, a hinge, a carry and some trunk work, very little gets missed.

Muscle roles follow standard kinesiology references and are described by joint action rather than by gym convention — see how this site is built. Energy figures are derived from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Every reference is named and dated on the sources page. General information only — not medical or coaching advice. Load, form and progression should be adjusted to your own experience and any injury history. When in doubt, get coached in person.

SOURCE·Published exercise references·MUSCLE ROLES ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026

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This site and nine others like it are built and photographed by two people: Amit Sharma — behind the build; Geeta Patel — the poses, demonstrated. New work goes up on Instagram and Facebook before it reaches a page here.

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