The Waterfall series on the Ladder or the Archway is the absolute best for pure front of the body core strengthening. While you’re working the same muscles as a sit-up or crunch, you’re asking your body to do the same thing in the opposite direction. The extra space you gain by being off the ground allows you to add fun variety, like Press Ups.
I recently recorded several exercises in the Levitation series and as I was selecting which exercises to use, I looked back at old syllabi to see if I was forgetting any really cool ones. I was. I haven’t done Snake in years and I remembered how much I’ve always liked this.
The Ladder and it’s updated version, the Archway, let you do movements that would be practically impossible to do any other way. Having the shoulder girdle be the static part of the body allows freer lower body movement. And having your pelvis up on the bolster lets your legs have a larger range of motion than you could do on the floor.
Only 1 of the 6 spinal ranges of motion is also a primal movement, and that’s rotation. It’s the spinal motion we all use the most during activities of daily living. Even walking involves rotation. Yes when people think of “core exercises” they’re more likely to think of crunch style exercises, which focus on spinal flexion, than rotation exercises.