DJ Shipley’s 4-Move Core Workout: What It Actually Trains Beyond Abs
UPLIFT IRON CLUBWhy This Is More Than an ‘Ab Workout’
DJ Shipley’s four-move core session is useful precisely because it does not look like the standard “six-pack” circuit. The former Navy SEAL, training with performance coach Vernon Griffith, works through half-kneeling dumbbell dig-and-chops, half-kneeling lateral tilts, QL-focused hip drops and suitcase carries. There are no crunches and no frantic race for a burn. Instead, every movement asks the trunk to produce or resist force while the hips and shoulders are doing something useful.
That distinction matters. Your core is not one muscle and its job is not simply to flex the spine. The abdominal wall, obliques, spinal erectors, quadratus lumborum and muscles around the pelvis cooperate to keep the rib cage and pelvis organized while force moves between the upper and lower body. A hard squat, sprint, carry, punch or change of direction all demand that kind of coordination.
Shipley’s exercise selection also reflects the broader way he trains. Recent profiles of his program emphasize basic strength, carries, strict pulling, sprinting and athletic movement rather than bodybuilding isolation for its own sake. The core session fits that philosophy: train positions that have a clear job, load them enough to demand attention, and keep the movement controlled.
That does not make crunches useless. Spinal flexion can be trained productively. The point is that a complete trunk program should not stop there. Shipley’s circuit exposes rotation, lateral flexion, pelvic control and asymmetric loading—qualities that show up constantly outside an ab machine. For lifters who already get plenty of heavy bilateral work, those neglected directions are exactly where a short accessory session can add value without turning core training into a second workout.
Half-Kneeling Chops Train Rotation Without Letting the Legs Cheat
The first movement, the half-kneeling dumbbell dig-and-chop, is the most obviously athletic exercise in the circuit. One knee is down, the opposite foot is planted, and the dumbbell travels on a diagonal path. Removing a wide standing base limits how much momentum the legs can contribute, so the athlete has to organize the pelvis, brace the trunk and control the weight through rotation.
The key is not to turn the movement into an arm swing. Start tall, squeeze the glute on the kneeling side and keep the ribs stacked over the pelvis. Move the dumbbell diagonally while allowing controlled rotation through the torso, then decelerate it instead of letting gravity yank you back to the start. If the hips spin wildly or the lower back arches to create range, the load is too ambitious.
This is where “functional” training earns the label rather than merely borrowing it. Diagonal force transfer appears in throwing, striking, grappling, changing direction and plenty of ordinary lifting tasks. The exercise teaches the trunk to connect those forces while the base remains constrained. Research on core training generally supports improvements in foundational qualities such as balance and trunk strength, although the direct transfer to every sport-specific outcome is less certain. That is a useful reality check: chops are a tool, not a magic athleticism button.
For programming, use a load you can control for roughly eight to twelve repetitions per side. The final reps should demand bracing without turning into a heave. Two or three sets after your main strength work is enough for most lifters. If half-kneeling balance is the limiting factor, begin with a lighter dumbbell or a standing variation, then earn the narrower base. Better control is the progression before heavier weight.
Lateral Tilts Make the Obliques Work in a Direction Most Lifters Ignore
The half-kneeling lateral tilt looks almost too simple: hold a dumbbell, keep the lower body quiet and bend sideways under control before returning to tall. That simplicity is the point. Most gym programs are saturated with sagittal-plane work—squats, deadlifts, presses, rows and curls all happen mainly forward and backward. Direct lateral trunk work is much easier to forget.
Here the obliques and quadratus lumborum help control side bending while the half-kneeling stance demands hip stability. The best reps are deliberately boring. Keep the pelvis from sliding sideways, avoid twisting toward the dumbbell, and move only through a range you can reverse smoothly. A smaller clean arc is more useful than a dramatic lean that comes from dumping into the lumbar spine.
There is also an important distinction between training lateral flexion and resisting it. A lateral tilt moves through side bending; a suitcase carry, later in the circuit, asks you to prevent side bending. Both can be useful. Muscles are capable of producing motion and resisting motion, and a well-rounded program can expose the trunk to both roles rather than declaring one category “functional” and the other forbidden.
Do not chase enormous loads here. The purpose is not to win a side-bend contest. Start with a dumbbell that lets you pause briefly at the bottom and return without jerking. Eight to twelve controlled reps per side works well, especially after heavy compound lifting. If you already perform a lot of loaded carries, this can be a smaller dose; if your program has almost no frontal-plane trunk work, it deserves more attention. The goal is stronger, more controllable movement—not soreness around the waist for its own sake.
QL Hip Drops Are Useful—But the Lower Back Is Not a Fragile Mystery Muscle
The quadratus lumborum gets a starring role in Shipley’s third movement. In the demonstrated family of hip-drop variations, the athlete uses a side-plank or supported side position and lets the pelvis lower before actively lifting it again. That loads the lateral trunk through a controlled range rather than asking it only to hold still.
The QL runs between the pelvis, lumbar spine and lower rib area and contributes to lateral flexion, pelvic control and spinal stabilization. It is easy for fitness content to turn that anatomy into mythology: “tight QL,” “weak QL,” or “inactive QL” gets blamed for almost any one-sided back sensation. A better approach is less dramatic. The muscle is trainable like other tissues, and gradually exposing it to controlled side-plank, hip-hike, carry and lateral-flexion work can build capacity.
That also means pain should not be diagnosed from an Instagram exercise. If someone has sharp pain, radiating symptoms, a recent injury or symptoms that worsen under load, a social-media core circuit is not a substitute for assessment. For a healthy lifter, however, a supported hip drop can be a sensible way to train a region that often gets only indirect work from squats and deadlifts.
Start with bodyweight and a range you can own. Lower the pelvis slowly, avoid rotating the chest toward the floor, then lift back to a straight body line without bouncing. If a full side-plank position is too demanding, shorten the lever by bending the knees or use a supported variation. Progress range, control and repetitions before adding external load. The exercise should feel like deliberate muscular work around the side of the trunk—not a test of how much discomfort you can tolerate.
Suitcase Carries Turn Core Strength Into a Walking Skill
The suitcase carry is the cleanest finisher in the session and arguably the easiest exercise to understand. Hold one heavy dumbbell at your side and walk without leaning toward or away from it. The load is trying to pull the torso into lateral flexion; your job is to keep the rib cage stacked over the pelvis while breathing and moving normally.
That makes the carry an anti-lateral-flexion drill, but it is more than an ab exercise. Grip, shoulder position, gait, hip stability and breathing all have to cooperate. Shipley has also spoken favorably about heavy farmer carries in his broader training, which makes the one-sided suitcase version a logical extension: the bilateral carry lets you load the whole system heavily, while the unilateral carry magnifies the trunk’s need to resist asymmetry.
Technique is simple enough to audit. Stand tall before the first step. Keep the loaded shoulder from sagging, do not hike the opposite hip, and walk at a normal controlled pace. If every step looks like you are wrestling the dumbbell, reduce the load. A carry is not improved by turning it into a sideways shuffle.
For most lifters, twenty to forty meters per side or thirty to forty-five seconds works well. Use a load heavy enough to challenge posture by the end while leaving the gait intact. Carries fit neatly after deadlifts, rows or a full-body session because they add trunk and grip work without requiring complicated setup. They also scale beautifully: heavier weight increases force demand, longer distance increases endurance, and slower deliberate marching can increase the balance challenge. Unlike a flashy core drill, the suitcase carry makes its purpose obvious the moment you pick the weight up.
How to Use Shipley’s Four Moves Without Turning Core Day Into Theater
The smartest way to borrow this workout is as a compact accessory block, not as a reason to replace your entire strength program. Your squats, hinges, presses, rows, pull-ups and loaded carries already demand substantial trunk stiffness. These four movements fill gaps by adding controlled rotation, lateral flexion, dynamic pelvic work and unilateral carrying.
A practical version is straightforward: perform two or three rounds. Do eight to twelve dig-and-chops per side, eight to twelve lateral tilts per side, eight to twelve controlled hip drops per side, then finish with a twenty-to-forty-meter suitcase carry on each side. Rest enough to keep the reps crisp. If you are new to direct trunk work, start with two rounds and lighter loads. If you are already strong, make the movements harder through better control and sensible loading rather than by racing the circuit.
The broader evidence on core training is encouraging but not magical. Recent meta-analyses report improvements in trunk strength and balance, while sport-specific performance effects are more variable. That is exactly how this session should be framed. A stronger, better-controlled trunk can support athletic tasks, but four core exercises will not replace sprint practice, heavy strength work, skill training or conditioning.
ACSM’s 2026 resistance-training guidance lands on a similarly useful principle: consistency and goal-specific loading matter more than novelty. Shipley’s circuit works because it is simple enough to repeat and specific enough to progress. Track the dumbbell used, the quality of the range, the carry distance and whether you can keep the same posture as fatigue builds.
The real lesson is not “Navy SEAL abs.” It is that core training gets better when every exercise has a mechanical job. Rotate with control. Bend sideways with control. Move the pelvis with control. Carry a heavy object without being pulled out of position. That is a much more useful checklist than collecting random ab exercises until the timer ends.
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