10 Powerful Disc Slider Exercises For A Stronger Body

Finding squats and burpees a little too easy (and maybe boring) these days?

Try doing them with disc sliders!

While disc sliders (a.k.a. core sliders, exercise sliders, gliding discs, sliding discs, or floor sliders) might look small and innocuous, they can truly put your balance and stability to the ultimate test!

Research even shows that lateral sliding squats done with disc sliders engage more muscles than regular squats!

So, if you want to know all about core sliders and how exactly you can use them in your workouts, you’re at the right place!

In this blog, we’ll cover 10 of the best disc slider exercises that’ll break the monotony and have your whole body shakin'!

Dive in!

What is a disc slider?

Disc sliders are compact, smooth discs designed for smooth movement on surfaces like hardwood floors, carpets, and gym mats.

The slippery surface of the sliders allows for controlled and controlled movements that engage various muscle groups while improving balance, stability, and flexibility. They are commonly used to intensify exercises like lunges, planks, mountain climbers, and hamstring curls by requiring additional muscle engagement to control the sliding motion.

Burnlab’s sliding discs have one surface made of EVA that works great on hard smooth surfaces such as hardwood floors and an ABS surface that is best suited for softer surfaces like carpet or turf.

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Are disc sliders effective?

Yes! Although core sliders might not look like much, they are a great way to take your bodyweight workouts to a whole new level!

For instance, when you do leg slider exercises such as push-ups, your hands are on a constantly moving surface. This instability forces your muscles to work harder to control the sliding motion, engaging more stabilizing muscles in your shoulders, chest, and core.

Plus whether you’re doing the eccentric or the concentric part of a gliding disc exercise, your muscles are constantly being challenged. This is what makes floor sliders workouts super effective.

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Benefits of disc sliders

1. Engages More Muscles

Sliders introduce instability, forcing your muscles to work extra hard to keep you steady. This means when you do foot slider exercises, you're not only targeting the main muscle groups but also those stabilizing muscles that often get left out.

2. Boosts Core Strength

No matter what core slider exercise you do, you’re gonna have to engage your core unless you want to lose your balance. This translates to a toned, rock-solid core!

3. Improves lower body strength

A 2021 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine shows that performing core slider exercises can amp up your lower body strength and balance.

4. Enhances Flexibility

Exercise sliders let you move through a wider range of motion, helping to improve your flexibility over time. This can be super helpful, especially if you're trying to work on your splits or deep lunges.

5. Gets your heart rate up

Gliding disc exercises can get your heart rate up minus all the impact on your joints. Science also shows that core slider workouts are excellent moderate-intensity workouts for maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness.

6. At-Home Convenience

Since they're small and portable, you can easily use disc sliders at home. You don't need a lot of space, and they're super easy to store.

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10 Best Disc Slider Exercises for a Full-Body Workout

1. Disc Slider Exercise #1: Hamstring curls

This is one of the best slider core exercises as it fires up your hamstrings during both the eccentric and concentric phases of the exercise which results in good muscle growth. If you’re a runner or athlete wanting to increase your speed, power, or hamstring strength, this floor slider workout is for you!

Muscles worked: Hamstrings, core, glutes, erector spinae.

How to perform

• Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and the disc sliders under your heels.
• Place your arms by your sides with your palms facing down.
• Keeping your core and glutes engaged, lift your hips off the floor. This is the starting position.
• Now slowly slide your heels away from your body until your legs are almost fully extended.
• Pause for a second and then slowly bring them back to the starting position.
• Ensure that your hips remain lifted and your core engaged throughout the movement.
• Repeat for reps.

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2. Disc Slider Exercise #2: Body saw

This exercise with core sliders is great for building a rock-solid midsection and also helps to enhance your posture and stability.

Muscles worked: Abs, obliques, erector spinae.

How to perform

• Begin in a forearm plank position with your elbows beneath your shoulders.
• Your toes should be resting on a pair of core sliders.
• Keeping your core and glutes engaged, use your forearms and elbows to slowly slide yourself back a few inches.
• Now slide yourself back to the starting position in a slow and controlled manner.
• Ensure your hips don’t sag throughout the movement.
• Repeat for reps.

3. Disc Slider Exercise #3: Mountain climbers

This leg sliders exercise is an excellent full-body workout that helps you torch calories, and improve muscular endurance.

Muscles worked: Abs, obliques, glutes, quads, hip flexors, hamstrings, calves.

How to perform

• Begin in a high plank position with your wrists directly beneath your shoulders and your toes on a pair of gliding discs.
• Keeping your core and glutes engaged, slide your left knee towards your chest.
• Return to high plank.
• Now repeat the same movement with the other leg.
• Keep alternating between both sides for the desired number of reps.

4. Disc Slider Exercise #4: Knee tucks

Wanna improve your hip flexor flexibility and core strength? Then, this is one foot slider exercise you have to try!

Muscles worked: Abs, obliques, hip flexors, glutes.

How to perform

• Begin in a high plank position with your wrists directly beneath your shoulders and your toes on a pair of gliding discs.
• Keeping your core engaged, press your feet into the sliders.
• Slide your feet towards your chest.
• Pause for a second and then push your feet back to high plank.
• Repeat for reps.

5. Disc Slider Exercise #5: Plank jacks

This slider core exercise targets muscle groups across your body and is thus great for shedding those extra pounds!

Muscles worked: Abs, obliques, hip adductors, hip abductors, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes.

How to perform

• Begin in a high plank position with your wrists directly beneath your shoulders and your toes on a pair of gliding discs.
• Keeping your core engaged, press your feet into the sliders.
• Slide your feet out to either side ensuring that your upper body remains stationary the entire time.
• Bring your feet back to the starting position.
• Repeat for reps.

6. Disc Slider Exercise #6: Lateral lunges

This exercise with core sliders not only improves your hip flexibility and mobility but is also great for rectifying any muscular imbalances you might have.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, adductor, glutes, hamstrings, calves, core.

How to perform

• Stand with your feet slightly apart with your left foot on top of a gliding disc.
• Keeping your chest raised and your core engaged, slide the left foot out to the side as you bend your right knee. Place your hands on your hips or extend them out in front of you as you do so.
• Dig your left foot into the slider and slide it back to its original position.
• Repeat for reps on this leg and then switch legs.

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7. Disc Slider Exercise #7: Slider push-up fly

This floor sliders workout is perfect for getting that toned upper body and kicking your core strength into the next gear!

Muscles worked: Chest, triceps, core.

How to perform

• Position the sliders beneath your hands on the floor, assuming a push-up stance where your hands are placed shoulder-width apart and directly aligned with your shoulders.
• Engage your core muscles, and while descending into a push-up, smoothly glide both sliders outward from your body.
• Push the floor away by extending your hands while simultaneously sliding the sliders back to their initial placement.
• Repeat for reps.

8. Disc Slider Exercise #8: Slider curtsy lunge

One of the top sliding disc workouts that’ll challenge your balance and coordination and boost your functional strength.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes.

How to perform

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your right foot on a gliding disc.
• Keeping your core engaged, slide your right foot out to the side and then diagonally backward behind the left leg in a curtsy-like motion.
• Bend both knees as you lower your body toward the floor, keeping the left knee aligned with the ankle.
• Push through the left foot and slide the right foot back to the starting position.
• Complete the desired reps on one side before switching to the other leg.

9. Disc Slider Exercise #9: Slider pike ups

One of the top exercise sliders workouts that improves your shoulder strength and stability. This foot slider workout also enhances flexibility, body control, and functional mobility.

Muscles worked: Core, shoulders, triceps, hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings.

How to perform

• Start in a push-up position with your feet on sliders, and hands under your shoulders.
• Engage your core and lift your hips, sliding your feet towards your hands.
• Slide until your body forms an inverted U shape.
• Pause briefly at the top, feeling the contraction in your core.
• Slowly slide your feet back to the starting position.
• Repeat for reps.

10. Disc Slider Exercise #10: Slider burpees

Spice up your burpees and blast major calories with this amazing foot sliders workout!

Muscles worked: Abs, obliques, chest, shoulders, triceps, hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps.

How to perform

• Stand with both your feet on the exercise sliders.
• Keeping your core engaged, squat down, and as you do so place your hands on the floor.
• Slide your feet back into a high plank position and do one push-up.
• After that, slide your knees back to your chest.
• Rise to the original position.
• Repeat for reps.

Tip

For a low-intensity variation, do this leg slider exercise without performing the push-up.

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Conclusion

So, there you have it – the lowdown on disc slider exercises that'll seriously kick your workout up a notch! From gliding lunges that fire up your quads to core-tastic pike-ups that sculpt that midsection, these floor slider workouts are a must-try!

So grab Burnlab’s disc sliders today and slide your way to a stronger, fitter you!

Which of these disc sliders workouts is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!