“Dave, why don’t we do more abs in training?” asks Imre between sets of 36kg Kettlebell snatches.
“I’ve not done a sit up or crunch in months and my stomach has never been flatter,” chimes in Linda, a former fitness instructor resting before her next set of front squats.
The Abs question. Again.
Cue picture of six pack:
So, why do I not recommend direct ab work in the vast majority of cases. And how has a former fitness instructor and athlete developed her best physique yet despite dropping all ab work?
It goes like this:
We have limited resources with which to exercise. Most of us work full time, participate in some kind of sport/martial art and many face time consuming commutes to and from work and often to and from training.
With this in mind, we aim to get as much as possible from our training.
A key word I use is efficiency. Although sometimes I say laziness instead.
I am lazy. I’ve always been lazy, yet I’ve also had high expectations of myself. So, in order to be strong and fit, yet still be lazy, I spent a good bit of time working out what exercises and training styles get the biggest return.
Ab exercises just never made the cut.
But I do recognise the need for strong abs.
I still have “fond” memories of receiving a reverse punch to the solar plexus as a teenager at a karate tournament. I remember how perfectly timed this punch was as I had herded my opponent into the corner, saw an opportunity, went in for the kill only to find my self landing in a heap in the opposite corner of the ring unable to breathe.
It’s moments like these that you start to re-evaluate core strength.
So, in order to be efficient in training, what core / ab exercise do I advocate:
- Lots of overhead lifting. Especially unilateral overhead work.
I’m a huge proponent of kettlebell lifting and I believe the one arm clean and jerk is one of the best lifts around. Incidentally this is the lift that has trimmed Linda’s waist and given her a flatter stomach than any amount of standard gym work.
Overhead work, especially one sided, calls on the entire core unit to stabilise the body. - Turkish Get Ups and Windmills
2 awesome exercise most commonly associated with kettlebells. Both of these lifts rate extremely highly on the core training scale. Not only that but they also promote shoulder stability, balance and general mobility. You can’t lose. - Push Ups
I have too many push up variations to list but each and every one of them is a great ab drill.
I you go to any “legs, bums and tums” or similar type class I’d guess that at some point you do a plank. The plank is after all one of the great core strength drills, yes?
Kind of.
Here at Wild Geese we call the plank by another name, we call it the “rest position”
But if you hold the body in a plank and then start moving the limbs around, as in a push up for example, now your working. Try then changing the base of support, feet apart/feet together/one foot elevated/one arm elevated……. - Pull Ups
EMG tests have shown the chin up to be an excellent stimulus for the lower abs. This goes up even more if you add a knee raise or L-sit.
Struggle with pull ups? Try a 90 degree hang, then, just for fun, cycle the legs, like you’re riding a bike really slowly. You’ll never do a sit up again…. - Front Squats
Especially kettlebell front squats as the weight is projected further out front challenging the abs even more. I don’t need to go about the other benefits of squats do I? Ok, here’s a quick one:
- Unilateral swings/snatches.
What are the core requirements here?
Anti flexion and anti rotation at the bottom of the swing.
Anti extension and active rotation at the top of the swing.
Anti lateral flexion, anti extension at the top of the snatch.
Pretty comprehensive then. - Renegade Rows
It’s a plank, but it’s done while lifting heavy stuff. There are various styles of this, but for me, go heavy and avoid any rotation of the torso. I guarantee you’ll feel you abs working.
And your chest.
And your back.
And your arms.
And your legs.
And your glutes…….. - Heavy bag work.
- Sledgehammer slams.
Want abs? Hit stuff.
Here’s another six pack picture:
On a related note.
I had a conversation a while ago with a guy and we were talking about why Muay Thai fighters did so many crunches, was it for core strength?
My answer was two fold. Firstly they do them because they’ve always done them. Secondly, they do serve a purpose just not in the way most people think.
Hitting the pads and bags is what develops the strong lean waist of a fighter, hard hitting is one of the great ab developers. The crunches and sit ups, they merely for additional armour plating for when they’re on the receiving end of these strikes.
So there you have it. 9 methods of developing the Abs as well as other areas of the body without doing a single crunch or sit up.
And if you want the abs to show through, spend more time thinking about what goes in your mouth.
Regards
Dave
www.wg-fit.com
