It wasn’t so long ago that the most popular exercises in gyms around the world were ab crunches and sit-ups. That was simply because almost every man and woman joining the gym was chasing washboard abs and a slimmer waistline. Oh, how things have changed.
At the gyms I visited in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata this year, I saw trainers not prescribing crunches or sit-ups to their clients, and diligent members were completing their workouts without the once-mandatory ab crunches. It’s not that people have stopped bothering about de-bulging their waistline or have become less obsessed with six-pack abs. To be sure, the demand for flat abs is at an all-time high; it’s just that trainers and active people are taking a different, more effective route to achieve a stronger core.
“When it comes to building a strong core, things are changing in the fitness world. More folks are stepping away from sit-ups and crunches. They are instead trying resistance-based or weighted core exercises. These moves really challenge your core to stabilise under load and that’s way more helpful for real- life activities,” says Chandrashekar Gajawelli, a fitness expert at Cult.
If you consume any amount of fitness content on your social media, you would have seen a wide range of new ab workouts where influencers and content creators use kettlebells, dumbbells and resistance bands in their routines. This is exactly what Gajawelli is referring to as core strength comes from a combination of isometric holds, strength training and cardio—not crunches and sit-ups. Some trending ab exercises these days are plank dumbbell drags, around-the-world rotations with a kettlebell or dumbbell, wood chops with resistance bands or weights, and hanging knee raises with some weight added. The advantage of such weighted core exercises is that the deeper muscles, such as transverse abdominis and obliques, are working too.
“These weighted core movements are popular for good reasons. They let you keep your muscles under tension for longer and allow for progressive overload. Both really matter for building strength and muscle,” adds Gajawelli. Weighted core exercises isolate and target the abdominal muscles, says Rahul Huidrom, training academy lead at Cure Fit. Some of the popular exercises that Huidrom lists out that will help you achieve a six-pack as well as a strong core are weighted dead bug, kettlebell rack march, plank dumbbell drag, suitcase carry, weighted halo, weighted or resistance band wood chops, weighted Turkish sit-ups and hanging weighted leg raises. “Exercises such as hanging leg raises help you target the lower abdomen and at the same time also help improve grip strength,” he explains.
A key reason why people are moving away from sit-ups and crunches is not because the exercises have become less effective; it’s that people have gained greater awareness. Trainers and fitness enthusiasts have realised it takes a lot more than mere crunches to strengthen the core.
“Sit-ups and crunches can make your abs stronger, but won’t get rid of belly fat or give you a six-pack out of nowhere,” explains Gajawelli. For a strong core, your focus ought to be on stimulating skeletal muscle by including weightlifting and calisthenics alongside isometric holds, says AK Abhinav, Bengaluru-based coach and founder of Namma Crossfit. “Instead of wasting time doing crunches, include single arm suitcase deadlifts, hanging leg raises and single arm planks in your training programme. All of these activate the abdominal muscles to stabilise the body and enhance core strength,” he adds.
Even though this article focuses on exercises for the core and abs, as all good coaches and trainers will quickly remind you, it’s important to think beyond looks and cosmetic body image goals. Focusing only on getting chiseled abs can lead to habits that are hard to maintain over long periods of time. It’s better to focus on building core strength first as it helps you move better, lowers your chance of injury, and boosts your overall performance.
For Gajawelli, the idea of spot reduction of fat is a myth. “If you want to see your abs, you need to lose fat through the right diet and staying active. Plus, strong core muscles need smart training, not just working harder.” Building a strong core, according to Gajawelli, requires resistance training that features dynamic moves and static holds, exercises that include flexion, extension, rotation, and anti-rotation. If you are after a well-defined trunk, Abhinav adds that you also need to include compound lifts such as squats and deadlifts, which need strong core engagement.
Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.