I Never Do Crunches, Here’s How I Train and Build My Abs

Whenever someone asks me about core training there’s always an undertone of surprise when I tell them I don’t do crunches. In fact, I haven’t done a traditional crunch in years for my ab training.

The follow-up question to that statement often goes, “If I’m not doing crunches for abs, then how do I have and maintain a 6-pack?” In short, I’m doing a lot of things and that’s what I’m going to discuss in this article.

Core training is a fun topic to discuss because there are so many ways to approach it. With over 10 years of coaching and 17 years of training under my belt, I’ve refined how I train my abs over the years.

No Crunch Ab Training Tips

Tip 1 — The Core Is More Than the Abs

Remember, the core is so much more than the rectus abdominis AKA the bumpy muscles on the front of the stomach that Hollywood says we need to love and find attractive.

The core is composed of multiple muscles throughout the torso and these muscles play a role in how we move, function, breathe, and stabilize. To limit the core to just the “abs” is a disservice, in my opinion.

Tip 2 — Normal Training Principals Still Apply

I think at times when others do “core work” they just do lightweight high-volume sets of different exercises. These will often be programmed at the end of workouts and used as “finishers”.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but if this is the only way you’re training the core then you’re missing out. Like your leg training, you want to progressively overload your core work and vary what you’re doing here and there.

Tip 3 — Patience Is a Major Factor

When I have a client that has a primary goal of, “I want abs”, I remind them that it’s a process. To have visible abs you need two things to align, 1) a low enough body fat, and 2) built core muscles.

Everyone’s abs will look different at various body fats and it’s best to remind yourself to not compare your core to others. Easier said than done, but to build and have visible abs we need patience and to keep the bigger picture in mind.

Why I Don’t Like Doing Crunches for Abs

When asked, I usually give three reasons why I don’t like doing crunches for abs. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with crunches, per se, but they’re sub-optimal in most cases — let me explain.

1. Their Range of Motion Isn’t the Best

The first reason why I don’t like doing crunches is their limited range of motion. In the crunch, you’re training the core through a very limited degree of flexion and extension.

If my goal revolves around providing a greater stimulus to the rectus abdominis, then I want to work through a greater range of motion. I want to let these muscles move through a larger range of motion to ensure I’m training them in their totality.

2. They Can Be Tough to Progress With

Another reason why crunches are a sub-optimal exercise for building a strong core and abs is they’re tough to progress with. From a programming context, how do you progress crunches? Typically by just adding more volume.

This is okay for some cases, but for most lifters, you’ll want to vary how you’re progressing your intensity by adding load, changing tempo, and working through different ranges of motion. With the crunch, you’re more limited.

3. There Are So Many Better Options

The final reason why I don’t like crunches stems from my own inherent coaching bias, and that’s related to the fact that there are so many better options for training the core.

I’m sorry but if I only have 45-60 minutes to train and get a good workout in, then I’m not lying on my back and doing crunches. There are so many great core exercises that you can use that will give you a lot more bang for your buck — I’ll share some of these below.

Two Rules of Ab/Core Training

To be efficient with core training and programming, I like to keep two rules in mind. This helps me more strategically pick ab exercises based on my goals and how I want to train my core.

Rule 1: Program Core Similar to Other Muscles

The first rule is that I like to program core training similar to other muscle groups. Far too often, I think lifters go easy with their core training or think of it as an afterthought and just do a bunch of light-intensity high-volume work.

Like any muscle group, your effort matters. As your body fat decreases, your abs will be more visible if they’re truly built and have some muscular mass to them. To build muscle we need to put in effort.

I think a lot of times folks think of the core as needing to be “flat” or “thin” and this is far from the truth. The most visible and strongest cores have muscular mass on them to various extents.

Train the core muscles like every other muscle group and create different means of progressively overloading them. It helps to follow a program so you can ebb and flow through training blocks to accomplish this optimally.

Rule 2: Remember All of the Core’s Actions

Keep in mind, that the core does so much more than flex and extend the torso. To build a truly dynamic core with a nice balance of visible muscle mass, you’ll want to train through different ranges of motion and movement patterns.

Generally speaking, lifters will define the “core” muscles in different ways. If we’re discussing the core in the traditional sense which is defining the core muscles between the diaphragm and pelvic floor, then there are 29 muscles to keep in mind.

What Muscles Make Up the Core?

The core is made up of superficial and deep muscles in the torso and the hips. These muscles help stabilize and protect the spine and play a role in posture and balance. These muscles are responsible for a variety of actions some of them including.

• Torso Flexion: Rectus Abdominis
• Torso Extension: Erector Spinae
• Torso Rotation/Lateral Flexion: External and Internal Obliques
• Stabilizing the Spine: Multifidus, Transverse Abdominis, Diaphragm
• Stabilizing the Hips/Pelvis: Pelvic Floor Muscles

As you move through different movement patterns you’ll have different core muscles working in tandem with one another. This is useful to keep in mind from a programming point of view.

For example, when you’re doing side bends, you’ll be training the internal obliques and external obliques, and there will likely be passive work going on with the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and spine stabilizers.

Different intensity thresholds and your anatomy will play a role in “what” core muscles are working when they’re working when training the core. You can bias muscles, but you’re never really training a core muscle in full isolation.

My 4 Core Training Staples

I program a lot of different core exercises depending on my training goals, but there are four exercises that I regularly keep in rotation and use as my “core training staples”.

1. Ab Wheel Rollout

The ab wheel rollout is an awesome exercise for lifters with all types of strength goals. It can be fantastic for beginners just getting into core training and experienced strength athletes squatting over 500 lbs.

The ab wheel is awesome because it trains multiple core muscles at once and there’s an element of coordination and balance to it that can make it fun and more engaging.

Why I Like Them

• Easy to modify the intensity by adjusting your base of support, the range of motion, tempo, and the surface you’re rolling on.
• Great for training the core to stabilize the spine while working against gravity and momentum.
• Effective for driving a high stimulus without a ton of reps and sets. It’s a good exercise to use when you’re on a time crunch and want a lot of work quickly.
• Useful for training the rectus abdominis through a lengthened and shortened position.
• Can have carryover to compound lifts by teaching lifters how to stack the torso and hips to work in unison with one another when producing core actions.

How I’ll Use Them

• Sets and Reps: 2-3 sets x 4-6 reps
• Rest: 45-60 seconds
• Tempo: 3-second eccentric, 1-sec pause extended, 2-3 second concentric
• Prescribed Intensity: Let the tempo and range of motion dictate your effort. I always aim for an 8-9/10 effort.

Ab wheel rollouts can be great as an exercise at the end of your workout to challenge a likely already taxed core. They can also work as a warm-up exercise if you want the core to work a little before diving into compounds like squats and deadlifts.

2. Cable Chop (All Angles)

The cable chop is awesome because you can use different variations to train the core through various rotational patterns. I’ll often program chops performing high-to-low, low-to-high, and regular chops all in one workout.

Another reason why I like the cable chop is that it gets you rotating and it allows for some passive hip work as well. For example, I’ll often perform a little internal rotation with the hip as I finish my chops. Mobility and core strength, it’s a win-win.

Why I Like Them

• Easy to program different chopping angles to hit different areas of the core.
• Can be useful from a “functional” context to get you swinging and rotating the body in a means you likely don’t access on a normal day-to-day basis.
• Fantastic for building and “feeling” the obliques when working through rotational patterns.
• Can be useful for passively training some hip mobility as you work to create rotational power through the trunk and hips.
• Easy to perform as an anti-rotation exercise or a power-developing tool depending on tempo and load used.

How I’ll Use Them

• Sets and Reps: 3 sets x 8-10 reps/ea side (1 high-to-low, 1 low-to-high, 1 parallel chop)
• Rest: 45-60 seconds
• Prescribed Intensity: For power, stay lighter and move with high velocity, for anti-rotational work, use heavier loads.

Something to think about with this exercise is your breathing. As you chop — exhale — this will give you a little more range of motion, ensure you’re bracing too much, and you’ll get a stronger core contraction.

3. Copenhagen Plank (With Crunch)

If you’re not doing Copenhagen planks, what are you doing? This exercise is fantastic because you’ll be training the obliques and core in general along with the adductors.

The static Copenhagen plank will be more than enough for beginners, but if you want to make this exercise extra spicy for the core, then you can add a dip and lateral crunch.

Why I Like Them

• Fantastic for training the adductors in a lengthened position and the obliques simultaneously.
• Great for building a connection between the trunk and hips when working to stabilize both.
• Easy to modify for lifters at all skill and strength levels.
• Great for performing virtually anywhere as you don’t need equipment at all for this exercise.
• Easy to change stimulus by manipulating time and adding dips or rotations.

How I’ll Use Them

• Sets and Reps: 3 sets x 20-30 seconds (static hold or continual dips)
• Rest: 45 seconds
• Prescribed Intensity: Modify your intensity by changing the time of your hold or density set.

If you find that it’s too difficult to perform the dip for these, then start with a static hold. This will be plenty hard for beginners who just starting to train this exercise and the muscles associated with it.

4. Cable Crunch

The cable crunch is a seriously underrated exercise that only some lifters perform with regularity. I love the cable crunch because you get an awesome flexion and extension stimulus with this exercise.

You can also perform these for high reps with heavier weight to increase their intensity and they can be useful for challenging you to access full torso extension and flexion.

Why I Like Them

• Seamless to program for lifters at all skill levels since weight is easily adjustable.
• Cable provides an awesome means to keep constant tension on the core.
• Great for training the trunk through active flexion and anti-extension as you resist the cable’s pull during the eccentric.
• Useful for improving trunk flexion and extension range of motion while producing force.

How I’ll Use Them

• Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets x 20-25 reps
• Rest: 45-60 seconds
• Prescribed Intensity: Ascending load. Start at 8/10 effort and increase weight slowly to hit a top set at 10/10 effort.

My big coaching tip for you when using the cable crunch is to focus on your breath. Exhale during the concentric or contraction phase and really focus on using the core to create the flexion.

Do not push your hips back as you do these. Think as though someone is punching you in the gut as you flex. This cue usually helps lifters bias the rectus abdominis more when performing these.

Honorable Mentions

• Side Bends
• Suitcase Carries
• Low-to-High Carries
• Med Ball Slams

Takeaway Thoughts

There are countless ways to train and build your core. Some exercises will be more effective than others and if we’re talking about sub-optimal exercises then I’ll die on the hill of saying crunches are overrated.

As you work to build your core, I’d highly suggest approaching training the abs with the same mindset that you do with your other muscle groups.

This will naturally give you more strategy and build a better progressive flow to your programming which is often overlooked by beginners mindlessly moving through light stim core training.

If you have additional questions about core training and exercises, drop a comment below or reach out to me via Instagram (@jake_boly or @that_fit_friend).