Tone Your Abs and Core Without Crunches

Lets face it…. Crunches and situps are a total pain… literally. No one wants to spend valuable time laying on the dirty floor of their gym completing endless reps of one exercise that is neither enjoyable to perform and does not bring about the results you may be seeking! Furthermore, many people do not perform crunches/sit-ups properly (engage their hips and not their abdominals) and end up with sore lower backs (lumbar region) and neck strains. Needless to say, it is no wonder that crunches are not very popular for gym-seekers and health enthusiasts alike who are looking for a body transformation they can be proud of! So, here in lies a great solution for great abs without the hussle and bussle of painful crunches and sit-ups….

Ladies and Gentlemen… I introduce you to MULTI-JOINT EXERCISE! I wish I could take credit for the discovery of these exercises, but you may have heard and/or performed these exercises before and not even known you had been strengthening your core and abs! Multi-Joint Exercises are exercises that engage multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously. Furthermore, the multi-joint exercises that you will learn about in this article focus on building core strength (including your abs!)

The following exercises are Multi-Joint Exercises: (Access the proper weight for you on each exercise!)

Shouder Press

Yes, the shoulder press does focus primarily on shoulder (deltoid) development. However, when completing the exercise, you are also engaging your core. How? The body is a wonderful creation and one of its main goals is to stay in equilibrium. For example, we are born with toes on our feet to help stabilize our bodies when we walk, run, etc. In the same context, when completing the shoulder press, our core muscles (abs, obliques, and back) are engaged when we balance the weight above our heads during the shoulder press execution. During the shoulder press, keep your core tight while you lower and raise the dumbells, olympic bar, etc. You should feel your core at work during this exercise! (Peform 3 Sets of 10 with a light to moderately heavy weight!)

 Squats

Squats are a staple exercise! One misconception about squats is that it is a primarily lower body exercise; WRONG! Squats not only enage your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, butt, but (not pun intended) squats also engage your upper and lower back, obliques, and you guessed it…. ABS! In fact, I know many athletes who sware by the squat as a total body transformer! (Trust me, there bodies are proof!) So, when performing the squat, as you move the weight down and then back up, keeping your back naturally curved and engaging your hips, your core is hard at work to stabalize your body as you incur the additional weight on your body. Proper form is crucial, but once you get the mechanics correct, the squat can be very beneficial in overall body development, especially your abs! (3 sets of 10 is a perfect range!)

Push Ups

There is not a more simple yet effective exercise for building tone abs! I lift 5-6 days a week and incorporate push ups in all of my exercises. Again, when completing a pushup, your body wants to remain stable so your core is engaged to maintain your bodies stability as you perform each rep. Not only will pushups build a stronger back, but they will also build stronger more visible abs! I like to do pushups everyday… usually 3 sets of 10!

Leg Press

The Leg Press is very similar to the squat! When your body incurs the additional weight, your core must kick in to help your body control the weight that you are pushing. Now, you don’t need a lot of weight to get a great core workout…. light weight with high reps on the leg press will bring about great results for your core! Perform 3 sets of 10.

Dead Lift

Deadlifts also engage the core, especially your lower back, obliques, and abdominal muscles. Again, as you lift and lower the weight, your shoulders and traps are getting a work out, as well as your core which is helping you to control the weight during the exercise! Perform 3 sets of 10 of this exercise to build a stronger lower back and core.

Standing Core Twists

This is one of my absolute favorites. Standing shoulder width apart, hold a light weight (5-10 lbs) with your arms straight out. With your core tight, swing your arms in a controlled motion from one side to the other. IMPORTANT: pivot your knees as you complete this exercise as to reduce the torsion placed on the knee. The core twists will engage primarily your obliques (the muscles on the left and right of your abdominals). These core twists keep your body balanced as you swing back and forth. I like to peform 3 sets of 10 reps on each side. You should feel a good burn!

To learn more about each of these exercises, and/or view diagrams of how to do these exercises, please BING (the Microsoft search engine) each exercise and look for images for better instruction. Now, as a disclaimer, performing these exercises without routine cardio will NOT bring you the results you may be looking for! It is so important to complete Cardio (Treadmill, Bike, etc.) 3 times a week for about 25-30 minutes. This cardio exercise coupled with the core training found in the Multi-Joint Exercises will allow you to burn more calories, strengthen your core, and ultimately reveal the abs and obliques you work so hard for! If you put in the necessary time and effort in doing these exercises, I am sure you will be happy with the results!