Three overrated core exercises and what you should do instead

When you don’t have hours each week to train, you need to be smart in your exercise selection, opting for the ones that’ll deliver the biggest payoff. That can be pretty hard, especially when social media is filled with questionable workout advice, particularly when it comes to core training.

To make sure you get the most from your session, Steve Chambers, Personal Trainer and Gym Manager at Ultimate Performance, highlights three overrated core exercises and offers alternatives that you should focus on instead. We’re not saying the below exercises are terrible and you should never ever do them, but they certainly won’t deliver the most bang for your buck, if a stronger core is your ultimate goal.

Core and ab training – what’s the difference?

People get core and ab workouts mixed up all the time, but they aren't the same, so it’s important you know the difference so that you don't waste time on exercises that don't effectively target the areas you want to focus on.

“The best way I would describe the difference is to look at your abdominal muscles as a subset of your core,” says Steve. “Your core encompasses not just your abdominal muscles, but also the muscles in your spine and, together, these muscles work in harmony to keep your spine rigid and your body stable.”

Steve says just remember that an abs workout will directly target the abdominal muscles to enhance their size and strength, whereas a core workout will engage the abdominal and spinal muscles simultaneously. Now that’s sorted, onto those exercises…

Sit-ups

Sit-ups have garnered a bit of a bad rep, which Steve says isn’t completely fair, because they’re not a bad exercise if you’re looking to increase the strength and size of your abdominals. However, people often confuse them for being a great ‘core exercise’, which they’re not, as they predominantly target the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles).

Instead, he says compound exercises engaging multiple muscle groups, which you can progressively overload, are more efficient at strengthening your core muscles, like the goblet squat. “During a goblet squat, your core muscles – rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae – work isometrically to stabilise your spine, while holding a weight in front of your body (a weight you can constantly increase as you get stronger and fitter).”

Not to mention, they build functional strength too, mimicking many real-life movements, like lifting objects and getting up from a seated position. “How often would you perform a sit-up in an environment other than the gym?!” – point taken!

Russian twists

Russian twists aren’t bad, they’re many people’s favourite for hitting the obliques. But, they’re actually not the easiest exercise to perform – properly that is. We’ve all seen someone in the corner swinging a weight (that's clearly too heavy) from side to side and while it may look impressive, it won’t be achieving much muscle activation.

Steve says that twisting your torso from side to side also “involves more hip flexor and lower back engagement rather than isolating the obliques effectively”. “As a consequence, Russian twists can put excessive strain on the lower back and spine, especially if performed with improper form or with a heavy weight.”

The alternative? Dumbbell side bends. “These effectively engage the oblique muscles without unnecessary stress on other areas. They allow for a slow, controlled contraction and stretch of the obliques, leading to better muscle engagement.” The movement is also far easier to master than Russian twists too, making it more accessible to beginners.

Crunches

Similar to the sit-ups, crunches are another exercise that just won’t target your core muscles that well. They predominantly hit the upper abs and forget the muscles on the back of your body – think of your core muscles as being a corset around the trunk of your body. You therefore need to hit them from multiple angles. Steve’s alternative? The incline hip extension.

“Incline hip extensions promote better core strength than endless crunches because they engage more muscle groups, emphasise functional movement, and promote better spinal health. They work the entire core, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and lower back muscles.”

You can perform them with just your bodyweight, but as you get stronger, you can increase the intensity by introducing a weight plate, dumbbell, kettlebell, or even resistance bands, so your core is constantly challenged. “Again, they mimic real-world movements, making them more functional for athletic performance and daily activities, while boosting core strength to improve everyday quality."