Most runners are aware that although strength and conditioning work might not be as much fun as the actual running, building a strong core is a vital way to maintain your body’s stability and efficiency and prevent injuries.
A study in San Diego published by the American Council on Exercise investigated the effectiveness of a range of stomach exercises and gave them a ranking.
The study looked at the results of a number of different ab exercises, from the traditional crunch to an ab roller, on 30 healthy men and women aged between 20-45. The participants were a mix of occasional to regular exercisers. The results were studied by analysing the muscle activity during each of the 13 different exercises using electromyography equipment.
According to the study, the best ab exercises for hardening your core are:
1. Bicycle crunches
Topping the charts at number one, the study says that by analysing muscle activity in the abdominals, the best of the bunch is the bicycle crunch.
To complete a bicycle crunch, lie on your back with your lower back pressed into the ground, bring your knees in towards your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the ground. Straighten your right leg, whist turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow towards the left knee.
2. Captain’s chair
For this ab exercise you’ll need to be in a gym. Using a captain’s chair or a seat-less chair with back and armrests, let your legs dangle straight down, before raising your knees up towards your chest. Engaging your ab muscles, slowly lower your legs back down and repeat. Definitely one to add to the best ab workout list.
3. Crunches on an exercise ball
According to the study, the third most-effective abdominal exercise was the simple crunch, but on a medicine or balance ball. Lie on the ball with your hands behind your head and complete the simple crunch, using your core muscles to lower yourself down and bring yourself forwards.
According to the researchers, although crunches on an exercise ball generated less activity in the obliques and rectus abdominals than some of the other ab exercises on the list, as it generated less activity in the leg muscles, it was more targeted to the abs and the best overall exercise.
These core exercises weren’t so great:
The poor old traditional crunch was found to be the worst ab exercise to keep in your routine, followed by pulling exercise tubing such as a resistance band, and using an ab rocker. The researchers said: ‘The ab roller was no more effective than the traditional crunch, while the ab rocker was up to 80% less effective.’ Good news for those who don’t want to spend any more money on kit. Just get on the floor and gimme 20.
A five-minute daily routine mixing a few of the top ranked manoeuvres should give the best results. Here’s the full list.
The 13 ab exercises used, ranked most to least effective, were:
1. Bicycle crunches
2. Captain’s chair
3. Crunches on an exercise ball
4. Vertical leg crunch
5. Torso Track
6. Long arm crunch
7. Reverse crunch
8. Crunch with heel push
9. Ab Roller
10. Hover
11. Traditional crunch
12. Exercise tubing pull
13. Ab Rocker
