UK-based personal trainer James Stirling, known on Instagram as @London_Fitness_Guy, has taken to the platform to share his insights on what does and does not build core strength.
Debunking a commonly held belief, he explained, "Doing loads of crunches is not going to build you a strong core."
Why is a strong core a priority? The core area also called the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex (LPHC), stabilizes the upper and lower body, improving posture, supporting mobility, and preventing injury.
Stirling shared that while many think a ripped midsection indicates core strength, the real deal is deeper.
"A strong core actually refers to our deep muscles that are at least one layer below the surface muscles. Essentially, if you can see a muscle, it's superficial, and it's not a primary core muscle."
Superficiality hasn't stopped men from seeking six-pack surgery. Known as high-definition liposuction, this "ab-etching" procedure involves sculpting stomach muscles via surgery and is surging in popularity.
As the name suggests, high-definition lipo provides a degree of definition not offered by the traditional procedure, which removes fat and volume but doesn't deal with the underlying "anatomy."
If you'd rather earn an ab and build your core without cosmetic procedures, Stirling recommends a holy trinity of focused exercises.
Stirling explained that dumbbell drags are a "really good exercise to build strength in your hips, glutes, and core."
To begin, assume a high plank position with a dumbbell, kettlebell, or other weighted object positioned outside one of your hands.
Using the opposite arm, reach under your body to grab the weight. Keeping your hips and torso still, drag the weight across the ground and position it outside the dragging arm.
Repeat on the other side and continue alternating for 40 seconds.
Heel taps can work your transversus abdominis, the deepest of the six ab muscles. According to Peloton instructor Kristin McGee, building it up can help with your posture, stabilizing the spine, and mobility in your hips.
Begin by lying on the floor with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle. Holding a dumbbell above your head, alternate tapping each heel on the ground.
This exercise can also be performed without the weight.
Stirling's final exercise is a side plank. To begin, lie on your side with your knees bent. Then, prop your upper body on your elbow and raise your hips off the floor. Tighten your core and glutes to keep your body straight and still.
Harvard Health Publishing claims planks are more effective than sit-ups, saying they "recruit a better balance of muscles on the front, sides, and back of the body than sit-ups, which target just a few muscles."
Stirling recommends doing each exercise for 40 seconds and completing three sets as a circuit.
Research has shown that as little as 22 minutes of physical activity every day can ward off the negative health consequences of prolonged sitting.
Despite Stirling's enthusiastic recommendation, an obesity researcher contends that while you can build strength, you can't use exercise to slim certain body parts.
"Spot reduction is a myth -- we can't control where our bodies lose fat," Dr. Nick Fuller of the University of Sydney in Australia wrote for the Conversation in 2023. "But we can achieve the results we're seeking in specific areas by targeting overall fat loss."