Don’t Waste Your Time! The Effects of Abdominal Training on Abdominal Fat

You want to get rid of the wobbly bits around your middle?

Don’t bother doing sit-ups.

Over the last year or two I have done my very best to discredit the use of stomach crunches for developing muscle tone for the simple reason they don’t really work, and research in last months Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research appears to support my claims.

When tested in a six –week program in which participants performed seven different exercises (bent-knee sit-up, lateral trunk flexion, leg lifts, oblique crunch, stability ball crunch, stability ball twist and abdominal crunch) twice over for ten repetions five days a week the participants experienced no reduction in body weight, body fat, abdominal fat or waist circumference.

Oh dear.

So what’s the storey?!

If you are looking for the most bang for your buck (or in normal terms to make best use of your time) you would be better off following a higher-intensity multi-joint program that includes squats, lunges, press ups, etc.

Doing sit-ups, although they may feel like they are hard work, DO NOT require huge energy demands by the body. Therefore will not burn much fat.

On the other hand, big multi-joint exercises done at an appropriate tempo DO. Not only will you burn fat BUT if you engage your muscles correctly you can activate those muscles in your abdomen, lose inches, and develop a much more balanced healthy physique.

…and lets be honest if your abdomen is covered in a layer of body fat nobodies going to see it anyway!

I’m not saying don’t do sit ups again. The research suggests that those participants who followed the six-week program significantly improved strength in their abdomen. However, for most of my clients this has never really been a goal.

If you want a slim and toned middle you would be better off finishing your session with ten or fifteen thirty-metre sprints with 20sec recovery. Doing this will get you seriously hot and bothered and burning calories for the next 36hrs.


If you want to find out more read the research yourself… Vispute, S., Smith, J., LeChiminant, J., Hurley, K. (2011). The Effect of Abdominal Exercise on Abdominal Fat. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.