Strong and solid midsections are widely sought after, with exercisers regularly subjecting themselves to endless sit-ups, planks and crunches in pursuit of one. But according to experts, there are more focused and effective ways to train your abs.
Ash Grossmann, a movement mechanics expert and founder of The Training Stimulus, says there are alternative exercises which offer plenty more bang for your buck. To prove it, he’s shared what he believes to be the best three-move abs workout you can do at home with just a single dumbbell, or a fairly heavy household object like a water bottle.
“Whenever somebody asks for the best workout, I always ask, ‘for what?’ Are you training to look good and have a nice six-pack, to be strong for heavy squats and deadlifts, or to hit the ball further in golf? What I’ve tried to do is tick as many boxes as possible with these three exercises.” he says.
The three moves cover the three planes of motion the body moves in: sagittal (up, down, forwards and backwards), frontal (side to side) and transverse (twisting). By doing this combination, the three moves not only promise to build mid-body strength and muscle, but can also improve your mobility and reduce your injury risk too.
“Two to four sets of six to 15 reps is quite a big range to aim for, I’m aware, but for some people two sets of six reps might be tough, and for others four sets of 15 will be doable,” Grossmann explains. Try each exercise before you dive into the full workout, then decide on a target number of sets and reps that will challenge you without being unachievable.
For the weighted exercises, Grossmann recommends using a dumbbell or suitable household object that weighs between 2kg and 10kg. As you build strength in the positions required, you can gradually increase the weight over time.
“Once you’ve done the exercises a couple of times, you can start to push the threshold,” says Grossmann. “Like any exercise, the goal is to edge out of your comfort zone, but you don’t want to take a huge leap of faith beyond what you know you can do.”
