I Confess My Guilt Over These 4 Core Training Sins

Hello, my name is Matt Schifferle, and I have come to you today to confess my sins. 

Things started innocently enough. I wanted to build a stronger core and have some definition for summer. But before I knew it, my core routine was an entire workout, taking over my whole training program. I always had a sore lower back and was constantly facing burnout. 

Thankfully, I’m now in recovery with a simple approach to core training that’s far more efficient and effective. My mission is to help others learn from my mistakes and avoid these four sins of core training. 

Sin #1 Avoiding direct core training.

“I don’t need to train my abs because they work with everything I do already.”

Yep, that was back when I thought the deadlift was sufficient for training the abs. I also claimed I didn’t need to train legs because I was a bike racer. 

I practice direct abdominal training these days for the same reason I now train legs. I train my legs to be stronger because they are used so much when I ride. The same goes for training my abs. Sure, the abs are used in most full-body exercises, which is exactly why you want to ensure they are as strong as possible. Otherwise, they are potentially a weak link in the chain holding you back. 

Sin #2 Not using enough intensity.

Yes, I was a proud card-carrying member of the 1,000 crunch club, plus the 5-minute plank club. It used to be a huge point of pride to see how much volume I could pack into a core workout. 

The problem is that volume and intensity are inversely proportional. The more you have of one, the less you have of the other. That means high-volume training is also low-intensity training. I don’t have anything against a hefty volume dose occasionally, but an ounce of intensity will beat a pound of volume any day to build real strength. 

Not that it’s anyone’s fault, as many common abdominal exercises are pretty easy, so they tend to employ a lot of volume to feel like an effective workout. That’s why I focus on using a few select exercises that make it easy to adjust the intensity level so you can achieve an effective workout without the tedious volume. 

Sin #3 Using too many exercises.

There are entire classes and workouts dedicated toward working the abs. Once again, these are usually filled with low-intensity high-volume programs that use many different exercises. 

You don’t need to hit your abs from twenty different angles or focus on every oblique with a separate exercise. All you need are a few basic techniques, and you’re covered. Otherwise, you risk having a redundant workout that can quickly feel boring and drawn out, like an endless work meeting. 

Sin #4 Trying to isolate the abs…

I used to have a heck of a time trying to isolate the abs. I had special equipment, techniques, and methods to ensure my abs worked hard without involving anything else. 

These methods seldom worked, frustrating me until I stopped trying to isolate my abs. To my surprise, my abs worked much harder when I involved all the other muscles in my body. The more my hip flexors, back, and arms worked, the harder my abs worked. 

My core exercises still emphasize my abdominals but are far from isolated. Muscles don’t like to work in isolation. The best way to get any muscle group to work hard is to involve all other muscles to provide support and stability. 

Abdominal training doesn’t need to be complicated or tedious to be effective, so keep it simple. Use 2-3 basic exercises to adjust the intensity from very easy to incredibly difficult and everywhere in between. Perform hard sets for whatever reps or time you can, and call it a day. Nothing beyond that is really necessary to build your strongest abdominals possible.