In This Story
In This Story
Key Takeaways
- The deep core's main job is stabilizing the spine, not creating movement — which is why crunches train only a narrow part of it.
- Anti-rotation and anti-extension exercises (planks, carries, dead bugs) more directly train that stabilizing function.
- Pilates has emphasized breath-linked bracing and control over repeated flexion for a century; mainstream strength coaching is only recently catching up.
- Much of the benefit of better core training shows up invisibly inside other lifts and movements, not in a dedicated core block.
For decades, "core work" meant a set of crunches at the end of a workout, tacked on almost as an afterthought. That model has been quietly dismantled by a better understanding of what the core actually does — and it rarely involves lying on your back folding forward.
The core is a stabilizer, not a mover
The deep core muscles — transverse abdominis, multifidus, the pelvic floor and diaphragm — exist primarily to stabilize the spine while other muscles do the moving. Training them with a repeated flexion movement like a crunch works a narrow, superficial slice of that system and largely ignores the rest.
- Anti-rotation and anti-extension work (planks, dead bugs, carries) trains the stabilizing function directly
- Breath-linked bracing, a Pilates staple, teaches the deep core to fire before a limb moves, not after
- Loaded carries and single-arm work force the core to resist unwanted movement rather than create it
Where Pilates got there first
This is, not coincidentally, exactly what Pilates method has emphasized since the 1920s — control and stabilization over repeated flexion. Strength coaches arriving at the same conclusion decades later is less a trend than the rest of the field catching up to something dancers and physical therapists already knew.
A strong core is measured by what it prevents from moving, not by how many times it can fold in half.
The practical shift is simple: fewer sit-ups, more bracing under load. It's less visually dramatic than a hundred crunches, and considerably more useful for everything from lifting groceries to holding a reformer position for a full breath cycle.
Suggested weekly frequency for dedicated core-stabilization work, per current coaching consensus
2–3 sessions
Beyond that, most of the value comes from carrying good bracing mechanics into other lifts rather than adding more isolated core volume.
That last point matters more than it sounds: a lot of the benefit of better core training doesn't show up in a dedicated core block at all. It shows up as a deadlift that stays braced through the last rep, or a single-arm carry that doesn't tip you sideways — the core doing its actual job, invisibly, inside other movements.
Frequently Asked
Are crunches bad for you?
Not inherently, but they train a narrow slice of the core's function and offer limited carryover to real-world stability. Anti-rotation and anti-extension work (planks, dead bugs, carries) tends to produce more useful strength for most people's goals.
How often should I train my core specifically?
Two to three dedicated sessions a week is a reasonable target for most people, on top of the core engagement that already happens during squats, deadlifts and carries.
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