There are more effective workouts than countless crunches, whether you want to gain muscle for that elusive pull-up or just want to show off a six-pack (hey, no judgement!).

These techniques will completely shift the way you think about exercising your stomach, from plank variations to weighted workouts.

You won’t even feel like you’re targeting your abs, but you’ll be activating your core for abs-olutely abs-tonishing results (sorry, not sorry).

How to Make Use of This List

Depending on your fitness level, an expert recommends including two or three of the techniques below in a training regimen that looks like this:

• Do each motion for 60 seconds (or the given number of reps), then rest for 20 seconds.
• Carry out the following action.
• Rest for up to 60 seconds after completing all three moves.
• Retrace your steps.
• Complete 3 or 4 rounds in total.

Consider rushing to nowhere. With your knees up in the air? Think again if this sounds self-defeating.

High knees 

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your core engaged and your back straight.
2. Maintain a solid grip on your arms or swing them to aid with propulsion.
3. Run in place, raising each leg as high as possible towards your chest and pulling your knees up with your lower abs. (Think sprint rather than jog.)
4. For 60 seconds, run as quickly as you can.

If you have some knee discomfort but want to attempt this, these yoga positions for knee pain will help open up your joints.

Tuck jump

Bunny, bounce, bounce! This workout will definitely keep you on your toes.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your core engaged, and your back straight.
2. Move your hips back, gently bend your knees, and bend your elbows at 90 degrees with your hands facing down.
3. Jump up and bring your knees towards your chest, so they tap your downturned palms in one forceful action (POW!).
4. Land softly on your toes with a tiny bend in your knees, then jump back up.
5. 60 seconds of jumping.

Jumping can be an excellent complement to any training routine; here’s how to perfect the vertical leap.

Plank walk

What might it accomplish with its arm?

1. Begin in a high plank stance.
2. Descend onto your right forearm first, then your left. You’ll now be in a forearm plank position.
3. Push up from your left forearm to your left hand, then from your right forearm to your right hand to return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for another 60 seconds.

Plank jacks 

It’s similar to a jumping jack, but without the jumping and with more planking.

1. Begin with a high plank stance.
2. Jump both feet apart wider than hip width while bracing your core. Now jump them back together rapidly. Each time, try to land lightly on your toes (who wants a fractured toe?).
3. Maintain a firm hip position and straight arms.
4. Repeat for another 60 seconds.

Do you like jacks of the “jumping” variety? Here’s how to do it.

Plank arms walkout

Hey, I’m planking here!

1. Begin with a high plank stance.
2. Walk your hands forward slowly until your wrists are no longer beneath your shoulders and your torso is stretched.
3. Move your hands as far forward as you can.
4. Stop for a second at the farthest place before walking your hands back to the beginning position.
5. Repeat for a total of 60 seconds.

High plank bird dog

Because we live in a dog-tweet-dog world.

1. Begin with a high plank stance.
2. Brace your core and lift your right hand and left foot off the ground, as if doing a classic bird dog.
3. Return to the beginning posture and repeat on the opposite side of your body.
4. Do 10 repetitions on each side.

Scorpion 

This one hurts, but it gets the job done.

1. Begin on all fours.
2. Brace your core, come to the tips of your toes, and shift your weight to your right side.
3. Lift your left hand and foot off the ground, enabling your right hand and foot to move so that you are face up.
4. Raise your left foot and right hand off the ground. Crunch your body together and touch your right hand to your left toes as your left leg is stretched.
5. Go back on all fours.
6. Rep on the opposite side, never allowing your hips to touch the ground.
7. Repeat for 10 repetitions on each side.

Plank on an Incline

Like the incline push-up, the incline plank is a scaled-down version of the original. It requires less stability and emphasises your abs’ middle muscles. You’re supporting less body weight because of the incline. That means you’ll be able to strengthen your core if you can’t hold a regular front plank for 30 seconds or more.

Plank Decline

The decline plank stresses your lower abs more than the rest of your “six-pack” muscles. Because your lower abs are frequently neglected, and the decline puts more strain on your shoulders, this “beginner” front plank exercise can be surprisingly difficult to maintain.

Plank RKC

This isn’t your typical front plank. It is accessible to people who have mastered front planks because it physically requires the same position — but it significantly raises the stakes. The RKC plank transforms this into a total-body challenge from head to toe by creating tension between your upper and lower body. Maintaining this version of the plank for more than 10 seconds requires your complete focus.

Plank with Weights

The plank plus is another name for the weighted plank. When the standard front plank and its variations are no longer challenging you, placing the weight directly over your core will undoubtedly up the ante.

Plank on the Side

Side planks are an exercise that everyone despises, but the benefits are undeniable. They work almost every muscle in your body, from head to toe, including your lower back. To keep your spine neutral, the lower back muscles that surround it will contract isometrically. Because gravity isn’t directly acting on your spine, this is an excellent exercise for strengthening the lower back if you’re suffering from lower back pain.

Rotational Side Plank

Because of the rotational component of this side plank variation, this exercise is both static and dynamic. This strengthens your obliques even more, which is useful for maintaining anti-rotational strength during heavy lifts. Because your weight is rolling forward, you are simultaneously training isometric, concentric, and eccentric contractions.

Muscles worked during the two workouts

The muscles targeted by plank and push-ups are nearly identical. Both exercises are similar in that they work multiple muscles throughout the body at the same time. Standard push-ups target your chest muscles, or pectorals, shoulders, or deltoids, back of your arms, or triceps, abdominals, and serratus anterior, whereas the plank targets your core, rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, serratus anterior, and glutes.

For beginners 

When comparing plank to push-ups, the former is unquestionably easier for beginners than the latter. To do push-ups, you must first get into a plank position that allows you to do them easily. Push-ups are challenging because they require you to balance your body weight on your arms while going up and down. This technique necessitates excellent arm and shoulder strength, which can only be attained via consistent exercise. Beginners may struggle to complete this exercise correctly. Planks and half push-ups should be substituted for standard push-ups.

For experts

You can alternate planks and push-ups if you’ve been training for a long and can complete both exercises without compromising your form. Both are full-body workouts that target nearly identical muscles and aim to increase core strength, posture, and range of motion. However, if you have to choose one, we recommend pushups because it provides benefits for both moves.

Resting Heart Rate – Used to Determine Aerobic Fitness

Counting the number of beats in your resting heart rate (RHR) might help you track your fitness level. As your aerobic fitness level improves, it should decrease. 

When you are at rest, your resting heart rate (RHR) is the number of times your heart beats per minute. A lower RHR tends to coincide with increased aerobic fitness since a robust cardiovascular system allows your heart to pump more blood with each beat. RHRs of 40 have been recorded by several athletes.

How to measure

Place two fingers on your neck, just below your jawline (carotid artery), or on your wrist (radial artery) and count the number of beats you feel in 60 seconds to get your RHR. The initial beat should be counted as ‘zero.’ The optimal time to take our RHR is frequently regarded to be first thing in the morning.

Results 

The following are the results of this exercise test:

• 60 or less = Excellent
• 61 to 80 = Average 81 to 100 = Excessive, but still acceptable
• 101 or above = abnormally high (bad!)

Stability And Core Strength Test- Planks

As the name implies, this exam tests not only core strength and stability but also upper body strength. It is also known as the plank fitness test since it assesses strength in the plank position.

How to measure

To begin this fitness level test, stand in a plank posture with your forearms on the ground. Hold this position for 60 seconds, then elevate your right arm 15 seconds off the ground. Return that arm to the ground for the same length of time as your left arm.

Results 

You have strong core strength if you can complete this stage. If not, this shows that you might benefit from a regular core workout to improve your core strength and stability.

Upper Body Strength Test- Pushups

Many athletes rely on upper body strength. 3 It’s also useful for parents picking up their children or college students carrying heavy backpacks, and it’s frequently a strong indicator of general fitness.

How to measure

Do as many push-ups as you can while maintaining proper form (your toes, hips, and shoulders should all be in a straight line). Keep track of the number of tasks you were able to accomplish.

Results 

The results of this test differ depending on age and gender. A guy in his 30s, for example, is deemed to be in “great” condition if he can do 44 or more push-ups, but if he can only do 12 push-ups, his fitness level is considered “very bad.”

However, 29 or more push-ups for a woman in her 50s implies “great” form.

Body Fat Distribution- Waist-to-Hip Ratio

The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) compares the amount of fat accumulated around the waist to the hip circumference. An apple shape (carrying excess fat around the stomach) is worse for your fitness than a pear shape (carrying additional luggage around your hips or thighs), as it is linked to heart disease and diabetes.

How to measure

With the tape held tight but without tugging, measure the circumference of your hips at the broadest region of your buttocks. Take the circumference of your waist at its narrowest point and multiply it by two. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to get the ratio.

Results 

A healthy waist-to-hip ratio for women is less than 0.8. For men, a healthy waist-to-hip ratio is less than 0.9.

Which is the most effective fitness test?

There is no one fitness test that is superior to another since they all assess various things. If you are concerned about accuracy, you could call a sports performance lab and have them run a few fitness level tests for you. They will get access to the most up-to-date methodologies and testing equipment.