What’s More Effective – Standing or Floor Abdominal Work?

A strong core is important, no matter your age, but chances are good you do most of your ab work on the floor. For most people, some variation of crunches and planks are the standard ab exercises. When you do them properly, you’ll absolutely engage your abdominal muscles to build a strong core. But a little variety is a good thing, and standing ab work should be part of your routine. Still, you may be wondering, what’s more effective—standing or floor abdominal work?

Benefits of Standing Abdominal Exercises

Standing bicycle crunches, extended leg toe touches, high knee chops, cable pulls, side leg raises with a crunch—these are all effective exercises, but do they work as well as the ones you perform on the floor? If you do them properly, they’re a great addition to your current core routine. Gravity and the weight of your trunk add some resistance when you’re on the floor, but you may end up burning slightly more calories from a standing position. Certain movements can also really target your abs, since you activate a lot of different muscles in a standing position.

The biggest benefit of standing ab exercises is the variety it adds to your workouts. In a side-by-side comparison, floor work probably comes out ahead, but the best of both worlds is a mix of standing and floor ab exercises. Varying the stimulus to the muscles will help you build strength and stability in the core, which really is the goal. If you want the visual appeal of rock-hard abs, you’ll need to factor in nutrition, too.

Building a strong core should be part of your fitness routine, whether you care about the aesthetics or not. Your core is an important foundation for overall strength, stability, and balance, and that only becomes more important as we age. In Reno, the certified personal trainers at Framework Personal Training in Reno are ready and waiting to help you. Contact us today to learn more.