DEVELOPING THE TYPE of six-pack abs guys dream about can be a time-consuming process that requires discipline both in and out of the gym, not just a few sets of situps. Keep that in mind next time you hear a fitness influencer attempt to you sell you the latest once in a lifetime “program” that will shred your midsection in moments using nothing but your bodyweight.
You may want to strongly consider unfollowing that “expert”—and follow this advice instead. Despite the hype, eight-minute ab programs remain a successful, trendy marketing ploy—we’ve shared them ourselves—because who doesn’t want maximum gains in minimal time? The problem is, reducing belly fat and gaining a ripped core in under 10 minutes isn’t possible—at least not in the ways they would like you to believe, according to Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., and trainer Mathew Forzaglia, N.F.P.T., C.P.T., founder of Forzag Fitness.
No one’s going to say you shouldn’t work your abs for eight minutes—any work can be effective compared to none—but you’re not going to be able to achieve the type of gains promised by a TV commercial (or more likely now, an IG post or TikTok) in that compressed time. You’ll need more time and effort if getting lean is your ultimate goal.
“Understand how you should frame eight-minute abs,” Samuel says. “It’s a gateway to getting into the shape you want. It is not the answer to getting into the shape that you want.”
Why You Can’t Just Do 8-Minute Bodyweight Abs Workouts
Spot Reduction Is a Myth
No matter how hard you want to crunch away fat around your waist, it just doesn’t work that way. Targeting specific areas on your body for fat loss (known as “spot reduction“) is not actually a thing. No matter what the influencers try to sell you, fat-loss is a total body effort, and is achieved through both disciplined training and diet. This combination promotes both physical activity and creating a calorie deficit, which leads to fat loss.
Your Abs Need More Than One Plane of Movement
Creating a well-balanced core requires you to train your abs from multiple planes of movement, and that’s not possible when most quick training sessions only demand that you work through various types of crunches. Along with the sagittal spinal flexion you’ll perform in crunches and situps, you’ll also need other elements such as rotation and resistance work to strength your entire core. Another key to working your abs is staying actively challenged throughout the timeframe, which will not happen when you’re only doing a few types of crunches and planks.
You Need Progressive Overload
You can progress some staple bodyweight ab training moves slightly—shoulder tap planks add a little more challenge to traditional planks, for instance—but overall, your abs will need some form of resistance to achieve your goals. Bodyweight alone just won’t cut it in the long term. You abs are muscles, like anything else, and muscles grow best through progressive overload. Having a strong core may not only look good, but the added strength provided by resistance work is going to help you in other areas in life.
3 Ways to Work Your Abs More Thoroughly
Perform More Challenging Exercises
There are more ways to getting that six-pack than just an aimless amount of situps. Level up by taking two challenging exercises that you may be add a little bit of load—think cable crunches or a windmill. Just three sets of 10 to 12 reps (with about 45 seconds rest in between sets), and your abs will fry—and it shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes. Even better: You’re setting the stage to create hypertrophy with your abs by working against an external load.
Add Carries to Your Routine
Loaded carries, no matter what style you incorporate—single-arm, two-arm, overhead, offset overhead—are one of the more reliable full-body exercises to add to your arsenal. By walking from Point A to B with a pair (or just one) of kettlebells or other objects, you’re not only working your abs by forcing yourself to maintain a tight and stabilized core throughout the movement, you’ll burn a ton of calories as well, making this the ultimate bang for your buck core movement. Plus, you get to lift heavy things.
Use Quick Abs to Start of End Your Workout
If you really want to do your favorite influencer-based eight-minute workout, go for it. The one benefit of these workouts is that they can be done every day—just as long as they’re not the primary part of your routine. Instead, make the short routines part of your pre-workout split or as a finisher. Whether it’s before a five-mile run or a heavy upper body weight training session, adding an additional eight minutes to your workout makes a great supplement. Think of it as a bonus burn to wrap up your session.
Jeff Tomko is a freelance fitness writer who has written for Muscle and Fitness, Men’s Fitness, and Men’s Health.
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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