The Tighter Tummy Assumption

If you want a firmer middle, surely you just need to do more ab exercises… right?

“I just want my tummy to feel a bit tighter.”

If I had a pound for every time a woman had said that to me over the years, I’d probably have retired by now.

And I get it.

For a lot of women, particularly through their 40s and 50s, their middle is one of the areas they notice changing. Your clothes fit differently, your waist might not feel as defined as it once did and suddenly you’re much more aware of an area of your body you perhaps never thought that much about before.

So naturally, you decide you need to work on your stomach.

More crunches. More sit-ups. More planks. Maybe one of those “10-minute flat tummy workouts” you’ve saved on Instagram.

It makes sense, doesn’t it?

If this is the area I want to change, this must be the area I need to exercise more.

Unfortunately, our bodies don’t quite work like that.

You can’t choose where you lose body fat

This is probably the biggest misunderstanding when it comes to training your stomach.

Doing exercises that work your abdominal muscles will strengthen those muscles, but they don’t tell your body to specifically burn the fat sitting on top of them.

In other words, you can’t spot-reduce fat from your tummy by doing more tummy exercises.

So when you see workouts promising to “burn belly fat” or “melt menopause belly” with a handful of ab exercises, take those promises with a very large pinch of salt.

If only it were that easy.

But — and this is important — that doesn’t mean training your core is pointless. Far from it.

A stronger core can still change a lot

Your core is much more than the muscles you can see at the front of your stomach.

It's a group of muscles working together to stabilise and support your trunk and help transfer force between your upper and lower body.

Your core is working when you squat, deadlift, walk, run, lift weights and perform countless everyday movements.

A stronger core can help you feel more stable and supported, improve the way you move and give you a much stronger foundation for the rest of your training.

And yes, if aesthetics matter to you — training the muscles through your midsection can contribute to your middle feeling stronger and firmer.

There's nothing wrong with wanting that.

I think sometimes the fitness industry swings too far the other way and makes women feel as though they're not supposed to care about how they look.

Of course you can want to be stronger and want to feel good in your clothes.

We just need to be realistic about what core exercises can and can't do.

Don't only train the bit you want to change

This is another mistake I see.

If changing your body composition is part of your goal, don't put all your attention on your stomach just because that's the area you're most conscious of.

Whole-body strength training matters.

Squats, deadlifts, rows, presses and other resistance exercises allow you to train much more muscle across your body.

And building and maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we get older.

So rather than thinking:

I want a tighter tummy, therefore I need to train my abs.

I'd much rather you think:

I want a stronger body — and a strong core is an important part of that.

That's a very different approach.

And then there's the bit we can't ignore...

If your goal isn't only to have a stronger core but also to change how your middle looks, core exercises are only one part of the picture.

Pairing strength training with good nutrition, increased protein and regular daily movement is where we start looking at the bigger picture.

Protein is particularly useful when you're strength training because it provides the building blocks your body needs to repair and build muscle.

That doesn't mean suddenly living on chicken breasts and protein shakes or going back to another restrictive diet.

It means getting the basics right more consistently: eating enough protein across the day, building balanced meals, staying active and strength training regularly.

You can't spot-reduce fat from your stomach, but you can strengthen the muscles underneath, build and maintain muscle across your body and work on your overall body composition.

That's a much better long-term strategy than doing hundreds of crunches and hoping for the best.

So, should you train your core?

Absolutely.

Just do it for the right reasons — and do it properly.

Core training isn't about seeing how long you can suffer through a plank while your whole body shakes. 😂

Technique matters.

Progression matters.

And just like any other muscle group, your core needs to be challenged if you want it to become stronger.

Can you hold a good-quality plank for longer than you could before?

Can you control a dead bug without your back lifting?

Can you progress an exercise that initially felt impossible?

Do you feel stronger and more stable during your other lifts?

Those are all signs that you're making progress.

And rather than collecting endless random ab exercises from social media, I'd much rather you had a small selection of exercises that you understand, perform well and know how to progress.

Want to work on yours this August?

Every August I run Strong to the Core, and we're starting again on Monday 3rd August.

Over four weeks, I'm going to teach you 8 no-equipment core exercises, one step at a time.

Every Monday and Thursday you'll receive a coaching video from me showing you how to perform your new exercise properly, what you should be feeling, common mistakes to avoid and how to make it easier or more challenging depending on where you're starting.

We'll begin with a plank benchmark, gradually build your exercises over the four weeks and then retest at the end so you can see how your core strength has progressed.

By the time we finish, you'll have 8 exercises you know how to perform properly and can mix and match into quick core sessions at home, on holiday or alongside your usual training.

And everything is yours to keep, so you can continue using it long after August is over.

Strong to the Core is currently £40 until Thursday 30th July, and if you join during early access, I'll also include my High-Protein Meal Plan as a bonus.

From Friday, the programme will be £50 and the bonus will no longer be included.

[JOIN STRONG TO THE CORE]

No equipment. No complicated workouts. Just four weeks dedicated to building a core that's not only about how your middle looks — but what it can actually do.