This Is the Best Workout Move for Core Strength, No Crunches Required

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This Is the Best Workout Move for Core Strength, No Crunches Required originally appeared on Parade.
Aesthetic reasons aside, having strong and stable abdominal muscles is important for several major reasons. 'Core strength is key for good posture, balance and preventing falls,' says Andrea Lepcio, CPT, a certified personal trainer and the founder and owner of Mighty Fit. Casey Lee, CPT,a certified personal trainer at Purposeful Strength, adds that core strength is important for overall health. 'Core strength is critical for total body strength. Your core is the area that connects your upper body to your lower body and is the key to managing your center of mass,' he says.'Core strength is important because it's the fundamental base of your entire body,' explains Vinn Reddy, CPT, a certified personal trainer and the founder of Vinn Reddy Personal Training Fitness. Think about where your core engagement is located; it helps your upper body and your lower body move and function safely. Without it, you can strain, pull or agitate other muscles because you didn't use your core.Think that developing a stronger core means tons of crunches? Not necessarily. There's a move that's even more effective than the standard sit-up you learned in grade school gym class.🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊
One super effective core strengthening move, according to the three personal trainers we talked to, is dead bugs. Here's how to do it step by step:
Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your arms extended toward the ceiling.
Reach your left arm back behind your ear and extend your right leg out in front of you. Come back to the starting position.
Now, reach your right arm back behind you and extend your left leg out in front of you. Come back to the starting position.
Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps per side.
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'Simply put, dead bugs build core strength from being able to activate your core and keeping a neutral spine while moving your arms and legs,' Reddy says, explaining why it's so effective. He adds that this ab-strengthening move also puts your coordination to the test. That means it's good for your brain too.Lepcio says that dead bugs require the core to stay stable while the limbs move. 'The strength-building comes through the stillness you demand of your core. By coordinating the movement of opposite limbs, you are asking your muscles to resist movement. This activates your deep mindful stabilizers front, side and back,' she explains.When doing dead bugs, Lepcio stresses that it's important to breathe correctly. To do this, she says to exhale when lowering the opposite leg and arm and to inhale when returning to the starting position.Related:
As with other healthy habits, if you want to notice a difference in your core strength by doing dead bugs, it's important to do it consistently. The benefit of this move is that it doesn't require any equipment whatsoever. You can spend a few minutes doing it at home whenever it best fits into your schedule.
Reddy recommends doing dead bugs every other day to really notice a difference. 'Doing two or three sets of 10 dead bugs every other day gives you a chance to really focus on the quality repetitions and then giving your core a day of rest,' he says. But he emphasizes that the rest day doesn't mean doing nothing; it's still important to stay active and move your body.
If you keep at it, Lepcio says you can expect to notice a difference in your ab strength in about eight weeks. How can you tell your core is getting stronger? She explains that you may notice that you have less lower back fatigue after standing or sitting for an extended period of time and just generally be able to move through life with more ease. Reddy agrees, saying, '[Everyday] movements start to feel easier, such as moving boxes, picking things up around the house, cleaning and gardening.'Related:
According to Lee, another way you will notice your ab strength improving is that you'll be less shaky when doing dead bugs than when you first started doing them. 'Shakes aren't bad, but typically come when you're developing strength and your body is working on mastering the resistance limbs naturally provide,' he says.
Certainly, dead bugs is not the only way you should be moving your body; cardio and strength training are important too. But as far as ab strengthening goes, this move is a winner. Do it regularly and you'll notice a difference.
Up Next: Andrea Lepcio,CPT, certified personal trainer and the founder and owner of Mighty Fit
Casey Lee, CPT,certified personal trainer at Purposeful Strength
Vinn Reddy, CPT, certified personal trainer and the founder of Vinn Reddy Personal Training Fitness
This Is the Best Workout Move for Core Strength, No Crunches Required first appeared on Parade on Jul 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.