Do runners have Abs?

Written by Micahel Volk

Do runners have Abs (Abdominal Muscles)? One day at high school track practice (when the track was longer, ie 440 yards or ¼ mile), one of the team members, Andy, went walking around asking us to show him our stomachs. After checking everyone, he concluded that runners don’t have Abdominal Muscles (better known as Abs). The pole vaulters did, but no one else. This was a muscle group what did not develop much due to running. We didn’t think it would serve much purpose, but would probably be somewhat useful to maintain overall body stability and posture.

After running, I started doing triathlons and I thought my extensive swim training would help develop some core muscles. This was not the case. It was not until I started doing CrossFit that I could see that it really took a focus on these muscles to get them to develop significantly. The CrossFit exercises that focus on the core are sit-ups (they must be done with an Ab Mat to prevent back strain)and Toes to Bars (where you hang from a pullup bar and bring your feet to the bar). The dreaded burpee does significant work for the abs also. The abs are crucial to all of the weightlifting lifts, so the training exercises for these help develop these muscles also. I think adding a CrossFit training regimen to your running program would take up too much time. However, a weekly ab focused workout of a half hour would strengthen your core and contribute positively to your running posture and stability.