Developing a firm, toned and flat midsection is perhaps one of the most desirable fitness goals, but it’s also one of the most elusive.
This is often because the first thing people do when training for a six pack is to drop to the ground and bash out set after set of sit ups. Because that’s the correct way, isn’t it?
No—far from it!
Not only are sit-ups considerably less effective at developing your abs than the fitness world once thought, they can actually cause damage to your body. Let’s find out how.
What is the problem with sit ups?
For decades, sit ups have been the go-to exercise for creating a six pack. In theory, sit ups make sense. You sit up, your core contracts, your abs become more defined… they must be effective?
In reality, if you look at the sit up closer, you start to see the issues.
Firstly, due to the global problem of TMS (too much sitting), some key muscles in our body have become shorter and tighter, such as our hip flexors. Because sit ups actually target the hip flexors more than they do the core, we just exacerbate the problem when these already-tight muscles contract even further.
Tight hip flexors can cause a surprising number of problems in the body, including lower back ache, poor posture, and neck pain.
In addition to the hip flexor problem, sit ups can also be very bad for your back. As you perform the movement, the discs and vertebrae in your spine are subject to compression from the floor. This compression on the back can cause pain and potentially cause a herniated disc.
So, regardless of the benefits you think they do for your abs (which are minimal), sit ups are bad news for your back.
Tight hip flexors can cause a surprising number of problems in the body, including lower back ache, poor posture, and neck pain.
But there are MORE problems with sit ups!
In addition to being a pain in the back, sit ups come with other problems that make them a poor choice for your fitness program.
Firstly, they are very limited in their variations and progressions. If you are able to nail the correct form and avoid injuring yourself, you will soon find your progress halts as your body gets used to performing them.
You may have to up the rep count to 50, 100, 200, 500… it gets both boring and time consuming. In your hectic life, as you try to juggle working and a social life, do you really have time for long boring exercise sessions?
What should you do instead?
With sit ups out of your plan, you may feel a bit lost. You know you need to train your core, but what should you do instead?
Luckily there are better things you can do, including dynamic core exercises.
Dynamic core exercises such as mountain climbers and knee tucks offer several benefits; primarily that they engage more of the body at once. This enables you to work through the full range of motion for better activation of the core muscles, while developing flexibility.
Meanwhile, dynamic movements are able to increase your heart rate, which can improve cardiovascular health and burn extra calories—an important factor in losing belly fat.
How do you perform effective dynamic ab exercises?
We have established that dynamic movements are a better use of your time than sit ups. Going from grinding out sit up after sit up to multiple dynamic movements may sound a bit intimidating, although it doesn’t have to be.
This is where 8 Minute Abs can help.
8 Minute Abs offers a fast way to train your abs and actually see results—all without stressing your spine. Each workout is set out step-by-step, making it easy to follow along.
This means that in just 8 minutes a day, you can enjoy (yes, enjoy!) a fun workout that actually allows you to feel results after your first session. No sit ups, no back pain, no boredom.
We appreciate that the sit up served a purpose for decades, but in the 21st century, there is just no room for it.
How do you feel about giving up the sit up for good?
and then