If ever there was an overrated and underperforming exercise, I nominate the ‘crunch’ or ‘sit up’. It’s like a loaf of white bread, popular, always available, but offering very little substance or benefit. Add to that, they are cumbersome, uncomfortable, and generally awkward to perform. They have been the popular ‘go to’ abdominal exercise for decades, requiring many repetitions with little visible results.
According to Harvard Health publications, sit ups are not ideal for the spine, and can actually contribute to spinal injuries. They can also cause a twisted pelvis via the range of muscle movements engaged in a sit up. Further, they may contribute to bulging or slipped discs in your spine causing severe pain. The Army has being phasing out sit ups from their training for several years due to high numbers of injuries in soldiers. Not to mention, neck stiffness, shoulder pain, and just being plain… awkies. To add insult to injury, quite literally, they can actually make you look bigger by pushing your core outward creating a pot belly. Probably not anybody’s aim from a sit up.
In addition to the high risks of injuries, sit ups just don’t provide any real results when they are done for losing belly fat or trying to reduce waist size. No single exercise will target a specific area for fat loss. Exercise must be done on all areas, and a healthy diet followed, in order for fat loss to occur on your body overall. We can tone areas through specific exercises, but unfortunately fat loss just does not work that way. Why would you do 100 uncomfortable sit ups per day for no results? Craziness. White bread. Empty and dead.
I hear a collective “Hooray” from the masses. And rightly so. So, what can you do instead?
17 minute ab workout including rest time!
1.PLANK 1 Minute Plank: 30 Seconds Rest x 3
Photo by Li Sun on Pexels.com
2.MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS 1 Minute Fast Pace: 30 Seconds Rest x 3
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com
3.SIDE PLANKS 1 Minute Hold: 30 Second Rest – Left and Right Sides
Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels.com
4.V-HOLD Hold 10 Seconds x 3
5.BATTLE ROPES : ALTERNATING WAVES 1 Minute: 30 Seconds Rest x 3
Photo by Scott Webb on Pexels.com
Alternatively, try an ab-roller, my go-to at home ab exercise Vinsguir Ab Roller for Abs Workout, Ab Roller Wheel Exercise Equipment, Ab Wheel Roller for Home Gym, Ab Workout Equipment for Abdominal Exercise, Black & Red
Tell those crunches to take a hike. Permanently.
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