Why Crunches & Situps Are Bad for Your Back
Why? Because they involve spinal flexion (rounding your lower back to allow you to bend forward at the waist). But according to research, that's the exact mechanism that causes a herniated disc in your lower back. After all, most people "throw their back out" bending over to pick something off the ground.
So it makes sense to limit the amount of traditional sit-ups and crunches in your program. Plus, you can't spot reduce the fat from one area, so you are better off spending that exercise time on a better total body exercise or intervals. If you want to flatten your abs, you need to lose body fat.
So to improve your abs, use the following techniques:
1) Take half the time you were spending on abs, and do intervals with that time instead.
2) Spend the rest of your ab training time doing endurance ab exercises, such as planks, side planks, mountain climbers, and variations of these exercises.
3) Keep your abs braced in all exercises so that you work your abs in every movement that you do.
For advanced bodybuilding, there will come a time that you will need to do traditional crunching motions. But it is best, for results (i.e. growing your abs) to do these with resistance. Cable crunches are good, and you can get results with a relatively small amount of spinal flexion.
But really, when it comes to having great abs, losing body fat is the most important aspect for most people. And if you are a desk jockey, its more important for you to have abdominal endurance than to risk your back with classic ab exercises.
Related Tags: weight loss, exercise, abs, ab exercises, abdominals, situps, crunches, low-back, low back injury
You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men's Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- 3 Day Diet Reviews Forthright Opinion About The Program
Are you considering going on the 3 day diet? Reviews are hard to come by, but I'm going to give you - 3 Day Chemical Breakdown Diet What It Is And Is Not
The 3 Day Chemical Breakdown Diet has been called by many other names such as the 3 day heart diet, - The Biggest Lose Weight Program At Jillian Michaels
Although it seems almost unimaginable, nearly incomprehensible, a few people in the United States do - Essential Marathon Accessories
Short distance runners have an idea of what their essential kit is - trainers, shorts and a vest. A - Maintaining Health And Fitness With Exercise And Nutrition
Nowadays remaining fit and healthy has become very important. We all lead such a fast-paced life tha - Flatten Your Stomach Exercising Just Minutes A Day!
Are you missing the flat, six-pack tummy that you had 10 years ago? Or have you been fighting the ba - Get Rid Of Cellulite With Exercises
Cellulite is a common condition in women; it is not a result of being fat or overweight. Cellulite o - Why Do I Need A Personal Trainer? (part 2)
Following on from points one to five, we continue to look at why hiring a personal trainer could tra - Why Do I Need A Personal Trainer? (part 1)
Anything in life worth having takes effort and when it comes to getting the body you want, never has - How Do I Choose The Best Whey Isolate Easily Guide
As the owner of a supplement company, I get many questions about what makes our Whey isolate better
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Can A Treadmill Supercharge Your Life?
You know it. That person staring at you in the mirror knows it. You need to lose weight. But with - Training with Free Weights Will Not Get You Toned
Oh, and Santa Claus DOES exist.Well, it's safe to say both statements above are false.One of the mos - The Secrets of a Killer Ab Workout
Out of all the body parts that you can exercise, your abs are one of the most important muscle group - When Should I Do My Cardio, Before or After Strength Training?
Friends I actually stumbled on the answer to this in a very interesting, yet eye-opening way.See her - So How Can I Really Get Ripped Abs?
Next to the 'bi's' and 'tri's' in the arms, the next region that almost every body in the gym may se - A Good Exercise Routine Is Vital To Your Fitness Quest
At the beginning of every New Year, the local Leisure Centers, Sports Clubs, Gymnasiums, etc etc, ar - I'm New at Working Out with Weights, Any Suggestions?
The popularity and importance of strength training is becoming more and pronounced wherever the issu - Choosing the Correct Home Exercise Equipment
Exercise schedules should include three parts: Strength training, aerobic exercise, and flexibility - Tips and Tricks on How to Exercise
Everyone knows that exercise is necessary for better health and a better sense of well-being. Howeve - Hey, Some Teenagers Would Like to Pump Iron too
The average male, even from childhood, instinctively knows that perhaps very little else attracts th
