Don't Just Work Your Abs!
I know you want to work your mid-section to flatten your stomach, but did you know all those ab exercises can be bad for your back?
Every time you do a sit-up or crunch you are flexing your spine and potentially putting your back at risk. This doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t work you abs, but there is a right way to do it to stay safe.
One tip I like to give my clients is to choose an abdominal exercise to complete first and then immediately follow it up with a lower back exercise. That way there you will strengthen both the front and back of your mid-section and create a healthier and stronger core.
In my next post I'll show you 3 ab exercises to work your way up safely from beginner to advanced!
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Posted by: Dan | Nov 6, 2009 5:15:59 AM
People recommend swiss balls to do crunches the ball lets your spine curve. I find a matt on the floor is enough thou.
The real danger of crunches and sit ups only is that a strong rectus abdominal muscle and weak back can ruin your posture and cause a bad back. This is due to muscle imbalance i.e. the abs are too strong for the back.
L hangs off a chin up bar are good because working the hang does your whole trunk (L shapped legs with chin up are even better).
I tend to do my back on a different day to my abs which seems to work well. Just need to build the lower part of the ab for my 8 pack to come into shape =)
