Tip: Stop Doing Sit Ups & Crunches
Stop Doing Crunches & Sit Ups
Please stop. For the love of all that is holy please stop.
Sit-ups are one of the worst exercises you can do for your core and can actually cause damage in your low back.
You may be thinking, “I’ve done crunches for years and never have had a problem.”
That’s great, but just because you don’t feel pain or discomfort doesn’t mean you aren’t doing long term damage your discs or spine.
Stuart McGill, is one of the leading experts in spinal motions and core stability.
He stated,
“Repetitive bending (flexion) of the spine can, over time, damage the spinal discs because it places extreme amount of force into the discs.”
Crunches take your body out of natural alignment and wreck havoc on your delicate spine.
And they’re not even effective for training your core.
Crunches only work the superficial surface muscles of your core.
You won’t get the intrinsic core strength you can get from other core exercises that work everything from transverse abdominals to the pelvic floor.
Also, crunches can also make you look pregnant!
If you have diastasi recti (abdominal separation), which more than 2/3 of new moms get but anyone can have, then crunches can cause more damage then good.
Exercise to Start Doing – The RKC Plank
The RKC plank works the ENTIRE core.
It’s one of the best exercises for core conditioning because it also works the glutes, hamstrings and your lower back.
RKC planks are the BEST planks to do because they intensify the exercise to work the deeper core muscles.
Watch this video to get an idea of how to do an RKC plank the right way:
Coach Dan Go
Get more info on Dan’s Complete Women’s Guide To Core Training
Dan Go, CPT, NWS
Founder – Go Girl Transformation
Rob King is a Competitive PowerLifter, Coach and Writer.
