I keep hearing that they are very bad for you and not a real ab workout.
I hear that it is damaging for your lower back. I have scoliosis so i don’t want to damage my back any further. Can someone explain to me why they are bad? And what can i do instead of crunches/sit ups to workout my abs?
Thanks
I am NOT interested in weight loss! I am 15 pounds underweight. I am trying to gain weight but keeping a flat nice stomach.
March 27th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Strains your back if done incorrectly.
Try side planks, and front planks.
This is the ab work out I like. Get two weights that you can easily lift, put them in front of you like your about to do a push up, take one arm and pull it back while leaving the other on the ground. Keep feet on ground and aligned a bit wider than hands. Alternate.
March 27th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
try flutter kicks and supine bicycle kick, because it doesn’t bash ur back on the floor.
March 27th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I have never heard that they are bad for your back but people do complain about their neck hurting. Try one of those rubber balls as leverage under back. They really work my abs out and take some of the stress off your back or neck from crunches. Also, there are workout videos with abs exercises working out standing up, such as Kenpo or those dance abs videos.
March 27th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
The concern with sit-ups is the rounding of the back at the point where you have your elbows forward towards your knees. Opinions vary on whether or not this is really a big deal, but that’s what I’ve been told.
Crunches are a perfectly good substitution. You should also try to do some leg lifts, as those are very good for the lower abdominals. Beyond that, eh, there’s all sorts of bizarro motions you can do, but really – crunches and leg lifts are where it’s at. You should also look into doing some stretching for your lower back. Strong, well developed muscles generate a ‘pull’ on the skeleton (that’s really what muscle tone is) – which means that it’s important to have balance. If you work your abs a lot, but don’t do anything for the back muscles, then your strong abs will ‘pull’ you forward, which could make your back issues work.
Try just doing a set, between rounds of crunches/leglifts, of laying on your stomach with your hands behind your head, and just lifting your shoulders up – think of it as an inverted sit-up. Don’t go too far up, you just want to tighten up the muscles of the low back a little bit.
March 27th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
you can do the plank were you put your arms in front of you and raise yourself and hold it