Sit-ups are without doubt the most overrated exercise in the gym. That’s not to say that they are not important, it’s just that they are over-used by the majority of gym goers.
Keeping the abdominal muscles strong is essential to help prevent back pain and help maintain core stability, but performing 10 different types of sit-ups, most of which look as if they are adapted from the Karma Sutra is a waste of time. Varying all types of exercise is certainly encouraged by most personal trainers and abdominal exercises are no exceptions but trying out sit ups that are overly complex and difficult to perform correctly is often more of a hindrance to your routine.
The maximum number of abdominal exercises I give to my clients per session rarely exceeds 3 or 4 basic movements. By ensuring that every exercise is performed slowly and correctly, the abdominals can be worked intensely in a simple fluid movement without the client worrying where their arms and legs should be.
Changing the type of abdominal exercises you perform every few weeks or so is a good idea. This keeps your interest up and works the stomach slightly differently, but avoid following everyone else’s example at the gym and looking like an amateur contortionist! Ask a fitness professional for 3 simple stomach exercises every few weeks and ensure you perform each one slowly and as instructed.
Are Sit-ups More Effective On A Stability Ball?
The introduction of the stability ball has helped to revolutionise the fitness industry, particularly when it comes to abdominal exercises. Now a feature of health and fitness centres all over the world, the stability ball helps provide support for the lower back and adds variety to stomach exercises.
Out of the many questions I am asked about sit-ups and the benefits of the various abdominal exercises, the question of whether performing sit-ups on the ball is better than lying on the floor is often raised. The simple answer is that yes, sit-ups performed on a stability ball are more effective for the stomach muscles than lying on the floor and MRI scans have proved this.
The abdominal contraction while executing a sit-up on a stability ball has been shown to be far more intense than when lying on the ground, proving conclusively that your abs get a far more intense workout with this method. The exercise ball has the added benefit of helping to work a selection of other muscles such as your legs and the stabilising muscles of your core. These stabilising muscles can be recruited as much or as little as you like by narrowing your foot stance (maximum engagement) or widening it (minimum engagement).
It is often advised that you should not put your hands behind your head whilst performing the sit-up, so that you do not pull on your neck during the movement. I always advise clients that if they wish to support the head with their hands that is fine, but you must be sure not to pull on your neck.
Do Sit-ups Give You A Flat Stomach?
The false belief that performing hundreds of sit-ups every day in an effort to flatten the stomach is perhaps the most popular myth I have to deal with. The number of clients I have trained over the years who have begged me to put them through a 20-minute stomach workout to help shrink their waistline is staggering.
By performing sit-ups or ‘crunches’, as they are sometimes referred to, you are helping to strengthen and firm up the rectus abdominals muscles, more commonly known as the ‘six-pack’.
Hundreds of sit-ups may well give your stomach muscles the strength to bounce bullets but crunches will do nothing to reduce the amount of fat you have on your tummy. Abdominal fat is there because of excessive calorie consumption, so the only way to get rid of it is to burn off the calories by following a balanced diet and performing high intensity exercise such as running, cycling, aerobics and swimming.
There is one trick, however, which can help to give the appearance of a flatter stomach, regardless (within reason) of how much abdominal fat you possess. Underneath the rectus abdominals lies a band of muscle called the transverses abdominals. Also referred to as the ‘corset muscle’, the transverses abdominals helps to keep the back strong and compresses the abdomen. By exercising this muscle regularly, it can help to improve your posture and make the stomach appear flatter even though you may not have lost a single pound.
To exercise the transverses, all you need to do are two things:
1. Suck in your stomach, so your belly button is drawn towards your spine.
2. While your stomach is sucked in, do not hold your breath just keep breathing normally.
You will know that you are doing this properly when you begin to feel a minor burning sensation in the deep stomach. This is a sign that the transverses abdominals has been engaged and is being worked, just as the six-pack muscles are being worked while performing crunches. Initially, this is hard to do as many people instinctively want to breathe in as they draw in the stomach, but with practice it gets easier. If you are still finding it difficult, try performing the method on your hands and knees.
This technique is by no means a miracle cure but by performing it regularly, such as in the car, watching television or visiting the in-laws, it can help both to flatten your stomach and improve your posture.
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