6 Moves That Are More Effective Than Sit-ups

Different Plank Variations

Plank is an amazing bodyweight exercise targeting the whole core — all four layers of abdominal muscles — internal and external obliques, rectus and transverse abdominals, also sculpting the arms and lower back. Get down on the floor, lift yourself on the toes and rest the upper body on elbows and forearms. Squeeze everything while in this position, your legs, glutes; it is of great importance to draw the belly button towards your spine and try to get a flat back. Don't sink the lower back because it can cause injuries. Also, don't bring them up! Try to hold a straight spine as long as possible. You should incorporate this move in most of your workout routines. To add some variations, you can rotate sideways and make a side plank. This is done by resting on one forearm and side of your foot. For harder version, try adding a lateral leg raise. Hold the plank at least for two minutes.

Leg Raises

Leg raises are pretty old and standard move, but still very effective. They strengthen the lower part of abs, and it's recommended to combine them with other ab exercises for best results. Lay flat on your back with arms down your sides. Lift the legs up and stop at 90-degree angle. Bring them back on the floor. This should be a slow and controlled motion. Repeat at least 15 times.

Burpees

This is not a standard abs workout, but it does so much for the body that we simply couldn't avoid it. What's the point of doing so many regular ab exercises, and having the amazing strong abs if they don't show under that layer of fat covering them? Burpee is a full body workout that sheds tons of calories and helps to lose fat covering your abs.

Start in squat position, feeling the weight in your heels. Get down on your hands, kick both feet back and do a pushup. From the pushup position, kick both feet in again (return to squat) and explode up into a jump. For an easier version, or to get more cardio and calorie burn out of the workout, pushup can be omitted. It is very important to do a burpee correctly to avoid any back or knee injuries.

Cross-body Mountain Climbers

This total body workout includes all four core muscle groups, including the obliques. You should start in a pushup position. Bring the right knee to the left elbow and return back to original position. Repeat on the left side. Do at least 15 repetitions on each side. This is a great workout to tone those oblique muscles.

Pushups, Jump Squats, Box Jumps, Jumping Rope…

Yeah, yeah, these are not 'regular' abs workouts and may seem like unlikely choice, but they're extremely important in stabilizing the core and putting its function to practice. Not to mention the risk of injury is low.

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Hanging Leg Raises

These require pull-up bar, or a tree branch if you're lucky to own a garden. Hang and keep your body in a straight line. Lift your legs up to form a 90-degree angle with your upper body. Lower and repeat at least 20 times. Go slowly to really impact those abs and make the workout harder.

Are you one of those people who crunches hundreds of times every night and can't see any results? If you are, it is better late than never. Incorporate these six amazing abdominal exercises into your fitness routine and together with a healthy diet full of protein, fruits and vegetables shred your entire core.

Sit-ups: Why Are They Hated And How To Do Them Properly

There is a definite reason why sit-ups and crunches are being bashed lately, and it's not only because they are boring to do. According to fitness experts and even physicians, it is mostly because they can cause serious lower back pain and because the move is so limiting. Also, they are not functional, which means it is not the way the nature and evolution intended our spine to move. Just think, which daily obligation requires this movement from you? Even when you drop something and bend to pick it up, it should be done by bending your knees or Flexing from the hips, never rounding the spine.

Furthermore, very few people have the right muscle balance to jump ahead and do only sit-ups. It is not that sit-ups don't workout the core, they do, but they work only one small part of the abdominals — rectus abdominis — the famous six pack, those surface muscles which spread from your pubic bone up to the bottom of the chest.

Sit-ups and crunches don't even slightly touch transverse abdominis — deep abdominal muscles — the layer that wraps the torso, obliques, and runs down the sides of the body. Neglecting deep muscles can lead to dysfunctions and injuries. Not to even mention that people who workout only six-pack can't look nearly as good as people who train everything, including deep abdominal muscles.

There are jobs where people have to do sit-ups regularly because they are incorporated into their regular fitness tests, like with firefighters, those in the military or police, but all of them are slowly fazing sit-ups out. They all have to be very careful not to hurt the lower back and they are among the very few people who actually learn to do the move properly.

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To do the sit-up right, you should be lying on your back, bending the knees slightly. Feet should be flat, touching the floor. Fingertips should be placed behind your head or crossed on the chest. You should exhale, tighten the abs and go up toward the knees. Head should always be in straight line with the spine. Your feet and tail bone should be on the floor throughout the entire exercise. Go up towards your thighs until you are fully seated. Pause a second and breath out. Get your back to the floor again, inhale and repeat.

Having in mind that incorrect posture while doing any workout can cause injuries, you should be careful. It is best to ask someone who is good at it to show you how to do a sit-up properly, or do a thorough research yourself. And of course, you can always replace sit-ups with some other more useful workouts we already talked about. Although sit-ups may be brought to perfection and don't necessary have to be dangerous when done in moderation, there are plenty safer and more rounded workouts out there.