No More Sit Ups and Crunches

[GolfFitPro]

 

Although they have never really been much of a staple in my program design, I have stopped doing any sit-ups and crunches with my clients. In the past, I have had my clients doing some stick crunches and medicine ball sit ups during my core routine (along with bridges, planks and quadruped exercises).

I had heard about other coaches taking them out of their programs, particularly Coach Boyle, and although I thought he made sense, I didn't feel I really needed to eliminate them since they were a small part of the program.

As I thought about it though, it made more sense to me that the population that I mostly work with, golfers and executives, should really avoid crunches and sit-ups.

Why?

First of all, crunches and sit-ups reinforce poor posture.  According to Eeric Truumees, MD, in his article "Back Pain Prevention, 5 Harmful Habits," poor posture "places an enormous amount of stress on the spine."  Crunches and sit-ups involve spinal flexion and too much flexion of the spine can lead to disc problems over time.  We have enough ways to ruin our back, why are we doing it in the gym?

Second, with golfers, we always talk about posture.  One of the first things that teaching pros will talk about with students is having good posture.  If you have a rounded upper back with your shoulders slumped forward at address, commonly called a C-Posture, "it will be very difficult to keep your posture in the backswing without keeping it short and wide," according to TPI.   You get much less rotation when you are hunched over in C-Posture.  Below is a picture of TPI co-founder Dave Phillips showing good and bad posture.

Picture courtesy of www.MyTPI.com

So now think about the crunch and the sit-up.  Basically, they just reinforce that poor posture.  I rotated the picture to give you a better look at this idea. Look at at the red line on Alex's back and compare it to the pictures above.

Take into account all the hunched over positions we are in from sitting, commuting, texting on the Blackberry and working on the computer.  Then we go to the gym to do sit ups and work too much on chest and bicep muscles and not enough upper back; more reinforcement of poor posture.

OK, so how do we work our abs?

Besides the planks and side planks that I have my clients doing for core stabilization, I still have a few exercises that involve using the abs, except just not in isolation.

Those exercises include Turkish Get Ups, Medicine Ball Slams and Stability Ball Rollouts.  I will go over those in the next few posts.

http://fitnessforbettergolf.typepad.com/be...f_with_fitness/

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Great post, I am looking forward to it. I have been having a lot of tightness in my lower back, the SI joint to be specific, so I am interested in how to work on abs for increased strength without applying additional stress to posture...

 

Here is a pic of the SI joint for those that don't know where it is:

[MWL]

Very intersting... Most people place far too much emphasis on the front of the body rather than the back.. and end up with huge inbalances... As a result people end up with strong abs and weak back extensors, strong hip flexors and weak hip abductors.. and strong chest and shoulders and weak lats and upper back.. All of these contribute to the C posture.. not to mention sitting whilst driving, working and watching TV... I recently read that its a good idea to do your extensor exercises before the flexor ones... So before you do your planks, or ball crunches.. do some 'dirty dogs' or the like that work the hip abductors... perhaps with ankle weights when it becomes to easy.. I have recently started using kettlebells, and have to say that they are the best single exercise tool I have ever used, by a mile... If you want to work your back extensors, and about every other muscle in the body, this is the tool for you.. Great for doing Turkish get ups with..

[TKing]

I stopped doing crunches a long time ago. I do hanging leg raises mainly and some lying leg lifts. Wouldn't recommend either for the out of shape to start with though.

[rosskoss]

According to a study conducted by San Diego University, these are the top 10 most effective stomach exercises.

1. Bicycle Exercise
   
2. Captain's Chair
   
3. Exercise Ball Crunch
   
4. Vertical Leg Crunch
   
5. Torso Track
   
6. Long Arm Crunch
   
7. Reverse Crunch
   
8. Full Vertical Crunch
   
9. Ab Rocker
   
10. Plank on Elbows and Toes
    

I rarely do regular crunches and prefer the Bicyle Exercise. Is that as harmful to the spine as regular situps and crunches? (I have a poor lower back, hence the question)

[rosskoss]

According to a study conducted by San Diego University, these are the top 10 most effective stomach exercises.

1. Bicycle Exercise
   
2. Captain's Chair
   
3. Exercise Ball Crunch
   
4. Vertical Leg Crunch
   
5. Torso Track
   
6. Long Arm Crunch
   
7. Reverse Crunch
   
8. Full Vertical Crunch
   
9. Ab Rocker
   
10. Plank on Elbows and Toes
    

I rarely do regular crunches and prefer the Bicyle Exercise. Is that as harmful to the spine as regular situps and crunches? (I have a poor lower back, hence the question)

[Gstv]

I think this is the most effective ab exercise:

 

 

 

Not too many can do them the first time they try, but begin with negative reps and work up. Greats for the core muscles. I think the "ab-wheel" (not the tv-shop variant with help brakes) is underrated. Do them standing and its brutally for the core.

 

[Top Dog]

I see where you are coming from but tour pros do sit ups all the time and they all have good posture.Tiger for one definately does sit ups.

[DaveyH]

on sit ups and crunches your supposed to keep your back straight?

[GolfFitPro]

Some great responses.

Tigersocks, good points. If I was going to recommend any flexion exercises, I guess I would want to make sure they are balanced with extension, but it still doesn't give me a good enough reason to put them back into my program. Bottom line is that flexion exercises can be harmful to the back. Love Kettlebells and the Turkish Get Up is not the same without them.

 

Tking, the lying leg lifts also put a lot of strain on the low back so be careful.

 

Ross Koss, again, not sure how important isolating the abs really are, basically it is risk vs. reward, in my opinion, not worth it. I am reading Stu McGill's Low Back Disorders and it really makes you think. He is the world's leading back researching and authority. Good stuff.

 

Gstv, those look pretty hard! Not getting there any time soon. You are right about the ab-wheel. I start by doing Stability Ball Rollouts because you need to progress to the ab wheel

 

TopDog, not sure all the pros do them and even if they do, who cares. It's not just about golf, I am talking about back health too. You can do sit ups and still have good posture. They play golf for a living, they don't have a sedentary lifestyle like so many of us. I don't expect everyone to follow, I just want to give you something to think about it. For me it just makes sense, I can get ab work in other ways.

 

Davey H, Not sure if it possible to truly keep the back in neutral position during the sit up. If you can, more power to you. I think there is too much room for poor form with the sit up and crunch. That's what I've noticed.

 

Mostly, what I want is for everyone to think about the movement. Is it doing more harm then good?

Thanks,

Ant

[crew_138]

Interesting... Im in the Military and those 'bad' for you back exercises are a staple for our training.

 

looking forward to your next post on abs.

 

Thanks

[Gstv]

DaveyH - A crunsh with the back straight will not work out you abdominals. The are responible for bending the upper part of the back closer to your pelvis (i'm not very sure on the english words in anatomy, sorry for that). If you have your back straight the abds maybe will get some static workput and the lipsoas will do most of the work. One may feel that the abs is working, but it's actuallt the lipsoas (hip-bender or sometning like that). This is also why many belive they can isolate the upper or lower abs. The feelling of using the lower abs is just a feeling in the lipsoas which lays under the abominal muscles.

 

[MWL]

The more I think about your post GOLF FIT PRO.. The more I appreciate its wisdom.. I find any kind of crunch very hard to perform with consistent form, especially towards the end of the reps.. and its very hard to increase resistance.. so you end up doing sets of 50 or 100.. and high reps stresses the joints.. you often hear them clicking on every rep... What real life situations do we need to develop power by curling up from the abs.. much better to work the mid section dynamically and with perfect form/posture.. I am going to replace the crunches with the exercises you have recommended...

 

What are your thoughts on the exercise where you start standing normally, holding a weight down by your side, lower it to knee level and then straighten up using your obliques.. is this placing to much pressure on the discs or is it ok if done in control with the correct weight.. Thanks

[TKing]

quote: "Tking, the lying leg lifts also put a lot of strain on the low back so be careful."

 

Yes, you are exactly right. Hanging leg raises aren't a beginner exercise either. I've been doing both for around twenty years and don't recommend either to a person new to exercise. For the lying leg lifts, I make sure my lower back is on the floor to start and end each rep, legs go straight up, and clinched fists under my hips to remind the lower back to stay down. There are a number of different versions of exercises called "lying leg lifts". I don't do high reps-past 25-of anything. I add leg weights. I did regular situps for 25 years before finding the more advanced ab exercises and feel very lucky that I never suffered any kind of injury.

 

Kudos to you for working with people who have never exercised in their lives. I wouldn't have the patience.

 

Here's a link with a little video for those that don't know what a hanging leg raise is. They can also be done with the legs straight.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Rectus...egHipRaise.html

[Skaffa77]

I think what I found most valuable in the original post was that GolfFitPro decided to take crunches/sit-ups out of work-out program for his audience. Too many people (including trainers) will create generalizations about exercises or stretches which they then apply to everyone. In this case, GolfFitPro looked at the needs and limitations of his current audience and made a decision about the exercises specially for them. Great Job!

 

BTW - Can you give insight on how hanging leg lifts can harm the back if done properly? Men's Health article - Hanging Leg Lifts

 

 

*edit - noticed hanging leg lifts was mentioned in a previous post

[GolfFitPro]

TKing- Good points, thanks for the video. funny, it gets really hard sometimes working with beginners but it can also be the most rewarding.

 

Skaffa- it's the Lying leg lifts that can put some stress on lower back. Just do them and you should see what I mean. TKing posted how he does them so try those. I don't usually recommend the hanging leg raise just because ppl tend to do them wrong- too fast and use momentum and round out lumbar spine. They are fine if you do them right.

 

Tigersocks- not a big fan of those side lifts that you are talking about. The obliques are used in rotation (more importantly anti-rotation), that exercise uses the quadratus lumborum in low back.

 

Crew_138- There are millions of trainers and programs that still use the sit ups, etc. Sometimes the time/space/equipment factor gets in the way of training and ppl just do what they have always been doing. Like I said, just doesn't make sense anymore for me and my clients.

 

Ant

[Skaffa77]

Skaffa- it's the Lying leg lifts that can put some stress on lower back. Just do them and you should see what I mean. TKing posted how he does them so try those. I don't usually recommend the hanging leg raise just because ppl tend to do them wrong- too fast and use momentum and round out lumbar spine. They are fine if you do them right.

 

Great! I'm already doing the hanging leg lifts with a concentration on my form to reduce the momentum effects. I found that they work the abs really nicely and take the impact of my back.

 

BTW - I'll sometimes use the hanging arm slings which I think would help a lot of beginners with this exercise.

[birdie_man]

Interesting stuff FitPro.

 

That's a good picture from the TPInstitute BTW.

 

I was expecting to see a guy with a real straight neck and real stiff looking like you often see. (overdoing it)

 

His lower back is in good posture and his shoulders/neck are relaxed. I like it.

[TKing]

"Six packs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym."

 

I probably have some under my layer of prosperity but am not willing to sacrifice Ben&Jerry's and Dos Equis for vanity. It's hard enough finding a 43 short suit with size 33 slacks.

[GolfFitPro]

Hey Guys, Part 2 is out. I go over some Plank progressions and the Stability Ball Roll-out.

 

 

More to come this week

[robp11]

Interesting...I'm doing crunches in physical therapy (back injury). I do McKenzie press ups every hour, so now my pt wants me to start bending forward, so maybe that's why the crunches are part of my core strengthening regimen.

[JakeBarnes]

Very intersting... Most people place far too much emphasis on the front of the body rather than the back.. and end up with huge inbalances... As a result people end up with strong abs and weak back extensors, strong hip flexors and weak hip abductors.. and strong chest and shoulders and weak lats and upper back.. All of these contribute to the C posture.. not to mention sitting whilst driving, working and watching TV... I recently read that its a good idea to do your extensor exercises before the flexor ones... So before you do your planks, or ball crunches.. do some 'dirty dogs' or the like that work the hip abductors... perhaps with ankle weights when it becomes to easy.. I have recently started using kettlebells, and have to say that they are the best single exercise tool I have ever used, by a mile... If you want to work your back extensors, and about every other muscle in the body, this is the tool for you.. Great for doing Turkish get ups with..

 

I'm strangely the exact opposite. My fear of becoming my father with 2 herniated discs drove me to make sure my back was the strongest part of my body... I actgually have an imbalance where my abs arent as strong as they need to be.

[armydiver]

My personal opinion are that sit ups and crunches are used way too much, but can still be effective if you strengthen the lower back as well.