14 Moves That Are More Effective Than Sit-Ups-NICK RANA

Sit-ups shouldn't be your go-to ab exercise — and not just because they're boring. If you're only doing sit-ups, you're only training one part of your abs, your rectus abdominis or "the six-pack muscles" that run from the bottom of your chest to your pubic bone. That leaves the transverse abdominis, the deep layer of muscle that wraps around your torso, and the obliques, muscles that run down your sides, untouched. Neglecting these muscles leads to dysfunction and even injury, not to mention that you'll never look quite as good as you could with your shirt off.

RELATED: 10 Moves for a Rock-Solid Core

But the worst part of sit-ups isn't what they're missing, it's what they're acting on — namely, the spine. Imagine that you're standing up, and throwing your torso forward to touch your toes, over and over. It's easy to see the havoc that wreaks on the lower back, and it's similar to what's happening with most sit-ups. While performing a slow and controlled sit-up can work fine to build one section of your abs, there are far superior alternatives that can target the entire core, while strengthening other parts of your body and even burning fat.

Split Stance Cable Lift

Half kneeling exercises with resistance challenge the core in an anti-rotational way — meaning that they’re good for protecting the spine. It doesn’t take much weight to feel the work. Your goal should be to remain motionless through the torso as your arms move.

Plank Variations

There are literally hundreds of plank variations floating around the world of training — and most of them provide more bang for your buck than a classic sit-up does. Learn the right positioning (glutes tight, hips in line with the body, tension through quads), and use planks for an isometric challenge, or a challenge to dynamic stability.

Turkish Get-Ups

Turkish get-ups really work a bit of everything, but they especially help proper function of the entire core, which includes transferring forces from lower to upper body. The abs and obliques work in trunk flexion and spine rotation in each rep of this movement. Though it’s a complex movement, it’s useful for more than just a simple heart-rate burner.

Ab Wheel Rollouts

Anti-extension is another capability that’s invaluable to the body when it comes to maintaining a healthy spine. If you want a strong set of abs and low back muscles, then training them in this often neglected range of motion is of prime importance. You can do sit-ups and planks all day — if it doesn’t translate to core strength and stability in your standing overhead positions, however, then you’re wasting time. Your spine shouldn’t coil like a slinky as soon as you’re pushing weight above your head. Ab wheel rollouts can help abdominal strength while the arms are abducted.

Dead Bugs

If you’re not quite strong enough to do rollouts, dead bugs are a good first progression. Since they rely on only the tension you provide with your bodyweight, they’re a solid choice to work towards rollouts, or to use as their own exercise — even to prime your core before larger movements.

Suitcase Deadlift

The difference between this and the side-bends that you see folks doing in front of the dumbbell rack is that this load is heavier, and the movement is more function-oriented. Leaning over to one side with weights just encourages lateral flexion of the spine, with the weight assisting in that encouragement. What’s more, the obliques don’t travel or flex in a direction that in any way helps this. Carrying heavy loads while standing still — once again stabilizing the trunk — is a golden ticket to strength.

Hanging Leg Raise

The hanging leg raise can prove much more effective than a sit-up simply because the torso is not stationary and trunk flexion isn’t happening in a way that promotes poor posture. The chest stays high, and thoracic extension isn’t compromised. For a real challenge to the abdominals, slow down the tempo.

Push-ups, Pull-ups, Inverted Rows

There’s plenty to gain by practicing movements like push-ups, bodyweight pull-ups, inverted rows, jumping rope, box jumping, and jump squats. Such bodyweight movements put the function of the core to practice, while reducing risks for injury.

Squats, Deadlifts, and Overhead Presses

Never forsake the benefits of practicing your barbell front and back squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses. If the endless ab work doesn’t translate to stronger big lifts, then it’s a waste of time. All the major barbell movements ask the spine to stay strong and rigid during the full range of motion — and the more weight you can accomplish this with (using perfect form), the stronger your core is. Your training program should always revolve around the improvement of your big lifts.

Topics: Weight Loss

14 Moves That Are More Effective Than Sit-Ups-NICK RANA