Classic sit-ups have long been considered the best bodyweight exercise for strengthening the abdominal muscles. According to experts, however, they shouldn’t actually do that much good, on the contrary: if you do it poorly, you may even end up with back pain.
Some personal trainers find sit-ups to be ineffective when it comes to building core muscles, while others see potential risks if the movement is improperly performed in the bent position because the pressure on the spine can cause back pain. Consequence: One of the most popular exercises of the past decades seems to be disappearing from workouts more and more, instead people are relying on sit-ups alternatives that train the abdominal muscles more effectively.
Fitness professor Stephan Geisler is not quite as strict: Sit-ups and crunches still have a right to exist in his fitness routine, since they train the straight abdominal muscles, i.e. the direct opponent of the back extensor. «But it’s important to perform the movement properly and also to do stabilizing exercises.» Geisler unreservedly recommends the plank in all its variations. These and other sit-up alternatives at a glance.
Also interesting: Typical mistakes that many make when doing sit-ups
Train abdominal muscles: 3 alternatives to sit-ups
plank
The classic forearm support is nothing new anymore. In this video you can see what you need to look out for when doing planks – and what more challenging variants there are.
Also interesting: 11 minutes with four exercises – intensive abdominal training for defined abs
Shrimp & Beetle
Stabilization is the basic requirement for stable muscle growth. To strengthen your trunk muscles, functional trainer Erik Jäger recommends various isolation exercises such as Shrimp & Beetle. You can see exactly how they work in the following video:
Leg raises
Everyone has probably tried supine leg raises, a simple exercise that’s particularly effective at targeting the rectus muscles. What you should pay attention to and which variant is available can be seen here in the video.
Get those abs on fire in 10 minutes
And if you really want to get the hang of abdominal training, we recommend this ten-minute abs workout by and with personal trainer and stuntwoman Daniela Kahl. There are several sit-up alternatives included.
More FITBOOK workouts for beginners and advanced can be found here!