Looking to strengthen your core and perhaps aiming for a six-pack? While sit-ups can help, you can choose better. Here are 3 ab exercises better than sit-ups for that shredded looking tummy.
A strong core correlates with good health and a fit body. Everyone wants to be able to show off their six-pack. Even though it’s all about having a low body fat percentage, which is mostly achieved through diet, you should also exercise your abs to pop that six-pack faster.
In the video below, Alex Lorenz, sports educator and YouTube fitness guru, lists 3 exercises for abs that are better than sit-ups. He is the co-founder of Calisthenic Movement and has been training Calisthenics since 2012, regularly uploading videos for those people interested in getting in shape using only their own body weight.
Abs exercises better than sit-ups
According to Lorenz, sit-ups will only work the rectus abdominis and also limit the intensity and could negatively impact the spine. So which are these ab exercises better than the sit-ups Lorenz talks about?
1. Knee lift
Leg raises or knee raises are great for your abs, but the knee raise makes the cut here because it targets your abs without being hindered by your mobility or lack of.
The knee lift can be performed in a stance or hanging position. Make sure you don’t use any momentum to perform the movement as it takes the strain off your abs.
2. Knee to Elbow Plank + Side Plank
These are two exercises combined that will get you the best bang for your buck and that’s why it’s on this list of exercises for abs that are better than sit-ups.
Always make sure you have a posterior pelvic tilt to engage your abs more for the first part of the exercise. Aim for a hollow body position for optimal core engagement.
For the plank, keep your body as horizontal as possible, don’t just hold on to your structures, push your arm, leg and shoulder blade into the ground.
The side plank can be done with one or two legs on the ground, one leg being much more difficult to stabilize.
3. Plank
If a normal plank is too easy for you, you can adjust the difficulty by extending the lever between the elbows and the feet, the two support points. The further you move your body backwards, the more difficult the exercise becomes.
However, the greater the distance, the more stress you’ll place on your spine, which is detrimental if you can’t hold the position with your pelvis tilted forward.
This exercise can also be done with one foot or one hand off the ground, or both, to add instability and create more tension on the abs.
And those are the top 3 ab exercises that are better than sit-ups that you should incorporate into your workout whenever you can. To see exactly how each exercise is performed, with extra tips from Lorenz, click on the video below.
VIDEO Ab exercises better than sit-ups
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