Myth #2 – Sit-ups and crunches aren't that injurious.
I can't believe we're still arguing this stuff.
I would've hoped by now that we've all thrown crunches and sit-ups by the wayside. I honestly think there are some coaches/trainers that simply enjoy being contrarian and going against the grain.
I also think some people who write a lot on the Internet flat-out don't train enough people to have perspective on what's safe and effective, and what's not.
You may not like Stuart McGill, but the guy has done his homework on the spine. If you want to get your lower back healthy, there are safer and more effective ways to train the core than performing sit-ups until you enjoy the unique pleasure of a herniated disc.
The new argument is that crunches "aren't that bad." From a low back perspective, I might be able to agree – a properly executed crunch primarily moves at the thoracic spine, not the lumbar spine.
Yet think about the body-wide effects of crunching – a crunch trains the rectus abdominus by pulling the rib cage down.
When we pull the rib cage down, we increase the thoracic kyphosis. This sets off a cascade of events – we increase the kyphosis, thus losing t-spine extension. This consistently puts our scapulae in a poor position, not to mention putting our gleno-humeral joint at an increased risk for impingement as well.
So now our "not so bad exercise" has compromised our ability to safely overhead press, back squat, or basically do any exercise where we have a barbell on our back or overhead.
Doesn't sound like a good option for me.
If I left it at that, I'd have basically told you what sucks and not to do it. Let's get to the fun stuff, what you CAN do, and how to get the most out of it.
When the rubber hits the road, I feel like the following exercises are not only more effective for training the core, but more enjoyable (and less mind-numbing) as well.