Trying to strengthen your core and maybe aiming for a six-pack? Although sit-ups can help, you can choose better. Here are 3 ab exercises better than sit-ups for that shredded stomach.
A strong core is correlated with good health and a fit body. Everyone wants to be able to show off their six-pack. While it’s all about having a low body fat percentage, which is mostly achieved through diet, you also need to exercise your abs for the six-pack to appear faster.
In the video below, sports teacher and fitness guru on YouTube Alexander Lorenz lists 3 abdominal exercises that are better than sit-ups. He is the co-founder of Calisthenic movement and formed Calisthenics since 2012, regularly uploads videos for people interested in getting in shape using only their body weight.
Abdominal exercises are better than sit-ups
According to Lorenz, sit-ups will only work on your rectus abdominis and are also limited in intensity and could negatively impact your spine. So what are these better abs exercises than the sit-ups Lorenz talks about?
1. Knee Raise
The leg or knee raise is great for your abs, but the knee raise made the cut here because it targets your abs without being hindered by your mobility or lack of mobility.
The knee raise can be done in a standing or hanging position. Make sure you don’t use momentum to do the move as it takes the tension out of your abs.
2. Knee to elbow plank + side plank
These are two exercises combined that will give you the best value for money and that is why it is on this list of better abdominal exercises than sit-ups.
Always make sure you have a posterior pelvic tilt to further engage the abs 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 cling 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 is much harder to stabilize.
3. Plank
If a normal plank is too easy for you, you can adjust the difficulty by lengthening the lever between your elbows and your feet, the two fulcrums. The further back you move your body, the more difficult the exercise becomes.
However, the greater the distance, the more pressure you put on your spine, which is bad if you can’t hold the position with your pelvis tilted forward.
This exercise can also be done by lifting one foot off the floor or one hand, or both, to add instability and create more tension on your abs.
And these are the 3 better abs exercises than sit-ups that you should incorporate into your workout whenever you can. To see how each exercise is performed exactly, with additional tips from Lorenz, click on the video below.
VIDEO – Abdominal exercises are better than sit-ups
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