Trying to get your core strengthened and maybe aiming for a six-pack? Although sit-ups can help, you can choose better. Here are 3 abs exercises better than sit-ups for that shredded-looking belly.
A strong core is correlated to good health and a fit body. Everyone wants to be able to show off their six-pack. Although it comes down to having a low body fat percentage, which is mainly done through diet, you should also be exercising your abs to make the six-pack show up faster.
In the video below, sports teacher and YouTube fitness guru Alex Lorenz lists 3 abs exercises better than sit-ups. He is the co-founder of Calisthenic Movement and has trained Calisthenics since 2012, uploading videos regularly for those people interested in getting in shape using only their body weight.
Abs Exercises Better Than Sit-Ups
According to Lorenz, sit-ups will only work on your rectus abdominis and are also limiting in intensity and could impact negatively your spine. So what are these abs exercises better than sit-ups that Lorenz talks about?
1. Knee Raise
Leg raise or knee raises are 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.
The knee raise can be done in a supporting or hanging position. Make sure you don’t use any momentum to do the movement as it takes away the tension from your abs.
2. Knee to Elbow Plank + Side Plank
These are two exercises combined that will get the best bang for your buck and that is why it is on this list of abs exercises better than sit-ups.
Always make sure to have a posterior pelvic tilt to engage the abs more for the first part of the exercise. Aim for a hollow body position for optimum core engagement.
For the plank, keep your body as horizontal as possible, don’t just hang in 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 stabilise yourself.
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 supporting points. The further you move your body backwards, the harder the exercise gets.
However, the bigger the distance, the more stress you will put on your spine which is bad if you cannot hold the position with your pelvic tilted forward.
This exercise can also be done by taking off one foot from the ground or one hand, or both, to add instability and create more tension on your abs.
And those are the 3 abs exercises better than sit-ups that you should incorporate into your training whenever you can. To see how each exercise is performed exactly, with extra tips from Lorenz, click on the video below.
VIDEO – Abs Exercises Better Than Sit-Ups
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