If you think you have a weight problem, consider the plight of the U.S. Army. According to "The New York Times," nearly 70 percent of the Army's potential recruits between 1995 and 2008 failed their physicals because they were "too fat to fight." In their efforts to get new trainees in shape, the Army isn't mandating more sit-ups -- it's scaling them back. It turns out sit-ups are not a good strategy for fighting the battle of the bulge.
The Myth of Spot Reduction
If you burn more calories with sit-ups than you ingest, you will lose weight, but not just in your belly. University of Massachusetts researchers demonstrated this in a 1984 study. They performed fat biopsies on the abdomens, upper backs and buttocks of 13 men, which then underwent an exercise program of 5,000 sit-ups a day for the duration of the study. The men lost weight, but the weight loss was equally distributed among all three sections biopsied.
Sit-Ups and the Spine
A primary function of abdominal muscles is to keep your spine straight. Working these muscles by curving your spine with sit-ups forces them to work against their intended purpose. According to spine biomechanics professor Stuart M. McGill, "There are only so many bends or a 'fatigue life,' in your spinal disks." The more you bend those disks, the more likely you are to suffer a herniated disk.
What Sit-Ups Can Do
Sit-ups, or crunches, can help you tone your abdominal muscles. If you want to target those muscles, work them out in a variety of ways. Avoid the standard sit-up, in which you lie on your back with your knees bent, hands behind your head, and bring your elbows up to your knees. Instead, do variations of the crunch, where you bend the spine just enough to work the ab muscles without straining it.
Push-Ups Are Better
Push-ups may be a healthier way to work your abs. The push-up is a full-body workout that challenges you to keep your spine straight while you lift yourself up and down by the arms. McGill says push-ups force your muscles to do what they do in real life, rather than making them perform actions they are not designed to perform.
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