Best way to exercise stomach muscles?

[BritNoob]

What is the best way to do sit-ups or crunches?

 

Legs flat on the ground? Knees up? Legs off the ground? Arms behind the head?

 

I'm finding that when i do sit ups (especially on a hard gym floor) the bones on my lower back hurt because my weight is on them. Because I'm skinny I can really feel it on the bottom of the spine. Is this poor technique or jsut unavoidable due to my lack of bodyfat?

[Vito]

crunches and leglifts for the beginner, every day youre not sore. lie on a mat or something if its uncomfortable.

[pittbullJudoka]

Everything you mentioned is good for the abs also find someone who knows what the Jet drill is and do them.These got my abs back in shape in just a few weeks after an 8 year lay off from the arts

[CloudDragon]

Sit ups are not "in-style" due to excessive strain on the lower back and more work is done by the hip abductors than the abs. Do crunches by keeping your back flat on the floor and knees bent just enough to get your feet flat on the floor for stability. Lift your shoulder blades off the floor, your upper, and some of your mid back will naturally rise when doing this. Your hands can be anywhere, except pulling on your head, you can keep them behind your head, just don't pull your head. You should move more like you are raising your upper torso almost straight up rather than curling up, trust me, its a much better workout than situps.

[Hudson]

Roman chair.

[Rich_2k3]

I always feel uncomfitable about doing too many sit-ups, because they can damage the lower back in later life if u do them wrong...

[SoulAssassin]

try to get one of those huge round balls (not really sure how to explain what they are) then put your butt right on the corner so your not falling off and your feet are holding you up, then roll back slightly so its like your laying flat (or bent) over the ball, then do start doing situps or crunches.. you can put weights behind your head and hold them with your hands, just make sure your not putting to much pressure on your neck, use your abs to lift not your head.

[Rich67]

The best all around exercise for abs has got to be hanging leg raises. I stopped doing crunches a long time ago when I realized they do very little to improve overall ab strength. Think about it: if you only do crunches, you are simply working the upper abs and even then not very effectively. You have to do leg raises (lower abs), twisting crunches (obliques) in addition to that. Not very effective. Since I have been doing hanging raises, I have seen more development in my abs than I ever had in all my years of situps and crunches. Hanging raises have to be done properly, then they work out the lower and whole midsection very effectively. Just start off doing 3 sets of 12-15 reps, and do them like 3 times a week. You'll notice a big difference in a couple months. Make sure you lift your knees up high and try to get your feet up over your head.

[aefibird]

Rich67, do you have any links to websites that show hanging raises being performed correctly?

 

Thanks.

[Rich67]

Rich67, do you have any links to websites that show hanging raises being performed correctly?

 

Thanks.

START:

 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2002/hanglegraise1.jpg

 

END:

 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2002/hanglegraise2.jpg

 

THE SITE:

 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/simon7.htm