Christian Finn

Three big ab workout myths revealed

Over the years, numerous routines and techniques have been promoted as a way to make your ab workouts more effective. However, very few of these methods have any real scientific foundation. Some may even be harmful.

Are your ab workouts doing more harm than good?

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Are these ab exercises bad for your back?

When it comes to ab training, you hear it all: Doing sit-ups with bent rather than straight legs takes the stress off your back and works your abs harder; the bicycle maneuver and the captain's chair are the "best" exercises for your abs; the hanging leg raise puts little or no stress on your lower back.

Unfortunately, conventional wisdom and the word in the gym isn't always accurate. Sometimes it's dangerous.

Abdominal exercises are usually recommended based on their capacity to work your abdominal muscles. However, this ignores the potential tissue damage that some exercises can cause, mainly through compressive loading to the lumbar spine (lower back).

In other words, while some exercises may be effective at working your abs, they're actually very bad for your back.

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