Why All Those Ab Exercises You're Doing Don't ~Really~ Work

Why All Those Ab Exercises You're Doing Don't ~Really~ Work If you walk through your gym, chances are you'll see a handful of people on mats, crunching away with reckless abandon. But no matter how you slice it, spot training your stomach cannot get you ripped abs. Research shows that bending the body in half repeatedly can hurt your back and neck, and damage your spine. The soreness that comes from sit-ups isn't from building muscle but is more from the restriction of blood flow. You have a better chance of getting a 6-pack with full-body exercises that force you to use your entire core. The core is made up of more than 22 different muscles that connect, cross, and begin in the core area. Massive core stimulators include exercises where the spine is kept straight while being loaded. Any exercise can be a "core" exercise with a neutral spine: push-ups, planks, and lower back extensions are just a few.