In Defense of Dr. Stuart McGill

I thought it necessary for my readers to hear Dr. Stuart McGill talk about the spine and the effects a sit up has on it. I do not want to appear 'neutral' or 'wishy-washy' on this subject, but I do think that if someone has a back problem, performing a crunch or vigorous/ballistic sit up may aggravate such a condition. For the rest of us who don't have any back pathology, I think including a spinal flexion (crunch) exercise along with a series of other abdominal exercises is ok.

In addition, many trainers still recommend their clients to perform the "draw-in" maneuver while doing a crunch or any other abdominal exercise. This involves pulling in your abdominals while performing a crunch.  I wrote about this on an earlier post. I agree with Dr. McGill on this concept (read the article attached to get his take on this).

Here is the link to the article that appeared in the New York Times. Don't forget to watch the video.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/core-myths/

To Crunch or Not to Crunch?

Are crunches bad for your spine (specifically your lower back)? Many fitness professionals think so. This video addresses the controversy regarding "To Crunch or Not To Crunch."