If you're still doing crunches, watch this Stuart McGill Video

[Donna D]

Hi Scott,

We were discussing this at Collage recently.

http://www.collagevideo.com/forum/tm...&mpage=1#86914

[Yogadad]

Originally Posted by videofit

I've been doing the McGill crunch but modifying it by holding one hand under my lower back and one under my head because otherwise it stresses my neck,which is what happens in crunches. Do you think my form is wrong if I need to hold my head?

I've also been doing straight planks. I really don't want to buy a stability ball because it takes up too much space. Can I get the benefit of those rolling planks another way or would my continuing with straight planks be fine? I do them on forearms and throw in the knee drops, alterate and together, for variety.

I don't like oblique twists so I've always done the side planks but with my wonky shoulder, it was a good reminder to hold the shoulder.

Hi, You can use furniture sliders (which are basically the same thing as Val Slides), you can get a set of 4 for about $10 dollars at Lowes (compared to about $34 dollars for 2 Val Slides) :

http://www.lowes.com/pd_257954-255-4...41_4294937087_

You can do a plank (even on your knees) with you hands in a push-up position on the sliders. Then just slide one arm slightly forward and back, then the other.

You can also so a forearm plank with your feet on the sliders. Then slide your feet forward and back (moving from the shoulders).

These are unbelieveably powerful exercises!

Here's some cool exercises w/ sliders:

http://exfatchick.com/

and here w/ Coach Robert Dos Remedios (author of "Cardio Strength Training" and "Men's Health Power Training"):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ZgCFHfHS0

Of course you will have to decide which exercises are appropriate for you but you might get some good ideas.

Best,

Scott

[Yogadad]

Originally Posted by Donna D

Hi Scott,

We were discussing this at Collage recently.

http://www.collagevideo.com/forum/tm...&mpage=1#86914

Hi Donna,

Thanks for sharing that, very cool!

Take care,

Scott

[hotncmom]

For those of you that do stuff like P90X and Insanity, don't they rely primarily on the "wrong" kind of ab exercises according to Dr. McGill? So what do you do when there's a crunch heavy segment?

[Yogadad]

Originally Posted by hotncmom

For those of you that do stuff like P90X and Insanity, don't they rely primarily on the "wrong" kind of ab exercises according to Dr. McGill? So what do you do when there's a crunch heavy segment?

I've never done Insanity but I do have P90X and many other Beachbody programs and I just substitute other exercises in their place.

Not only do they do spinal flexion, but on ARX there is so much momentum going on it's ridiculous (which I noticed even back when I was doing it). While at that time I did do those exercises (before I learned about the McGill stuff), I only did about half or a third of the reps and did them super slowly and controlled.

But now I just ignore them and do all sorts of planks, bird-dogs, rollouts etc.

In fact, with all of my dvds, when I do them I never really worry about following them verbatim. If they are doing a "pull" I'll do whatever pulling movement I feel is better that day, same w/ all the other exercises, I just use them as "suggestions".

There is nothing "sacred" on any dvd to me but I enjoy using them for the format and to keep "time" for me and for the background company. But I pretty much ignore the tempo used and a lot of the exercises.

There are some where I'll stick closer to the dvd than others if it feels right to do so.

Best,

Scott

[alisoncooks]

Interesting thread. I--personally--don't care for crunches and recently bought the FitDeck Core Blast deck as a way to find some other moves to sub in during videos that are crunch/c-curve heavy (I seem to be prone to stiff neck/shoulders and find crunches particularly painful).

The links listed here have been great for giving me some ideas! I've been meaning to look into finding the furniture sliders since seeing that last thread.

Thanks again!

[Lucky Star]

Scott your abs look darn good to me! And also importantly, you're keeping your spine healthy.

[Lucky Star]

Originally Posted by Yogadad

There is nothing "sacred" on any dvd to me but I enjoy using them for the format and to keep "time" for me and for the background company. But I pretty much ignore the tempo used and a lot of the exercises.

There are some where I'll stick closer to the dvd than others if it feels right to do so.

Excellent advice, which I've been following more and more. Not just modifying exercises, but eliminating and substituting certain ones altogether.

[HelloKitty88]

I don't have any issues with this video...in fact I agree with it. BUT, I also think that crunches done in moderation isn't going to hurt the spine. To NEVER do a crunch is a bit extreme and not realistic..especially in the group fitness world and in the professional group fitness world. I don't think that doing a few crunches in an abs workout or class setting is going to cause major damage to the spine. Doing 100's of them day after day, yeah I can totally see how that would destroy the spine over the long hall.

Same with doing crunches on a stability ball...come on...a set or two isn't going cause the kind of damage that he's describing. I think there is something called "the middle of the road" and that is completely being missed in the fitness world.

My issue with this kind of advice is that they say don't do crunches on the floor or a ball but, all the BOSU stuff is never touched nor picked at. How can doing a set or two of good quality crunches on the floor or a ball be any more harmful to the spine than doing many of the movements in Pilates. And this point leads me to the underlying content of this kind of video which I"m not even going into on this forum. LOL!

LIke I said, I agree that lots of abs exercises still being done today can be harmful but, I also don't agree some should never be done. Moderation and proper form are two KEY elements in keeping injury free.

Why doesn't this guy pick at kickboxing and give the scoop of what damage it does to the sacrum, spine and hip joints...not to mention the knees?
I take a lot of issue with guys like this in the field picking at one thing but nothing is said about ALL the other programs in the fitness world that are HORRIBLE and word one is never said about them. Sorry, don't mean to be the disagreeing vfer here but...just my opinion.

[KathAL79]

It doesn't take much to talk me out of doing endless series of crunches. I've never much cared for them; they're one of few moves I find dreadfully boring.

I find Dr. McGill's research interesting and thought-provoking, something else to consider as I look at any fitness program I chose to execute in addition to what I feel I need based on my own body and lifestyle.

In conjunction with his ideas and the NROL-type of training focusing on movement rather than muscles, I try to focus on stabilization and rotation rather than "lower abs" or whatever. This includes a lot of planks, bird dogs, stir the pots, and similar moves. I haven't cut out Pilates or yoga, although I focus on what form feels best to me while doing these, and as I don't have any current back problems I feel a little cross-training can't hurt that much. (One reason I like the Stott Pilates method is that they take into consideration more recent investigation into things like this, so that's one reason why their versions of exercises and sequences will look a little different than the traditional methods.) I personally feel that working my core with this focus has increased my functional core strength during my exercise and daily life. (Aesthetics are not high on my priority list, however, so I can't comment on that type of result.)