The Sit Up Contention

4 Golden Abs Rules

1. DON'T DO SIT UPS. Jamming your feet under a bench & forcing your chest back and forth off the ground for hours on end will give you the world's strongest hip flexors, but won't do a thing for your abs. There is no single best abs move: aim to work the core through crunches, twists & planks, shaking up your routine every few weeks.

2. DO KEEP CARDIO SESSIONS SHORT. Pounding your local pavements for mile after mile is great when preparing for a marathon, but short, fast interval & hill training is much more effective for burning calories, so it will help you shift that layer of belly blubber that keeps yor hard abs under wraps.

3. DON'T RUSH EACH SET. Keeping your muscles under tension for longer is the most effective way to make them grow back bigger & stronger, so don't crank out your crunches quickly. Instead take around three seconds to lift, hold for a couple, then lower back down in three. It's harder, but that's the point isn't it?

4 DO WORK THE ABS LAST. The abs provide stability for your body during big compound lifts, such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses, so don't wear them out by working them at the start of your session, risking injury. Even better, dedicate a whole session to just your abs, including reverse crunches, side planks & jacknifes.

I read about people doing hundreds of sit ups & getting no benefit.. I do like it when I read something that helps :D