sit-ups (and other traditional '6 pack' training)

Bulge stomach (not good for power transfer) (look at body builders when relaxed). How many of you have definded abs but they stick out? Weak TA and 6 pack trained to be short.

Muscles adapt to training and use. You are working the 6 pack in a short range of motion. It CANNOT pull your stomach in. It works to pull the rib cage to the pelvis to do so it BULGES outwards. lay down with hand on stomach and do a sit up. You will feel it bulge, not suck it.

Shortens hip flexors - not good for anything and poses many limitations and strongly effects posture. Tight hip flexors a common problem in western society and a large factor in alot of back pain (about 90% of western population will experiance back pain in life)

Promotes forward head posture. Body will balance self. If head is forward it will compensate-eg might stick out your ass. When you aren't balanced you limit power and risk health and pain and finction.

When training 6-pack without balance of core muscles, especially TA the brain uses 6-pack to stabilize spine-thats not its job

Brain muscle signals take the strongest route. When you work rectus abdominus (6 pack) the brain to muscle signals get stronger. This is good and fine but when they are trained in excess and out of balance with the TA for example then the signals to TA are weaker and 6 pack stronger. This means when you try to initiate a powerful movement the body tries to use the 6 pack to stabilize spine.

That is not its job. Its largely the TAs job. You are not as strong and cannot produce as much power when your TA is not stabilizing your spine. Thats a fact!

The TA should fire automatically when initiating a power movement. Over use and training of 6 pack can stop this happening.

You CANNOT produce as much power!!

Breathing

"Traditional abdominal crunches on the floor and sitting for prolonged periods in front of a computer with poor ergonomics promotes forward head posture. These bodily positions also promote rounded shoulders and tight abdominal muscles, which pull the ribcage down, preventing the belly movement necessary for efficient breathing." "When breathing becomes shallow, tension within the body increases, as less ozygen is supplied to the muscles.
-"Power Psoture" Lee Parore

remember tight hip flexors (sit-ups does this)? Psaos is a main hip flexor..

"You need to keep your psoas muscle free, to avoid it pulling on the lumbar spine, where the psoas and diaphragm muscles attach, preventing the diaphragm from moving easily" -this effects breathing
-"Power Psoture" Lee Parore


Also a balanced chain and body make it much stronger than over focus on one area.

Different people have different ideas on core and core training but I don't think there are many experts who don't realize the strength and nessesity of balance and core training.

This is enough for me to know not to do sit-ups and traditional ab training.