Ditch Crunches For Push Ups And Save Your Back

@standing wall-offs:

"The 'wall' push up dramatically reduces the pressure on the arms, upper back and abs. The closer you stand to the wall, the easier they are to perform, but remember, it's still important to be aware of your body alignment as you perform the 'wall' push up. As you gain strength and confidence, move your feet slightly further away from the wall to make the workout more challenging. Feel free to consider moving to the 'bench' or 'knee' style push ups once your initial strength has increased."

Sean Masters

@m.c.cookie: fyi - push-ups, pull-ups, and squats, all done properly, cover the vast majority of muscles and muscle groups.

Sean Masters

@ShreelaJulisa: if you're doing pushups properly, you're doing planks at the same time.

Sean Masters

I looked up which exercises work the most muscles so that even if I was just doing a modest work-out (and one I would be more likely to stick to), I'd be getting the most out of my effort. Pull-ups work more than most but it's tricky to place a good bar especially if you rent so I ended up with a doorway gravity boot set up that I like a lot and makes a great, and easily removable bar.

m.c.cookie

I tried the 100 pushups routine (www.hundredpushups.com/) for a few weeks. In the midst of it I wondered who would conceive such a silly idea. In week three, how I was supposed to be able to go from just barely being able to do 30 pushups to doing 35 pushups the very next day is beyond me.

Last weekend I joined the 1000 pushups challenge on dailyburn.com. I did the 1000 pushups in 12 hours and for the next 3 days my abs were hurting. Good stuff.

puntai

@cottonfox: Can mess up your shoulders too

orlo

I tried the 100 Pushup challenge and only got to Week 5, which is 86 pushups in 5 sets, [www.poweredbytofu.com] I'm doing regular pushups instead of "girl" pushups, so it's insanely difficult. Any other ladies working on this challenge or already finished?

@aaziz: THIS is where exercise is subjective. My friends refused to go to step classes with me, because they HATE sweating, but they would go to pilates, because they feel the results but it doesn't seem hard (mat pilates, awesome instructor). Ellipticals are harder for them, because they sweat.

Has she been weight-training? The same friends who refuse to sweat LOVED the body-building class because they felt bad-ass. <--the girly-girls I know love it.

@minealone6: We offer the speediest physic answer delivery system in the blogsphere. ;-)

I love the 100 push-ups program been using it two years, I can do 80+ pushups without resting.

[hundredpushups.com]

@BlueScreen:

Sorry about the blank comment, very sorry.

Now that i have to say something....

I agree, people see a toned body and see healthy when in reality its whats under the surface. In theory (i stress theory), they could have sever arteriosclerosis and still have a six pack.

@cmkennedy:

@tarrantm: if you do want a challenge but don't want boobs as tarrantm notes here, do incline pushups - put your feet up on an incline with your hands on level ground (versus the picture where the legs are on level ground and the hands are on a decline).

You'll work your upper pectoralis major as well as the subclavius and front deltoid. Do these with care, as the pectoralis minor plays a more supporting role when doing these, as opposed to being a main actor in pushups and decline pushups.

Sean Masters

I've tried pushups but I've just got no strength in my arms. Can't even do one (and I'm not overweight). Yeah I suppose I could do girly pushups from the knees, but it makes me feel like even more of a pussy.

GirafficPark

@cottonfox: have you tried knuckle-ups, or fingertip-ups? I have little chicken wrists myself, but I've done knuckle-ups for years without any problems.

Sean Masters

@computermom: you aren't doing them correctly if you think they involve pulling your body up with your hands.

Sean Masters

@kagekiri: those leg-lifts, when done properly (i.e. standing, on the edge of a seat, or elevated like on a dip stand), should never pose an issue.

Basically, the problem comes when you lie down and try to stretch your two ends together. The vast majority of people put way too much pressure on their spine and lower back when doing these exercises.

Sean Masters

@Christopher Neale: since fat-burning and weight loss are full-body and non-specific, it's actually impossible to "carve a six-pack".

You need to lose fat all over in order to bring the abs out - you can't target fat loss. In fact, you can work your glutes for weeks and your body will burn fat deposits in your extremities long before it burns the fat around your ass. :D

(Just a point of contention, Christopher, not actually singling you out or anything)

Sean Masters

@aaziz: I should've also mentioned I agree about the "women's exercise" issue

aaziz

@goodywitch: Apologies if I annoyed you with that, but I was referring the to stereotype "women's exercise" you're talking about. I don't think she'd like pilates. The "I don't want to do a lot of work" attitude doesnt work well for exercising, I know, but there it is.

Luckily, to her (and me), an elliptical machine doesn't fit in that category, so 60 minutes of cardio on it doesn't count as "all lot of work", I guess =D

aaziz

A physical therapist told me plank and side planks are all he does for his abs. Very effective. It is hard to hold it for even one minute. I add to it by raising one foot off the floor.

RelativeRon

@Junier Oliva: lol, well spoken!

Toxsyn

Well, push-ups can be bad for your wrists, and running is bad for your knees, so we should all just sit on the couch!

If regular crunches bother your back, try to do an "upside down" crunch using an exercise ball. Put your hands flat on the floor (as if you're doing a push-up) and your toes on the top of the exercise ball. Use your abs to make an upside-down V shape, then extend again. Repeat 12 times. (If this is too hard, just try kneeling on top of the exercise ball. You'll be able to balance for longer and longer with practice.)

Another one I like are front(prone) bridges. It is exactly like a sidebridge.

Another effective ab/core exercises are side bridges. basically you lay on your side, prop yourself up with your arm vertically and your elbow is bent forward. You keep your body rigid, holding for 30 seconds. Another one I like are front bridges. It is exactly like a front bridge but you lay on your hands sort of like a Sphinx in Egypt does. Lay on your stomach and prop your hands, elbows bent, in front of you while you keep your body rigid. Trust me, even with just starting out with a couple of sets, you will feel the burn and you will be sore tomorrow.

+ Watch video

I like the prone bridge with the bent elbows, it is harder.

@aaziz: I'm a chick and I do planks. There is no such thing as "women's exercise." (Sorry, this is a pet peeve of mine. You should have said "any other exercises" and I wouldn't get peeved.)

If she wants to lose the belly, it's overall weight loss, no spot reduction.

How does she feel about pilates?

@brodiemac: But you'll be doing more pushups and less crunches! Win? You tell me.

ludwigk

I'm a martial artist and I've been doing crunches for many years. Not effective? Well, I have a six pack and a very strong core. Granted, I do other ab exercises, but crunches (if done correctly) do help, and aren't that dangerous. Actually, a lot of exercises have some adverse result: running and jogging can be horrible on your knees; even stretching too much can be bad. So stop being lazy and looking for excuses; do some ab exercises. You really shoulda been doing push ups already tho, like the article says :)

Junier Oliva

I always thought sit-ups were bad for your back, while crunches on the other hand are good.

RunnerWorldTV's YouTube video seems to show that too -

+ Watch video

Save your back and destroy your wrists. I can't do push ups anymore, my right wrist is too weak. (I know...how werid is that??)

However, we did used to do stabilizing ab workouts on the swim team. They were called planks--sort of like pilates on steroids. We all had very tight abs as a result.

cottonfox

@balls187: Me too, sort of. Let's file this under blog posts that generally read as: "Throw out everything you thought you knew about X and replace it with this new thing."

Yes, pushups (in all forms - normal, military, wide fly, "sphinx", walking plank, isometric plank, and on and on) are amazing exercises for the total body, including core. That doesn't mean we throw exercises targeted specifically at abdominals and obliques out the window. Baby. Bathwater.

There are plenty of abdominal exercises (including what some people call "crunches") that can be done properly without risking spinal injury.

belloc

@badger500: Haha. Gave me a good laugh.

kettlewhistle

The actual article is a bit better than the summary here but still really oversimplifies the whole thing. The way most people are taught to do sit-ups or crunches puts far too much strain on the spine, that's true. However sit-ups should be done using your abs which will keep your spine nearly straight. That said, sit-ups only strengthen one limited area of your abs and really should only be done as an extra exercise done in moderation not as the primary ab exercise. The push-up really can't be called a core exercise at the level most people do push-ups. Maybe if you crank out sets of 100 but if you're doing sets of 5-10 push-ups you're not getting much of a core workout. Plank, leg raises (leg drops in the article), side plank, and various yoga postures are significantly better core exercises than a push-up. As for the spine having a "shelf life"...that sounds completely ridiculous to me (the doctor was probably misquoted knowing how incompetent most journalists are with real medical articles). All of the testing and fitness information I've seen shows that proper exercise and usage of the spine actually strengthens it by causing bone density to increase and by building the surrounding muscles for support. But the final paragraph of the article is really the key. Unless you can get under 15% body fat (depending on your shape and type) you're not going to see your abs no matter how awesome they are. If you want to see your abs fix your diet first.

ShreelaJulisa

stick to flat pushups and do lots of hindu squats and hack squats. If you're not big into working out, the last thing you want to do is do decline pushups like in the picture and end up with the lower part of your chest protruding more than the upper part, giving you a concave chest with boobs at the bottom.

tarrantm

@aaziz: Oh, and I don't think planks are a tempting excersize for her ;/ Any simple woman's exercise? Perhaps with a ball?

aaziz

@Lance Jacob Goyke: Holy crap, being lazy and not using the thing has actually helped me! I'll have to forward this advice to my girlfriend, who I've been bugging about using it (since she's intent on losing weight in her tummy).

Off to the research room, I say.

aaziz

Push ups are great. I've just finished week 3 of the one hundred push ups program. Give it a try.

[hundredpushups.com]

R00b

@Christopher Neale: I'd prefer just a tight abdominal area to a six-pack.

cmkennedy

@Lance Jacob Goyke: Wait, I have a ab roller in my house, the one where it is a wheel with handles on left and right hand side.

These are not effective?

@cmkennedy: Aw man you beat me to it. You and your quick commenting...

@Jason Adams: Very true.

cmkennedy

i'm pretty sure you're supposed to use your abs to pull yourself up, not your hands yanking on the back of your neck.

cross them across your chest and keep your back straight.

gobeavs

@darkstar - Fed up with the useless emos: "kegels" are your friend. Kind of like groinal crunches for men and women:

[en.wikipedia.org]

winshape

@fuchikoma: As an aspiring strength coach, I would like to say I'm happy that you're doing compound lifts with free weights.

Lance Jacob Goyke

Pushups are very good for your shoulders, too. You have to make sure that you squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom, and push as far away as you can at the top.

Lance Jacob Goyke

I injured my neck doing crunches -- this can be a dangerous exercise!! (Think of the posture - hands under head - pulling body up ... it's not safe.)

Great post.

I do bicycle ab crunches and have a history of back problems, but they've improved a lot since I started excercising that area (and compound lifts with free weights) but I rarely do proper pushups because of RSIs in my wrists and elbows. I can be pushing along, then one elbow goes *crunch* and I lose power in that arm and get a hot liquid sensation around the joint...

@anglematic: Ugh, yeah. For a few years, I've done ab work outs (mostly crunches and leg lifts) and push-ups every day, but I had a back injury, so some of my ab exercises had to be cut, because they hurt too much. I wonder if I should just switch to multiple positions of planking instead of crunches and side crunches, if this article is true.

kagekiri

@cmkennedy: Agreed.

Lance Jacob Goyke

@aaziz: The spine is made for stability. When you train your six pack abs (rectus abdominis), you should only train them in a manner that is anti-extension. Flexion-based exercises (like a crunch) cause shear stress on your spine, and leads to some pretty serious low back pain and neanderthal posture, with a much greater risk of herniating a disc. Plus, they are useless.

Having said that, ab-rollers and everything you see on TV but the ab roller are bad for you.

For other variations, try front and side plank variations [[tinyurl.com]].

P.S. You can't have a six pack unless you have very little fat on your body.

Lance Jacob Goyke

The article uses 'situp' and 'crunch' interchangeably. A 'crunch' != 'situp'.

Jason Adams

These are the basic tenets behind the Plank exercise.

[exercise.about.com]

Very effective core exercise.

cmkennedy

@cmkennedy: Didn't realize until I submitted this that c*** can be taken in a couple of ways...

Let's just say "rooster pushups."

cmkennedy

Just spent $300 on an exercise bike and $60 on a flat bench (amazon with free shipping). Ditch push-ups for dumbell bench press, alternating between heavy dumbells with low reps, and light dumbells with lots of reps. Match that with dumbell rows and dumbell squats and you hit the three largest muscle groups in the body. Adding more muscle burns more calories. On the exercise bike, use it 3-6 times a week for 30-60 minutes. Determine your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age). Fat burning zone is 60-70% of your MHR, aerobic zone is 70-80%, and anaerobic is 80-90%. Best results is to set a program on the bike that hits all three. Check your resting heart rate before any workout, and track that over time for another tool to check overall heart health. Always check with a doctor before any workout program to make sure you are good to go.

JeanneEurytion

@darkstar - Fed up with the useless emos: Sounds like a Tenacious D exercise.

First is dick crunches. Then we move on to c*** pushups.

cmkennedy

I have to agree with the above post. Complete BS, like they allready mentioned your abs work like stabilizers only. Unless you can do 200 push-ups there is no way your abs are being worked effectively. There is nothing wrong with crunches as long as you do them correctly and controlled. I've been doing them for years in the gym and never had a single problem nor pain in my pack what so every. I'm sure it's because I work my back too, in fact your back covers the largest portion of your body together with your legs so that's why it's a main topic in my routine. If you strenghten your back muscles you won't have any problems with crunches or any other exercisizes that indirectly require stabilisation from your back.

yugogeniuz

What about those ab-rollers? (Like [www.pycfitness.com]). I'd assume they don't have that problem, as you don't extend/contract as far, but that's just what I think. Anyone have a better answer?

aaziz

Yeah, I'm gonna call BS on this.

I have a herniated disc right now, and have found pushups to be one of the very few things I can do without pain.
This article has made me wonder if all the crunches I was doing before had anything to do wtih my disc.

anglematic

Boy my drill sergeant is going to be really pissed when he reads this.

brodiemac

I read "ditch crunches" as one noun, because the guy in the photo seems to be doing something in a ditch. For a moment, I thought a "itch crunch" was a push up done with one's hands extended into a ditch.

So from now on, I'm calling pushups ditch crunches.

Yeah, I've found that pushups combined with high-range exercise ball situps (prop your feet) work amazingly.

Too bad I haven't been keeping up as much as I should the last few weeks :(

~dt~

@minealone6: I was just thinking, "minealone6, just asked about this" and then the Twilight Zone music started playing.

bbobjoe

Push ups really are very effective for toning your core. While you may not carve a six pack by doing push ups, the general strength of your core is much more important to overall health and athleticism. So many people see perfect abs as a mark of health when in fact many times these people have such an imbalance in their core that they are easily injured. Also push ups strengthen your shoulders and chest contributing to the V shape that is a common goal in men.

Christopher Neale

I read the ditch in that title wrong when I first read it. Now I'm imagining how painful dick crunches would be.

Holy crap! I just asked this on the open thread 30 minutes ago! I guess I got my answer. Thanks Lifehacker!

@ludwigk: Definite win for me... Dunno why, pushups are a LOT easier for me than abdominal exercises.

@BlueScreen: Not to mention eating disorders...

Further evidence that every exercise taught in physical education in fact merely causes injury. I have suspected this for a long time. :P

@Cam Jamieson:
Powerballs are definitely awesome for wrists!

Here's a link I found for everyone.
[exercise.about.com]

xizdaqrian

@kagekiri: I had to look up 'planking'. In the Marines they made us 'watch TV' in basic training. It was this exercise. We had our chins resting in our hands and elbows on the ground. TV position they called it. It sucks and it works. Our abs burned like crazy afterward.

xizdaqrian

@sugardeath: Only if you're leaning over the side of the bed. The ball allows you to hyper-extend and get a greater range of motion. Stacking couch cushions might work.

xizdaqrian

Is this really true or is it just the no-no flavor of the month/year? Like how they say don't drink milk, don't eat eggs, don't bottle-feed, etc. I'm willing to stop doing sit-ups if my back is really at risk.

paintbox

Agreed. Low body fat and good genetics are going to do much for you than sit-ups.

A caveat on the push-ups, though. If you don't have a strong enough core to support your spine, you have the potential to do even more damage to your back. Make sure that you're keeping your back long and straight; try to tighten your abdominals to take the lordotic curve (sway) out of your lumbar spine (low back). Also, make sure you're keeping your shoulders stable (engaging serratus anterior) and not allowing the fronts of your shoulder joints to dip below the plane of your elbows.

Just some considerations to keep you safe! I have many clients who can't handle push-ups, right off the bat, with whom I have to work at some length in order to get them doing push-ups properly.

trihardist

@UA_Iron: "...Pushups are a good exercise as well. They help define a look that most males are going for. Women can do them just as much, they dont quite have the hormones to look like men (most of them)."

Thank God. Women going for the body builder look are a turn-off. I'd sooner see a woman with some body fat than a welterweight..

paintbox

@~dt~:
I don't have an exercise ball, but I assume propping my feet up on my chair or bed would be similar enough?

I've been doing 100 push ups a day since Christmas, missing only occasionally. I recently added 100 sit ups, but maybe I should just add more sets of push ups instead. I'm only 20, so my back isn't bothering me yet, but I see no reason to lay the groundwork for back pain later on, especially if sit ups aren't that effective.

Hey, Ab-Boys, try this: [www.youtube.com]

DaveyNC

@cottonfox: Hold on to dumb bells on the ground, and do pushups off them. This takes the strain of your wrist.

@orlo: I suppose anything can 'mess up' something else. The risk for push ups is negligible, millions of soldiers all over the world have been doing them for years.

Cam Jamieson

@Lance Jacob Goyke:

2 things:

Compound lifts are awesome! Good job!

As for the RSI and pushups, use a set of 10 pound dumb bells and do pushups off them, that way you dont have to bend your wrist. Also, I recommend a powerball to exercise your wrist and get rid of the RSI.

Cam Jamieson

@JeanneEurytion: Doing the same 3-4 exercises like that will make you plateau after a couple months. It's important to mix it up as much as possible.

Cam Jamieson

@orlo: Yeah, I had to stop doing pushups because I hurt my shoulders/point in my back between the shoulder blades. I suspect I was doing them incorrectly.

stennieville

The spine was not meant to be pulled into forward flexion and the rectus abdominis is not a muscle group directly involved in spinal stabilization. So using the rectus abdominis to place the whole spinal into flexion is pointless. The rectus abdominis is a superficial layer of muscle (just under the skin) which means it isn't recruited early in any movement; it is recruited later. Your pelvic floor is recruited first, then your transverse abdominis, followed by the spinal erectors and internal/external obliques. From there you rectus ab gets involved eventually. The spinal has the great strength when it is in neutral position. Neutral being the proper series of S curves; some to the anterior some to the posterior. Stabilizers of the spine are more important than the six pack will ever be; whether it be for posture, balance, rotational control/power or transfer of power through your core during ground based activities. Nothing you do in day-to-day activity or sport looks like a crunch; unless your posture really sucks and you slump all the time. Spend your time in neutral spine doing movements from a standing, lunge, prone bridge or 1/2 kneel position to get the most of your primal movement patterns and stabilization of the spine. Or keep crunching and forward flexing the lumbar spine which wasn't built to flex. Enjoy the eventual back injury.

BerwinVitulus

To sum up what was said below...Abs are made in the kitchen.

You can do all the crunches you want, they wont show unless you're at a body fat percentage where your abdominal fat is pretty low.

Getting to see abs for the most of us is pretty tough. One has to become obsessive about it. Pushups are a good exercise as well. They help define a look that most males are going for. Women can do them just as much, they dont quite have the hormones to look like men (most of them).

UA_Iron

THIS ARTICLE SAYS THAT CRUNCHES ARE BAD FOR YOUR BACK NOT BETTER FOR YOUR ABS!!! YOU NINNY FOOLS. IF IT'S ABS YOU WANT YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR IT NOT AROUND IT!

@badger500: Haha, nice. xD That made me laugh.

An interesting challenge a coworker and I attempted in 2008: add 1 pushup a day from January 1st to December 31st. We failed, but it was fun. Ended at about 130 (poorly done) push ups, then scaled back into sets, eventually sputtering out in mid-June. I'm sure any fitness instructor will tell you this is not a good plan, but, for what it's worth, my chest was starting to look good about mid-March, just in time for the beach.

The 100 Pushups in 6 Weeks looks like a much more beneficial routine. I'm going to give that a start next week.

stilldeciding

I already have herniated discs from my time in the service. Push-ups are horribly painful while basic crunches aren't too bad. What can you do to help keep muscle strength and fitness if you have bad back problems?

ErnestIsmene

@Andrew Farris:
[www.expertvillage.com]

Andrew Farris

I also started doing the cycle crunch rather than regular crunches. I used to do sets of 300 crunches (note, not full situps, a proper crunch does not allow the lower spine be stressed). Doing cycle crunches I think I get a similar workout in under 30 reps.

Andrew Farris

Anyone who has trouble doing pushups because of their wrists might want to spend a bit on a product like this:
[www.thestrengthbuilder.com]

I love mine. The pushup using this thing is MUCH harder than a regular pushup will be and is much more effective because you can work different areas of the arms and back (get more workout in fewer pushups, and let some of your muscles rest while others are working by moving the handles around for awhile).

Andrew Farris

@pretty unpolished app available for tracking our workouts

Eclipsor

Thanks for all the tips. I've been doing 100 sit-ups and 40-50 pushups, and 40 squats a day for almost a year now. I stopped during spring break, but was doing physical activity during that time (skiing). Since this time last year I've lost 20 lbs. I started with a better diet and initially lost 30 lbs over about 5 months, then started my exercise routine about when the summer Olympics were on (motivation). Recently I've been trying to ramp up how many push ups I can do by taking about a minute break after 50 and pushing out as many more as I can do.

Still no six-pack, but overall I feel more healthy and can run a solid 2 miles when I have the time. Speaking of time, I don't think many people realize that you actually can get in shape in 20 minutes a day. I think the problem is that people don't get into a routine and do it every day.

I'm 21 for reference, and when I saw people my age doing awesome feats of strength, in Gymnastics especially, I couldn't help not exercise. (Also learned how to spell exercise in that period :)

I have been noticing more back problems including terrible cracking once in awhile when I get out of bed in the morning. I think I'm going to stop the sit-ups and start planking as that seems to be the most suggested and supported exercise.

What's the optimal way to plank, reps of about a minute or so?

@R00b: That program is a bit stupid. Look at week 2: if the maximum you can do is 6, it asks you to do 7, twice. And the second day, 9. That is a bit silly, don't you think?

rafasan

@[s423.photobucket.com]

~dt~

@~dt~: oh shoot. let's try again:

[URL=http://s423.photobucket.com/albums/pp311/digitaltrauma/?action=view¤t=situpswithball.jpg][IMG][i423.photobucket.com]][/URL]

~dt~

@sugardeath: Here, I've illustrated beautifully for you.

[IMG][i423.photobucket.com]]

Like this. :)

~dt~

@Christopher Neale: I have a U shape, is that close to a V shape?

stopNgoBeau

I've been doing this for years. In fact, I haven't done any isolation exercises on my abs since I started training in MMA.

People forget that a lot of classic compound exercises also work your abs -- Squats, deadlifts, cleans/jerks/snatches, and box jumps to name a few.

TheLouis

@cmkennedy: Also called the Prone Bridge and can be adapted to the obliques as well with a little balance.

kilikopele

i've been using the site [hundredpushups.com] lately. even though i started at the lowest level, i've been able to keep up with their weekly program and its working quite well.

iamkmac

As has been mentioned, often when "sit-ups" are said in a bad light, they are talking about the ones, usually on sitcoms, where the person goes all the way up. Those are bad. If someone has a bad back, what they might want to look into are back exercises to strengthen it. You don't get strong biceps by not lifting anything, you know. Arguably the best exercise for a bad back are squats. Really!

MartaDomainer

I also can't do normal push ups b/c of RSI, but I've found that those "As Seen On TV" perfect push up things work pretty well. Not sure what to actually call them, but they look like handles.. essentially keeping you from bending/stressing the wrists.

SalvatoreVespa

Push-ups aren't exactly free of potential danger--I damaged my wrists so badly doing gymnastics that further compression of the joint is painful and potentially harmful. Had I not done gymnastics, I probably would have been fine doing pushups, but I can't risk it at this point. Most exercises have the potential to be damaging, and a lot depends on your personal history, body type, and fitness level. I'm in favor of evaluating exercises on an individual basis. (Also, the article conflates crunches and several types of push-ups. Partial sit-ups work abs well without overly straining the lower back. Naturally, I don't recommend focusing on any one exercise to the exclusion of others.)

WolfeMarcellus

If you over train a muscle group you're going to have trouble. If you're doing ab work, you should follow it up with back work too. Most injuries happen from people using improper form as well. If you have sensible routines and have proper form you won't get hurt.

HolbrookDentatus

If you over train a muscle group you're going to have trouble. If you're doing ab work, you should follow it up with back work too. Most injuries happen from people using improper form as well. If you have sensible routines and have proper form you won't get hurt.

MarlandCeyx

Nice article. But I will say right now that push ups and carpal tunnel do not mix.

@Crossfit.com

dotdotdotdotdot

@stopNgoBeau: I've got more of an O shape.