Exercises hard on the back to be avoided.

Listed below are the ab exercises I recommend avoiding because they are either ineffectual or potentially harmful to the back due to excessive psoas recruitment and/or encouraging an arched back:

The Bad Exercises

•Any machine-based ab exercise

•Any machine-based twisting exercise

•Torso twists (they provide no resistance, nor burn many calories)

•Hanging leg raises with an arched back

•Sit-ups with feet supported

•Lying straight-legged leg raises (first 45° off of floor, one leg at a time or both)

•Straight legged sit-ups

Now that we’ve listed the exercises I recommend avoiding, provided below are the exercises that should be focused on in order to best develop the abs and hip flexors, as they provide the most resistance and encourage proper body positioning:

The recommended exercises are put in the next post .