Which is better, abdominal roll or sit up

The difference in effectiveness between abdominal exercises and sit ups depends on the training objectives. For core muscle group strengthening, it is recommended to choose abdominal exercises, while traditional waist and abdominal exercises may consider sit ups.

Abdominal curling is mainly aimed at isolated training of the upper part of the rectus abdominis muscle. During the movement, the lumbar spine is always in contact with the ground, and abdominal contraction is achieved through thoracic flexion, which can effectively reduce lumbar compensation. This action has a low degree of activation on the transverse and oblique muscles of the abdomen, but has high precision in muscle recruitment, making it suitable for rehabilitation patients and those with sensitive lumbar spine. Sit ups belong to the compound action mode, which requires the hip flexors to work together to lift the trunk as a whole, stimulating the entire rectus abdominis muscle, but it is prone to neck compensation due to movement deformation. In traditional sit up tests, the involvement of the iliopsoas muscle can reach 40%, which may exacerbate the problem of pelvic forward tilt. The difference in energy consumption between the two movements is not significant, but abdominal curling is more suitable for repeated high-frequency training, while sit ups require controlling the number of repetitions per group to avoid muscle compensation. The modified version of abdominal roll, such as reverse abdominal roll, can strengthen the lower abdomen, while the improved version of sit ups, such as medicated ball rotation, can enhance core rotation function. Individuals at risk of intervertebral disc herniation should avoid sit ups with excessive hip flexion. Postpartum women undergoing abdominal rolling training should first evaluate the condition of rectus abdominis muscle separation.

It is recommended to use abdominal curling as a basic training exercise, arranged three to four times a week, with three groups of fifteen to twenty times each time, and a 30 second break between groups. Sit ups can be adjusted to twice a week for functional training, combined with static movements such as plank support to balance the development of core muscle groups. Before and after training, spinal flexibility exercises such as cat style stretching should be performed. Attention should be paid to supplementing high-quality protein and vitamin D in diet to promote muscle repair. Long term sedentary individuals should combine hip bridge movements to prevent lower cross syndrome.