Crunches, bad for your back?

[StreetJustice]

As it is, I do crunches but not on the floor. I have this contraption where you hang upside down by your feet and that's how I do the crunches, while hanging upside down. Doing crunches like that is much harder than doing them on the floor but you get much more out of the workout. Im wondering if doing crunches while hanging upside down will hurt your back.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by StreetJustice

I heard that crunches and situps are bad for your back. The Navy is even dropping them from their PT. Is this true? Are they ways to do crunches and situps without harming your back?

Isn't everything bad for your back?

[MLSFan]

Originally Posted by StreetJustice

As it is, I do crunches but not on the floor. I have this contraption where you hang upside down by your feet and that's how I do the crunches, while hanging upside down. Doing crunches like that is much harder than doing them on the floor but you get much more out of the workout. Im wondering if doing crunches while hanging upside down will hurt your back.

this is how i do it too, since im on the tetter table already and get bored, i do some workouts while upside down, but its more of a situp since i come up all the way each time, or go side to side

i feel less stress on spine since nothing is pressing on it, aka the floor, but no real proof that it is less stress and not blood rushing to head

[StreetJustice]

So from my experience inversion tables are good.

[jaminhealth]

Work with modified crunches..much easier on the back.

And push away from the table sooner.