Can sit ups and crunches make your stomach bigger?
A few days ago I was asked the question: can sit ups make your stomach bigger? It took me back to my school days when there was a belief that too many sit ups would have the opposite effect of the desired flat tummy and actually give you a big stomach. So I have taken it upon myself to settle this myth once and for all.
Is it possible?
It is true that if you exercise a muscle it will grow in size and therefore surely exercise on your stomach will increase the muscle size and therefore make it stick out? Strictly speaking this is true, however the muscle will develop in all directions and not just outwards. It would also take an immense amount of exercise to achieve a large gut and you would be spending way too much time on your stomach. However that said there are people though that will find their stomach sticks out more once they have started their exercise routine that includes an ab workout.
Why is this?
When training the stomach we are shortening the muscle over and over again. This constant shortening over time will make the muscle permanently shorter and thicker. This can help to change our posture by making us slouch, pulling down our rib cage at the front. This shortening and slouching will cause the stomach to bulge forwards making it look as if the muscle is sticking out.
The cure
- Stretch the stomach so that the shortening process is limited
- Work on your posture so that you do not slouch
- Never look down at your stomach but stand up right and use a mirror
Checking your posture
Using a mirror to check yourself out will allow you to maintain a correct posture and give you a true image of how firm your abs are becoming. Looking down at your stomach will shorten the distance between your sternum (chest bone – Beeble) and your pubis (upper part of your pelvis at the front – Beeble) and make your tummy bulge out more.
Correct posture
SHOULDERS BACK, CHEST OUT SOLDIER! A bit harsh and not strictly true. While our soldiers have a very upright stance it is not a natural position. To explain how you should stand with perfect technique we’ll start at the top and work down. Starting with your head: chin up and head held slightly back; this helps to prevent the stooping effect that puts everything else out of line. Secondly your torso: chest out and shoulders back like the soldiers but allow your shoulders to relax down, keeping the chest out. Now the stomach: draw the stomach in and up like you do at the beach, this will help pull the front of the pelvis up which in turn helps to prevent the lower back from arching excessively. There you have it – you are now a shining example of the perfect stance, be proud and stand tall!
Stretch
It is important that if you are exercising your stomach that you stretch it. If you train any muscle that you do not stretch it will get shorter and therefore stick out more. However with the stomach you would have to train it an abnormal amount to make it really stick out. Here at Beebleblog we are very keen on stretching and it’s importance for everyone. To stretch your stomach lie on your front and up on your elbows so that your pelvis and legs are on the floor and your chest is raised off the floor (as in the diagram – Beeble). Without moving any higher up than your elbows try and arch your chest up and out. This will lengthen the distance between your pelvis and your chest bone and therefore stretching your stomach muscles out. Hold this stretch for at least 20 seconds.
Summary
Whilst ab muscles are highly unlikely to make your tummy look bigger by muscle growth alone the side effects of training the muscle can make them look like they are protruding. Keep stretching them, concentrate on your posture, draw your tummy muscles in and always pose in front of a mirror (you’ll enjoy doing that! – Beeble.) I have deliberately not been too technical in this article and have concentrated on the more essential bits. If you would like to ask any questions on this article then please just leave me a comment. Good luck, watch your posture and get stretching!
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:31 pm
hi, ive started to power walk for an hour a day and hav started doing situps, but my stomach is sticking out more!! help!
July 8th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Omitted here: the possibility of “diastasis recti”. It is a non-threatenting condition whereby the ab muscles are separated down the center, causing a bulging abdomen, especially when straining. Sit-ups can make it look worse. Post-partum excercises can help new mommies, otherwise only surgery can correct it, but as I said, it is not dangerous. Common in Mommies, but also can happen in men, and can also be congenital. If you have pain, you may have a hernia and need to seek medical help immediately–and STOP all straining. Google it to learn more.
December 21st, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Recently I’ve started a sit up routine. Terribly out of shape, I began leg lifts. I’ve noticed a very odd raised area that is about 4" left to right and runs from the solar plexis to about the belly button. It protrudes quite a bit and is only seen when the muscles are contracted. What’s up with that?
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Glad to hear that you are getting into your training and I hope you are enjoying your training. As you can imagine it is difficult for me to give advice over the internet as to particular medical conditions or different variations in the way the body works and adapts. To me it sounds like your rectus abdominis muscle is protruding on flexion. This muscle runs down from the chest bone all the way to your hip but is often most promenant just above the belly button. If this is the case you should notice it protrude more when you lean forwards and less when you stand upright with very good posture.
However I would recommend an appointment with your doctor as they will be able to give you a proper diagnosis and it would be best to get a full picture of what is happening.
All the best with your training. If you are keen on continuing your training then you maybe interested in our exercise library which shows you all the techniques on how to perform the exercise correctly, so you get the results you want more efficiently and safely. visit it at http://www.beeblefitness.com
Hugo
May 13th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I have been doing crunches for years…my BMI is low but my waist line is slightly disproportionate to my other measurements. I bought one of those ab belt things (the EMS; it shocks your muscles, causing them to contract) which garuanteed a 2 inch loss in 10 days. My abs are stronger than they have ever been, I have alot of definition, and guess what? I have gained an inch and a half.I look better in a bikini; not so much in my clothes. I guess sometimes you have to pick the lesser of two evils.
August 5th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
you say the stomach could only get bigger with an excessive amount of training.
well how much is to much,
and if i just do the stretchs and sit up straight every thing will be fine?
August 6th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Too much ab training is difficult to quantify with a number but if you are doing hundreds and hundreds of situps then I would say that that was too much. If you keep performing the stretches it will always help but I would ad more variety to your stomach workout than just situps alone. We have an exercise library with tons of other stomach exercises that are much better than the standard situp. You can view them all at http://beeblefitness.com/exercises/strength/abdominals/ give them a try as the body loves variety and you will see much better results.
I hope this helps answer your question