I remember in grade 6 when I was the champion at doing 60 sit-ups in 60 seconds. We were challenged to see how many we could do. I was competitive so I made sure I won. But was I a winner or just following the sheep in a direction of current knowledge in 1982?

In 2001, Stuart McGill wrote a text titled ” Low back Disorders ” that put everything into clear perspective regarding low back pain. He believes, among many others, that flexion ( which is bending forward with the spine ) causes tears in the discs of the spine. Research has shown this time and time again. And when you look at his research, it is quite obvious why this is the case.

As one bends the spine forward, it places stress on the back of the disc and causes tears. These tears get identified by the body and often our bodies react by placing new nerves in them. And voila! Pain! His research and others like Tony Fremont’s carved the way for my research and dynamic disc models.

So, if sit-ups are a flexion type moment to the spine, according to Stuart McGill, they are not a very smart way to strengthen the core muscles. Here, he debunks current thinking. I agree. JF