12/08/2025
We walked past this poster yesterday and couldn’t help but point out the raft of fitness misconceptions it portrays. Just because you can perform an exercise like this, it doesn’t mean it’s evaluating, or even improving your health.
This image unfortunately illustrates several common misconceptions about effective and safe core training.
Firstly, anchoring the feet during sit-ups, as shown here, tends to shift much of the workload from the abdominal musculature to the hip flexors. This not only diminishes the intended training effect on the core abdominal but can also place unnecessary strain on the lumbar spine, particularly if repeated frequently.
Secondly, performing loaded sit-ups on a BOSU ball introduces instability in a way that does not significantly enhance abdominal activation, yet increases the shear and compressive forces through the lower back. The BOSU is far better utilised for controlled stability work rather than as a base for heavy, dynamic spinal flexion.
Finally, combining an unstable surface with an external load, in this case, a medicine ball during a movement that already places stress on the spine compounds the risk without offering meaningful benefit. There’s a persistent myth in fitness that more instability plus more weight automatically yields a better workout. In reality, such combinations often compromise spinal health and reduce training efficiency.
