Bear Grylls is no stranger to doing things the hard way, and apparently that extends to his core training. The 52-year-old adventurer recently shared a simple sit-up tweak he uses to increase the challenge, claiming one small change makes the exercise 'three times harder'.
Instead of allowing your knees to fall apart as you perform each rep, Grylls recommends squeezing them tightly together, imagining you're holding a credit card between them.
'It becomes like three times harder,' he says.
Grylls recommends 3 sets of 10, adding that 'the core is really engaging'. But squeezing your knees together doesn't suddenly triple the demands on your abs. So, here's what the tweak actually does – and whether it's worth trying.
Does Bear Grylls' Sit-Up Tweak Actually Work?
The technique may make the exercise feel harder, but that doesn't necessarily mean your abs are working significantly harder. Squeezing your knees together forces your hip adductors – the muscles of your inner thighs – to work isometrically to maintain the position. It may also encourage you to create more tension through your pelvis and trunk, making each rep feel more controlled.
What it doesn't do is make your abs work 'three times' harder.
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That doesn't make the cue useless. If letting your knees fall outwards causes you to lose tension during sit-ups, keeping them together could help clean up your position and make each rep more deliberate. Just don't expect it to turn 10 sit-ups into the equivalent of 30.
3 Ways to Make Sit-Ups Harder
If you genuinely want to increase the difficulty of your sit-ups, there are more reliable ways to progress them. Keep your hands by your temples and your elbows back rather than using your arms to generate momentum. You can also slow down the tempo, curling up under control before gradually reversing the movement to keep your core under tension for longer.
For an even greater challenge, add external resistance by holding a dumbbell against your chest.
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