Say what you like about CrossFit, but the athletes at the top of the sport are in phenomenal shape. Engines that can go all day, strength, flexibility and abs that pop: they have it all. The latter is interesting for a sport that prides itself on not being about vanity or ‘superficial’ abdominal muscles. It would be easy to chalk this up to lots of conditioning work, heavy compound lifts and a sky-high calorie expenditure. But when CrossFitters train abs, it may be the way they do it that leads to thick, overdeveloped six-packs.
Take the GHD sit-up – so called because it’s performed on a glute-ham developer – which is a staple of the sport. The reason it’s so effective is simple: it stretches the abs far more than a conventional sit-up, and loading the midsection through a much greater range of motion can lead to greater muscle growth. That alone is evidence that GHD sit-ups are worthy of a place in any training programme. The problem? GHD machines aren’t exactly common in most commercial gyms.
One thing that is present in almost every gym, however, is a bench, and with one small tweak a basic, run-of-the-mill flat bench can elicit the same ab-stretching, ab-growing, ab-popping effect you’d get from GHD sit-ups. Time to go full CrossFit-core.
How to Do GHD Sit-Ups with a Regular Bench
1/ Bench Yourself
Lie flat on a bench, with your bum close to one end and your torso supported along its length. Let your feet rest on the floor to begin with, then shuffle yourself into a position that feels stable enough to lean back, without immediately tipping off the edge.
2/ Lock In
As you begin to lean back, lift your legs and bring your feet underneath the far end of the bench. Hook them in place, using the bench as an anchor to stop yourself from falling backwards. Keep your core braced and your body tight as you find your balance.
3/ Reach Back
From here, lower your torso backwards, reaching your arms behind your head. Bend your back and let your abs stretch and open, as you move past the point you’d stop on a floor sit-up, aim to touch your hands to the floor behind you, while keeping your feet locked.
4/ Sit Up
Now, drive your feet hard into the bench, contract your abs and pull yourself back up. Move explosively from the stretched position, coming all the way back into a tall, seated posture. That’s one rep. Reset your brace, lean back under control and repeat.
3 Benefits of GHD Sit-Ups
- CrossFit-style abs: That well-developed midsection – minus the specialist kit.
- A deeper burn: Stretch your abs, then contract them hard, from a longer range.
- Braced-up power: Train your trunk to transfer force from feet to fingertips in one hit.
