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I used to think I was pretty good at sit-ups. 

It wasn’t at all uncommon for me to comfortably knock out 100 or more within the prescribed two minutes of my bi-annual Navy Physical Readiness Tests.

But since becoming a “CrossFit-er” and using the AbMat extensively during workouts in U.S. Tactical CrossFit’s studio in Encinitas, California, I’ve witnessed my sit-up performance take a steep decline.

Or so I thought.

Turns out, I was so efficient at Navy-style sit-ups, because I was using more of my hip flexors than abs.  That likely explains why, in part, I’ve always had a “four pack”, two shy of a properly sculpted, six-pack abdominal wall that, to this point, stopped short of my lower abs. 

I credit the AbMat for bringing this all to light.  By cushioning the lumbar, the AbMat forces you to rely solely on abdominal effort to move your torso through the full range of motion.  Gone is the opportunity to engage your hip flexors for that initial “umph” at the beginning of the movement.  Instead, your lower abs alone are left to the chore, providing a more targeted, and effective, abdominal workout.

While the number of sit-ups of which I’m capable remains lower than that of my Navy PRT days, the quality is off the charts.  Simply put, without the AbMat, I was cheating myself of an opportunity to properly develop my abs. 

Just two months into my CrossFit routine, I am happy to be sporting 4.5 or 5-pack abs.  Two more months with the AbMat, and I am one hundred percent confident that I’ll finally be in the six-pack abs club.