Sit-ups are bad?

Isn't that why most trainers prefer crunches vs sit-ups, to keep your neck and back safe?

In my vain attempt to obtain the legendary "6-pack" I usually try to incorporate at least a 100 sit-ups a day into my workouts, but recently iv heard from many people that sit-ups are bad for your lower back as well as your internal organs. Id rather have a good, strong back and healthy internals than a 6 pack and a ruptured spleen..but I'm not sure if they are being a 100% accurate. Any feedback?

Situps won't harm you. You are fine.

However... you are going about getting a 6 pack the wrong way. No matter how big your abs are, they will never show until you lose the fat layer over them.

If you want the lean, runners build look with abs, do lots of cardio with your weights.

If you want the muscular look, up your calories to maintenance, and lift. ALOT of weight. And do virtually no cardio. (15-20 minutes max/workout)

If done improperly, sit ups can cause low back problems. But if they are done with proper form and you also do back strengthening exercises so you aren't out of balance in your strength, you should be fine with that. As for the internal organs thing, this is more of an issue for women then men. Full sit ups can cause a tilted uterus if done excessively for years. I know this because I did them almost daily from the time I was in elementary school until I had my first miscarriage because of it when I was 19. It was difficult to carry my two children and I ended up having them both early because of it. Consequently, my daughter is not allowed to do full sit ups. As for the spleen, it's on the left side of the body up under the rib cage, so it is pretty well protected and not likely to be damaged by sit ups. You're more likely to rupture it from a football tackle then from sit ups. I suppose it would be possible to get a loop in the small intestine from sit ups, but I don't even want to think of how many it would have to take. Like I said, the only reason I had problems was because I was an athlete and did sit ups daily for my training for over a decade. Now that I'm through having children, I do full sit ups on occasion. Generally, thought its just to prove that I still can do them. I do my age in them every year on my birthday. ;-)

As for ab training, I do a combination of various things, both various forms of crunches and the non-traditional "core" exercises. Cardio is essential in order to see the abs you're building, though, so don't think you can do ab training and see your abs. You have to do the fat burning to see them.