Roll Ups with Feet Anchored

Did you know that using the strap during Roll Ups is not only cheating, but it does nothing to help you gain core strength, and can actually be harmful?

Yes, its true. When you anchor your feet under anything when rolling up, you are no longer using your core muscles to peel your spine off the mat.

Here's what happens. During the Roll Up, a sequence of actions takes place. The trunk curls up toward the thighs as it rises up off the mat. These two actions occur at the same time. To finish rolling all the way up, the hip flexors kick in to bring the weight of curled trunk forward over the legs.

Therefore, when rolling up on the mat without anchoring the feet, the trunk curls up before the hip flexion phase.

Using a strap to anchor your feet down causes your body to skip some of the steps in this sequence of actions. Holding the feet down "fixes" the hip flexors, and causes them to kick in before the trunk is able to curl up and over. The body basically hauls itself up and over the legs by using the hip flexors. In fact, the trunk isn't even able to fully curl, it actually arches off the mat slightly with flexion at the hip joints.

If you try rolling up with feet fixed, you can actually feel that this is true. Its not the hip flexors that need strengthening, its the core! Our hip flexors work enough as it is.

Knowing not to use the strap may keep you from wasting time with it, but it doesn't solve your dilemma if you can't roll up! Of course, there are other, more effective ways of training your body to roll up and to actually gain strength at the same time!

My favorite alternative to using a strap is to anchor the feet in a different way. You can use a wall if you're alone, or ask your teacher to stand in front of you and place their hands flat into the balls of your feet as you roll up.

You could also try this modified version of a Roll Up:

-Try started up in a seated position with your feet flat, knees bent, and hands lightly holding behind your thighs with your arms bent. Scoop back, away from your thighs, allowing your arms to gently extend as you round back. When you arms have straightened, pause, deepen into your center, then use your core to roll back up again. Try to barely use your arms at all, just have them there for a little help to control the rate up rolling back and rolling up.

-As you continue to practice, try rolling back a little further and further. Then, try not using your arms as much. Soon, you'll find that you don't need your arms to help at all, you are able to roll up from all the way down on the mat, and you can also do it with your legs extended!

It could be argued that if you're just not strong enough to roll up, then you need the strap to help you do the exercise. My point is, why bother doing the exercise at any cost? Just to get through with it because its part of the order of exercises? Learning to roll up properly takes time, but its worth it!