How do I do sit ups correctly? (A guide to bigger Abs)

How do I do sit-ups correctly?

You've probably been doing sit-ups on and off throughout your life but are you doing them correctly? Are you using a good form? or performing them frequently enough? This guide will answer the question 'how do I do sit-ups correctly'?

A quick guide to doing sit-ups correctly.

Lie on the floor with your legs bent and hands behind your head. Your feet can be flat on the floor or secured under a counterweight.
Use your abdominal muscles to lift your head and upper back off of the floor.
Try to bring your elbows to your knees and hold the tension for a second or two.
Return to the lying position and repeat the movement for the required number of reps and sets.
If you want to activate the oblique muscles to the side of the abdominals, twist as you sit up and touch your elbows on the knee of the opposite side.

Which muscles are targeted by sit-ups?

The sit-up is a basic, bodyweight exercise used to enhance the abdominal muscles in the core. It is viewed as being a bit of an 'old fashioned' movement now as trainers show preference to leg raises, crunches, ab rollers and abdominal machines but it still has a place as part of an ab circuit.

Press-ups, burpees and sit-ups are the main fitness movements inside of the armed forces as they require no equipment and build overall strength and cardiovascular fitness. Strong abs and a strong core contribute to good posture and spinal health.

How do I do sit-ups?

Basic sit-ups are quite self-explanatory. It is one of the first exercises you learn at school along with press-ups. If you have never performed a sit up before, follow this guide.

Lie on the floor with your legs bent and hands behind your head. Your feet can be flat on the floor or secured under a counterweight.
Use your abdominal muscles to lift your head and upper back off of the floor.
Try to bring your elbows to your knees and hold the tension for a second or two.
Return to the lying position and repeat the movement for the required number of reps and sets.
If you want to activate the oblique muscles to the side of the abdominals, twist as you sit up and touch your elbows on the knee of the opposite side.

Sit-ups can also be performed on a dedicated sit up bench. The advantage to using a bench is that you can tuck your feet in and concentrate just on the connection with the abdominals.

They are usually adjustable so you can incline the bench and use gravity to add extra resistance to the movement.

The abdominal crunch

The abdominal crunch is a great alternative to a sit-up. It targets the upper abs with only a shorter range of motion and is not as uncomfortable to perform as a full sit up.

Crunches are basically the same as a sit-up except you do not complete the full motion. Once you have lifted your upper back from the floor by just a few inches, contract the abdominal muscles and hold for a few seconds before slowly lying back down.

The idea is to reduce the range of motion but not the time under tension for the abdominals.

Abdominal crunches can be made easier by using an ab roller bar or harder by incorporating leg raises at the same time. They are a great exercise to add to your abdominal circuit routine as both a mass builder for bigger abs and a strength trainer for a stronger core.

Alternatives to sit-ups.

Leg raises

Ab Rollouts

Conclusion

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