Sit Ups
Did you know that sit ups are the most used abdominal exercise. They are also probably the exercise that's perfomed incorrectly the most too. Read our guide below to get the perfect sit up into your workouts.
The most common form of abdominal exercises performed to help develop stronger firmer abdominal's. Remember to read the notes on abdominal techniques for extra guidelines.
Place your feet firmly on the floor, in a position that keeps your lower back in contact with the floor throughout the movement. (Imagine your buttocks and lower back being sucked into the floor).
Focus on keeping your fingers on the side of your head, in front of your ears, keeping your elbows pointing out to the side.
Use your hands to support the weight of your head, not to pull yourself up with, your abdominal muscles should only perform this. Keep your chin away from your chest throughout the movement, by looking upwards, aim for your spine and head to be aligned.
Inhale and slowly lift your shoulders - elbows - head, as a complete unit, without bringing in your elbows or bending the neck.
On full contraction of the abs, you should aim to have lifted 30 degrees off the floor, holding the position for a split second prior to exhaling and lowering under control ready to perform your next rep.
How many reps do I do?
Beginners, this is an ideal exercise for you. Aim to perform 8 - 12 reps in a slow controlled manner, rest for 20 seconds and repeat again.
Intermediates aim for 12 - 20 reps repeated twice.
Advanced work for 20 - 30 reps repeated three times.
The key focus point for this exercise is the speed you perform the movement. Avoid momentum and bouncing off the floor, keep the action smooth and slow so that you can feel your abs contracting.
We have a complete range of simple abdominal exercises for you :
Hands to Knees - Bridging - Knees to chest - Abdominal crunch - Hip flexor
Alternatively, you can check some of the following pages out including abdominal technique, aerobic training, basic sit-ups, techniques for stretching, fitness exercises, gym exercises, strength training, test your fitness and stretching muscles.
