The Proper Technique for Sit Ups

Sit ups are a very common form of exercise that is used worldwide as an important part of exercise regimes.

What is less well acknowledged is that unless you perform sit ups in the correct manner you could be loosing up to 80% of the benefits they bring. Nobody wants to exercise hard and not loose pounds and gain muscle. Everything in exercise is about the quality, not so much the quantity which comes with time.

Abdominal muscles can be strengthened when sit ups are done with the maximum care and technique. What is sought with the perfect sit up is bringing your torso up towards your knees from an initial lying down posture, using the abdominal muscle group only.

A mistake many people make is to end up using other muscle groups additionally. Often these muscles are far more powerful, e.g. flexors of the hips and legs, reducing the benefit you receive from your sit ups. This situation is particularly pronounced with straight leg sit ups.

Begin by lying with your back on the floor. You can use a cushioned mat if you like. Bend your legs at the knee, keeping your feet on the floor, in a line with your hips.

Place your hands behind your head. You can interlace your fingers if you like, or just set your hands on either side of your head, whatever is comfortable for you. Alternately, you can place your arms across your torso, as shown by the Navy man in the photo.

Engage your abs, meaning tense your muscles just enough to feel some resistance. Inhale.

Exhale and curl your upper body and then your lower back off the ground, rising toward your knees.

Roll back down toward the ground and inhale, with your lower back touching the ground first and then your upper body.

Strengthening the abs will not remove fat from the waistline. There is no such thing as spot reduction, because muscles do not fuel exercise by using the fat that surrounds them. Instead, during exercise the body tends to mobilize fat from storage depots throughout the body, so the fat used as fuel during sit-ups may come from the legs, back, face, or other areas. To remove body fat, you must burn calories, and lots of them. The abdominal muscle group is relatively small, and the number of calories expended during a bout of sit-ups is minimal. A brisk walk or jog will expend more calories than hundreds of sit-ups. Remember: This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician.