Beebleblog

Ah the sit up, is it a good exercise or is it bad? Does it work the abdominals properly? Does it make your stomach stick out? These are all questions that surround this exercise which I feel makes the whole thing very confusing and might result in people not doing the exercise. This would be a shame as it is a very good exercise for the abs when it is completed with good technique.

What is it for?

You can guess this one! Yes, it’s for the stomach muscles: mainly focusing on the upper portion of the Rectus Abdominus (the 6 pack – Beeble) and also the Transverse Abdominals (the belt like stomach muscle that sits underneath all other stomach muscles and creates core strength high-lighted in red – Beeble). It also works on your Hip Flexor muscles, (positioned on the front upper thigh and are used to raise your thigh up – Beeble) you can’t see them in the diagram but I have marked out their position.

Technique

For this exercise the only ingredients you will need are yourself, padded flooring and maybe a support to lock your feet under. If you are training at home then a heavy chair will do, if you are in the gym then find either a heavy dumbbell or something that is attached to the ground. Whatever you choose make sure it will take the pressure through it before you begin your sit ups.

(Note: Some people feel that using a foot support is cheating; however it is not necessarily true. Yes it makes it easier but it will also ensure that your technique is good and for some people who have lordosis (a very arched lower back – Beeble) this exercise will be nearly impossible to start, let alone do more than one repetition. That is because the accentuated curve of the back acts like a ledge and prevents a smooth upward movement.

Getting Started: Tummy First

To start this exercise lie on your back on the padded floor and have your feet under your support. Have the support on the upper part of the foot at the join of the foot and leg. Now you are ready to start exercising. Before starting your movement you need to activate your core muscles, especially your transverse abdominals. Do this by sucking your tummy button in to the ground and up into your rib cage (like you are at the beach! - Beeble). It should feel like you are pushing your lower back into the ground. Hold that position throughout the exercise.

Then Head, Shoulders and Upper Body

Now bring your head up followed by your shoulders until your shoulder blades are off the ground. This should be as far as your stomach muscles will be able to take you. This part of the movement uses the stomach muscles directly. Whilst maintaining that “crunch” position you now need to activate your hip flexor muscles. These muscles will bring your upper body off the ground and into a more seated position. Whilst this does not use the stomach muscles directly they are used in an isometric state (using the muscle with no movement – Beeble) to keep your upper body in that final crunch position. If the stomach muscles were not functioning your upper body would simply drop back down to the floor. Come up as high as you can, the stronger among you will be able to get your head very close to your knees. The not so strong among you may only just get your back off the ground. This is not a bad thing as exercise is a journey and it takes practise. So this is just your starting point and from here you will be able to build and try and get higher up each time. Make sure that at the top of the movement you hold it there for a fraction of a second to show control.

Once you are as high as your muscles will possibly take you then don’t think the exercise is over just yet. Far from it, you now have to lower yourself down. My advice is lower yourself down as slowly as possible in a controlled manner because this will use your stomach muscles so much more than just dropping down. Make sure that on the way down you “snake” your back down. Meaning that your lower spine touches the ground first followed by the next vertebrae (the bones that make up the spine, they are the knobbly bits you can feel – Beeble) and followed by each vertebrae in line. So that your back goes down in a curve and finally unfolds flat on the ground. Once your head touches the ground you have completed one repetition.

Watch Your Breathing

During this exercise you will find that due to the nature of sitting up, your breathing will become restricted and with a lack of fresh oxygen in your lungs the exercise will become laboured very quickly as our muscles need the oxygen to function for long periods. If we fail to deliver the oxygen then we will use an energy system that doesn’t use oxygen but becomes depleted very quickly. So when trying to breathe try and focus on breathing through your ribs out to the sides and not down into your stomach cavity.

You may also find it difficult to complete the movement, but only go as far as you can with perfect technique. Do not swing your arms or body to try and complete the movement as this may injure your back or other small muscle that were not expecting to be used.

Video Guide

You will see from the video that I performed this exercise at home (I did tidy up) with the use of a sofa to lock my feet under. Please note how my back rolls off and back onto the floor. This is very important to maximize the benefits of the exercise. As for breathing, it is difficult, but I breathe out on the way up when my rib cage is most restricted and inhale on the way down when the pressure releases.

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The Do’s

•    Keep the movement slow and controlled
•    Keep your stomach drawn in throughout the movement
•    Before going up make sure you push your lower back into the floor
•    Breathe
•    Go up as far as you can
•    Keep perfect technique
•    Hold still at the top of the sit up for a fraction of a second
•    Keep the downward movement slow and controlled

The Don’ts

•    Don’t use an insufficient foot support
•    Don’t hold your breath
•    Don’t move too quickly
•    Don’t push yourself so hard you lose technique
•    Don’t twist or swing to complete the movement
•    Don’t do this if you have a bad back

Be Careful

You must keep the technique perfect throughout, as soon as you lose technique then it is possible to injure yourself and normally with this type of exercise that will be your lower back. So if you do have a bad back or weak back already do not attempt this exercise.

If you are new to exercise then I would suggest you don’t try this exercise straight away but build some strength up first with our other abdominal exercises. It is not unsafe but it can be disheartening if you cannot do it or you can only do a few repetitions. If you are prepared for it then it can be a good exercise to try and better yourself at, but to be honest if you have difficulty then there are plenty of other exercises that can challenge you before you attempt this one.

Adding it to your workout

Personally I would pick 4 to 6 different stomach exercises and complete 20 repetitions of each and do a total of 1 to 2 sets each. So that would be a total of 80 – 240 abdominal repetitions in total (Ouch – Beeble). May sound a lot to some and may sound like not enough to others but remember it is quality and not quantity. People who are doing over 240 abdominal crunches are potentially just wasting time. All stomach exercises should be completed at the end of your workout just before your stretch and cool down. I would add this exercise in at the start of your tummy workout when your stomach muscles should be at their strongest.

Good luck with it and if you have any questions regarding this exercise or others you have read about then please do not hesitate to contact me and I will do my best to answer all your questions.

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