Sit-Up

Sit-up

If there is one exercise that is synonymous with abdominal training it is the all- encompassing situp
movement. Regardless of the condition, or activity level of the individual, when reference is made
to “trimming down” or just generally “getting in shape”, the “granddaddy” of all “granddaddy” exercises
is mentioned. I bet that on more than a few occasions you have had someone walk up to you,
pat his stomach, and declare emphatically: “I’ve got to trim down; I better do some sit-ups.” A major
misconception shared by many people is that sit-ups will reduce the size of the waist. Most abdominal
work is performed with the body being used as resistance to the movement. Some abdominal
training involves the incorporation of additional resistance in order to gain the desired effectiveness
from the exercise. The point being made is that abdominal training usually involves anaerobic work
which results in a gain in muscle mass, not in the immediate result of losing either weight or size.

If your goal is to trim the waist, you would be well-advised to apply aerobic training routines. By
working the entire body anaerobically, exercises aerobically and eating properly you will burn the
excess weight that is being carried over the abdominal muscles clearing the way for them to show
through and thus exhibit the results of the hard work you have been putting in on your abdominal
training. The next time someone comes up to you claiming to be ready to “do some sit-ups” you
might well want to advise the individual to do a short full body weight-resistance routine, complete a
short stationary bike ride and skip the bag of chips to shed the unwanted pounds and then hit the situp
board in order to bring out definition in the abdominals.

Spinal-flexion Sought
As outlined earlier, the foremost consideration to take into account when performing any abdominal
exercise is to provide for the action of spinal-flexion. With reference to the sit-up exercise
manner in which the action of spinal flexion is achieved is to perform the exercise with a bent-leg
application versus a stiff-leg approach. The bent leg will allow for the relaxation of the hip-joint flexors
and also permit the virtual elimination of the support action of the hips and legs, thus providing
maximal opportunity for maximal stimulation of the muscles involved in spinal-flexion (abdominal).
You will note that the term
“virtual elimination” of the
muscles of the hip-joint was
used; the hip-joint muscles can
still become activated during
the performance of the movement
and it is necessary to direct
strong neural-impulsing
into the abdominal muscles in
order to reduce the level of
activation of the hip-joint muscle
group.

To explain: bending the
knees does not automatically
provide maximum motor-unit
stimulation of the abdominal
but coupled with strong neuralimpulsing
and optimum motorunit
recruitment of the abdominal
muscles will. An example
of this concept is found in the
crunch exercise. When a
crunch bench is used for the movement the feet are tucked under a pad. During the lifting action
there is a pulling action of the muscles of the hip-joint with strong accentuation felt in the quadriceps
muscles. The recommended approach to the crunch exercise would be to place the feet over a flat
free bench. When the raising of the torso action is applied, it is by virtue of strong muscular contraction
of the abdominal muscles; the legs are left out of the picture. The posture of the movement was
identical but the emphasis of the movement was altered by the fact that the exerted force for the
movement was applied with the muscles of the hip-joint in the first instance while the abdominal
were relied upon in the second (feet over a free bench) version of the exercise. The degree of elimination
of the influence of the hip-joint muscles was determined by (not only the body position which
was a given in both cases) but by the level of accentuated effort on the part of the abdominal muscles.

It should be noted that a straight-legged version of the sit-up is sometimes used but this movement
variation will activate the iliopsoas far more than it will the rectus abdominis. As well, the stifflegged
sit-up will invoke much greater strain on the lower lumbar region and as such is not recommended
for either beginning or elite-level trainees.

Summary of Correct Exercise Execution
- Assume the correct preparatory position for the movement by either lying flat on an exercise mat
(as depicted above) or lying down on a sit-up board. Note: If the sit-up board application is used,
place it no higher than the third rung on the sit-up board rack. It is advisable to begin with the
first rung. (You may in fact be well-advised to begin with a level base using the exercise mat as
opposed to an incline of any kind.) Place the legs in the bent-knee position on the sit-up board
by flexing the knees so that the upper and lower legs form a 30-40° angle with respect to one
another.
- Place the hands either beside the head or across the chest. Avoid placing them behind the head
as there is a tendency to pull on the head during the raising action. Tugging on the head can
create great stress on the cervical vertebrae and cause chronic degenerative ramifications on the
area.
- Initiate the concentric contraction phase of the movement by lifting up slowly by virtue of
strong neural impulsing into the muscles of the abdomen. You will want to resist the natural tendency
to pull with the legs as such action will activate the quadriceps muscles severely reducing
the effectiveness the movement will have upon the abdominal region. As well, you will want to
move slowly, particularly at the outset of the movement as there is a tendency with this exercise
to initiate with a sudden thrusting-type movement.
- Raise the body to the concentric contraction finish-position by virtue of strong neural- impulsing
of the rectus abdominis and external obliques. The finish-position is that point in the movement
where you feel the release of tension in the abdominal muscles. There are two types of applications
that can be applied with reference to the torso position: a flat back, raised head; or rounded
back, lowered head (as in a “crunched” posture) can be used. Please not however that the
rounded back posture refers to the region of the upper back only. The lower lumbar region
should be retained in a flat position throughout the movement application.
- You will need to avoid the urge to tug on the back of the head (particularly when the “crunched”
posture is used) to avoid straining the cervical discs and vertebrae. Of course you will keep your
hands beside your head and you will not yield to the temptation to let them slide behind the head
so that they may be used to provide impetus to the lift in the latter part of the set.
- Begin the eccentric contraction phase of the movement by utilizing strong neural-impulsing into
the “abs”. Strong contraction of the muscular region of the abdomen is required in order to
avoid allowing for gravity to take over control of the movement. If there is little muscular contraction
of the abdominal provided there can be great strain exerted upon the lower lumbar region
as the vertebral column will be called upon to support the burden of the load during the
descent.
- Complete the eccentric contraction phase of the exercise by lowering the body down slowly to
the desired eccentric finish-position approximately three-quarters of the way through the normally-
considered ROM. Lowering to the fully extended position in the ROM reduces the applied
tension on the abdominal area and also encourages a bouncing action off the board in an attempt
to apply momentum into the subsequent concentric contraction.

Keys to the Lift
- Don’t go straight to the sit-up board. Begin on an exercise mat and then graduate to the sit-up
board as the muscular control and strength builds in the abdominals.
- Utilize a bent-leg posture of the body in manner of eliminating (as much as possible), the amount
of exertion that will be applied with the legs.
- Place the hands at the side of the head or across the chest not behind the head in order to avoid
the natural tendency to pull on the head during the ascent.
- Apply strong neural-impulsing into the abdominal muscles in order to reduce as much as possible
the involvement of the legs in effort to gain the most out of the exercise and to reduce potential
injury-risk to the lower lumbar region.