Proper Sit-Ups
Sit-ups have been the cornerstone of fitness programs
for years. Can they flatten a protruding gut or remove
inches of flab from the waistline? No. Strengthening the
abdominal muscles will not remove fat from the
waistline. Muscles do not fuel your exercise regimen with local fat only – they
burn fat from your “storage depots” first (your “spare tire” or thighs, etc.). So, to
remove fat you must burn more calories than you consume – sit-ups burn
minimal calories, so you’ll need to take a brisk walk, run, or do other more
calorie burning activities to lose the fat!!
When done properly, sit-ups help tone the muscles in your midsection, which
can help protect your back as well as improve your physique. When done
wrong, however, sit-ups can be a waste of time—and possibly even harmful.
The main purpose of sit-ups is to strengthen the "stomach" muscles by
challenging the abdominal group: the rectus abdominus muscles, or "abs" (two
thin strips of muscle that extend from the breastbone to the pelvis), and the
three layers of muscles that flank the abs. This might seem to be a simple order
to fill, but it's not.
Avoid Sit-up Pitfalls
Great care and excellent technique are required to strengthen the abdominal
muscles with sit-ups. To be effective, sit-ups must pull the torso upward from a
lying position toward the knees using only the abdominal group. Often, however,
other, more powerful, muscles (those that flex the legs and hips) do much of the
work. This is especially true with straight-leg sit-ups.
Bending the knees during sit-ups helps neutralize the action of the hip flexors
and makes the abdominal muscles work more. Even so, the abdominal group
tends to be involved only in the initial phase of the sit-up, after which the hip
flexors take over. In addition, doing sit-ups rapidly and with momentum, knees
bent or not, does not work the abdominal group very much. That's why raising
slowly only part way works the abdominal muscles best.
Sit-ups also can be hazardous to your lower back, especially when using the
straight-leg variety, which arches the back and may create overextension and
strain. Twisting (right elbow to left knee and vice versa) at the top of the sit-up
movement is not only useless, it places tremendous rotational stress on the
lower back that can lead to injury.
When doing sit-ups, never “push through” back pain. Stop immediately at even
the slightest twinge in the lower back.
Ab-solutely Excellent Sit-Ups
TV is full of infomercials for abdominal exercise machines that promise to
strengthen abs and trim the waist in no time. While some of these gadgets may
help you use better form and get more out of your sit-ups, they won't perform
miracles. In fact, you can achieve similar benefits on your own simply by
knowing how to perform sit-ups properly.
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Lie on your back on a padded surface. Bend your knees to about 90°
with your feet flat on the floor. Don’t anchor your feet, because doing
so will bring leg and hip flexor muscles into the action.
Choose the position of your hands and arms according to your
abdominal strength. The closer your hands are to your head, the
more difficult sit-ups become. As a beginner, rest your ha nds at your
sides. When you get strong, you can cross your arms across your
chest. Eventually, cross your arms behind your head with each hand
on the opposite shoulder if you're able Don't, however, interlace your
fingers behind your head. When you do, you tend to pull on your
head which can cause stress the neck and injury. Pulling on your
head also makes the abdominal muscles work less.
Start each movement slowly, as if you are in slow motion.
Focus on using your abdominal muscles only. Close your eyes and
visualize the abdominal muscles tensing and shortening like slowmoving cables through a pulley that draws your shoulders and head
off the floor.
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Exhale while the abdominal muscles contract and pull you upward,
This will suck the muscles inward, ensuring involvement of the
deeper muscles. Inhaling may cause your abdomen to protrude,
leading to overarching and strain of the lower back.
Stop about halfway to the upright position—about 6 to 12 inches off
the floor—and tense your abdominal muscles. Hold this position
briefly then lower slowly to the floor. As the abdominal muscles begin
to tire, you may not be able to rise to midway, but go as high as you
can.
Upon returning to the starting point, touch the floor lightly with your
upper back and head, keeping the abdominal muscles tense, then
begin the next movement.
If you find that sit-ups are too demanding, try doing only the curldown phase. Assume a sitting position by pushing yourself upward
with your arms. Slowly lower to the floor, keeping your abdomina l
muscles tensed. Return to the up position and repeat.
Don't overdo it One set of 5 properly executed sit-ups or curl downs
is enough at first. Add 1 sit-up each workout until you reach 15, then
add more sets. When you can do three sets of 15, change hand
positions to add resistance.
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