Sit-ups are a great exercise, that can be done almost anywhere (however, I prefer to do mine on a yoga mat or something soft, just as I have a particularly bony coccyx) . They are used best for strengthening abdominal muscles, which is why when people do a lot of them, they get confused to why they do not have a six-pack. You can improve your definition in the abdominal muscles, but it will take a lot more time. This is because you are building up muscle (mostly) so they can show through the fat, rather than actually removing the fat. Sit-ups intend to work upper abdominals the most, so be wary of this if you are going for defined abs. They clearly work or why else would professional athletes spend so much time doing them, but they are an exercise to increase the strength and performance. They do work best if you can get someone to hold your feet that way all the weight is on the abs and you do not start to transfer the weight on to other parts of your body; if you are on your own just make sure to keep your feet flat and to work just your middle. I would recommend sit-ups to be part of your core workout no matter what sport you do, because there is nothing worse than having really defined abs that are actually really weak as you do not do enough sit-ups. In addition for any of you that participate in contact sports this is one that will make sure you do not get pushed around and will help you win your battles for sure.
How to do sit-ups:
This is one rep, repeat as many times as necessary.
If you are just doing sit-ups for a workout, I would recommend:
1 set of:
30 reps = novice
50 reps = beginner
75 reps = intermediate
100 reps = expert
more than 100 reps = bodybuilder
do as many sets as you can with maximum 20 seconds break between sets
For workout pages to be posted soon
How to do sit-ups:
- lay on your back with both your knees bent and the soles of your feet flat on the floor.
- cup your hands and cover them over your ears
- bring your whole upper body towards your knees without moving from the hips down. touch your elbows on your knees but keep hands behind the back of your head
This is one rep, repeat as many times as necessary.
If you are just doing sit-ups for a workout, I would recommend:
1 set of:
30 reps = novice
50 reps = beginner
75 reps = intermediate
100 reps = expert
more than 100 reps = bodybuilder
do as many sets as you can with maximum 20 seconds break between sets
For workout pages to be posted soon