Sit-Ups (also known as Crunches or Ab Curls) is a classic abdominal exercise for working the body's core. There are many variations of the sit-up exercise - here is a general description of the sit-up, with a few other variations described below.

Equipment Required: a clear flat area such as a carpet or rug, weights.

Technique

  1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Extend your arms and place your palms on your thighs.
  3. Tighten your core and press your lower back into the mat.
  4. Slowly curl the torso, raising your head and shoulders and sliding your hands along your thighs until they reach your knees.
  5. Lower your head and shoulders back down to the floor.
  6. Repeat in a smooth motion until you have completed your set.
  7. Remember to breathe out as you curl up, breathe in as you return to the floor.

sit up exercise

Sit-Up Alternatives

These variations of the sit-up exercise change the difficulty level, but also often change the muscle groups that are used.

Increasing Difficulty

  • You can hold a weighted object to the chest.
  • Use an inclined sit-up bench so that you have to lift the upper body against gravity
  • Increase the range of movement so that you lift the chest further up
  • Increase the tempo or number of sit-ups performed
  • Rotate the upper body or lift a leg as you perform the sit-up

Reducing Difficulty

  • Anchor the feet

How Many and How Far?

A good workout would be 3 sets of 10-15 sit-ups, choosing one of the variations above to set the intensity level and change the muscle groups used. The 7-minute workout requires 30 seconds of sit-ups, while there are many sit-up fitness tests which require 1 or 2 minutes of sit-ups Check out the world records for the most number of sit-ups.