Quiz the Coach :: Strong Sit-Ups

Sep 17, 2010

Question by Cheergirl

I do cheerleading and one of my practices are sit-ups and I don’t know if I’m doing it right cause I don’t feel anything.

Sit-Up Star

Healthy Exercise

Incline Exercise

There are many different ways to do sit-ups and they range from easy to hard. You’re probably doing the easier version of sit-ups and that’s why you don’t feel like you’re working your muscles. The good news is that even Rocky Balboa found a way to do sit-ups to make him sweat… and that’s the main goal.

Safety First

Sit-ups have been known to cause people problems in their back and their neck. Make sure to follow these safety tips:

Lie down on a flat surface (uneven surfaces are dangerous)
Never pull your neck up when doing a sit-up
Focus on balance and stiffness
If your body starts to wiggle around, it’s time to stop
Breathe in when you go down and breathe out when you go up

Crunches

Crunches are a good way to do sit-ups without all the back movement. While lying on your back, you can flex your stomach muscles and get a great workout without almost any movement. By adjusting the position of your arms and your legs, you can make this exercise more difficult.

Sit-Ups

Healthy Exercise

A sit-up is when you re lying on your back and you completely sit up. The traditional way to do a sit-up is to bend your knees while lying on the floor, then you raise your back off the ground until you’re in a seated position. To make the exercise easier you can hold your arms flat on the ground and to make it more difficult cross your arms across your chest or hold your hands by your ears or above your head . If your feet start coming off the floor, you should stop because you’re starting to have bad form.

Good Form First

The best way to perform a sit-up is by keeping good form. Your body might try to trick you into swinging and twisting your torso, but that’s cheating and not good for your body. When your feet start coming off the floor, you’re basically too tired to use your abs 100% and now you need to start swinging yourself up. Just stop, rest and do some more when you feel strong again.

If you are doing hundreds of sit-ups without any problem and you want to increase the difficulty, try using a exercise ball or an inclined bench to fight more gravity.