Situps

Situp Basics

Primary muscles worked: Rectus Abdominus

Synergist Muscles: Obliques, Iliopsoas

Mechanics: Compound

Equipment: Open Floor Space

How To Perform Situps

• To perform situps, lay with your back flat on a mat or floor.
• Your knees should be bent with heels flat on the floor about 3 to 4 inches away from your butt.
• Fold their arms across their chest, placing one hand on each shoulder.
• Next, lift your shoulder blades up off of the mat and will continue to lift your body in an arc like path until their elbows touch your knees.
• Once your arms touch your knees, return slowly to the starting position.

Situps Tips

• You can have someone hold your feet when performing this exercise; however, do no pull your body upward by lifting your legs upward. This increases the activation of your psoas muscles.
• Don't place your hands behind your head when performing situps because you are prone to pulling on your head when your hands are in that position. This causes excess strain on the vertebrae and muscles of the neck.
• Don't bring your butt off of the floor when performing situps to get extra leverage to help you curl up. This causes excess strain on the spine and should be avoided.

Situps and Sports Application

The situp is a traditional exercise that is often utilized in sports training; however, without maintaining proper form, the exercise can be very ineffective.  From a sports functioning standpoint, the situp is excellent for strengthening the muscles responsible for force transference relating to overhead throwing motions. This exercise can also be utilized by athletes who use forceful bending at the waist to create movement.