The sit-up is an extension of the crunch and is an excellent upper ab workout for strengthening your primary target (upper abs). Additionally, sit-ups help you strengthen your core, increase muscular mass, enhance flexibility, and decrease your chance of back pain and injury.

Equipment Required

Mat (optional), as well as substantial furniture like a bench to anchor your feet, or a second person to stand on your feet! If you want to eliminate the guess work or don’t want to waste time of your friends, Abformer’s AbMax300 is a better option. It is a revolutionary sit-up device with flex action technology and stress cushion padding – which is gentle to your back and saves it from any harm.

Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions each. Increase the repetitions as your strength and comfort level with the movement improves.

Intensity: Low (beginner)

How to do sit-ups?

• Lie flat on a mat with your knees bent and your feet secured beneath a hefty piece of furniture or a bench.
• Your palms should be just over your ears, or your hands might be crossed across your chest.
• Raise your torso till your elbows or head come into contact with your knees. Extend your abdominal muscles as much as possible.
• Maintaining abdominal tension, carefully lower your body back to the starting position. This is one repetition.

Tip: Avoid excessive acceleration or deceleration, and strive to maintain stability throughout. Avoid ‘reverting’ to the resting posture, as this places unneeded strain on the spine.

Pros: Work for Multiple Muscles

Sit-ups are a compound exercise that engages multiple muscular groups. While sit-ups do not target stomach fat particularly (Note: neither do crunches!), they do train the abdominals as well as other muscle groups, including:

• Chest
• Hip Flexors
• Lower Back
• Neck

Muscle cells have a higher metabolic rate than fat cells do. This implies they burn calories even when they are not moving. Sit-ups will help you burn more calories in the long run by assisting in muscle development. Additionally, strong core muscles might aid with posture improvement. Proper posture can enhance looks without requiring weight reduction.

Cons: Injuries

The primary disadvantage of sit-ups is the risk of lower back and neck injury. You should get medical treatment if you have sustained any connected injuries to avoid strain.