Doing sit-ups right: That's how it works
The right execution
Lie on your back and put your legs about shoulder width, the legs should be bent approximately at a 90-degree angle. Cross your hands behind your head (or alternatively cross your chest) and Tighten your abdominal muscles, Then you lift your upper body slowly and straighten up. Make sure that your back stays straight and you do not make a hollow cross. The movement takes place from the hip, you should not run the sit-ups with momentum.
Hold the position for one second and slowly roll off again. Inhale while straightening up and when rolling off. Your shoulders should not touch the ground, however, the next 15 reps should be done directly after each other and without a break. The exercises are mainly used to train your straight abdominal muscles.
The difference between sit-ups and crunches
The terms sit-ups and crunches are often used interchangeably, although this is not entirely true. While at the crunches only the upper back is raised, you straighten up your upper body during the sit-ups. In addition, you roll in the crunch easily, in the forward bends, however, your back remains straight and stretched as possible.
The disadvantages of sit-ups
Sit-ups have lost in popularity in recent years because they do not train the abdominal muscles as well as crunches. Primarily is addressed by sit-ups namely the hip flexoralthough this is already shortened in most people. If you spend several hours a day sitting down and are already struggling with low back pain, It's better not to do sit-ups.
It should also be remembered that it is not possible to specifically remove only the abdomen. For fat burning must the whole body will be trained and not just individual games. For a flat stomach or a six-pack, you should therefore not only perform abdominal muscle training, but also integrate cardio units into your training plan.
Sit-up variants for more variety
If you find the classic forward bends still difficult, you can help with a Theraband, To do this, you wrap the band around your soles and take both ends in your hands. The Theraband should have enough tension for it to support you enough to do the exercise. More Theraband exercises can be found here.
For example, to bring some change to your training Butterfly sit-ups do. For this you press your soles together so that your knees point outwards and your legs are slightly spread. Stretch your arms straight forward and then lift your upper body.
If you want to intensify the training, you can too Sit-ups with extra weights do. For example, the kettlebell or weight plates are suitable for this. Hold it in front of your upper body in your hands and perform the sit-ups as usual.
