Sit-Up

Who Should Do?

Fitness Enthusiasts

The sit-up is the perfect exercise for the everyday gym goer. It is a simple exercise that can be learned quickly and the research says is great for targeting our abs. 

If you mention the sit-up, just about anybody will understand what you are talking about, making it perfect for beginners. Even better, it can be scaled with additional weight or added to a 30-day ab challenge. This allows you to continue progressively overloading the abs to increase muscle hypertrophy.  

Athletes

A strong, robust set of abs are invaluable to athletes as they help control movement and stability. By adding the sit-up to your training program, you will be able to not only increase abdominal strength but also improve your mind-muscle connection. This will allow your body to recruit the fibers of the rectus abdominis and obliques, which are pivotal during competition.

Bodybuilders

If there was ever a group of athletes that should do the sit-up, it’s bodybuilders. Bodybuilders train for size and symmetry, and each repetition they perform is about developing their mind-muscle connection.

This makes the sit-up the perfect fit as it is incredible for rectus abdominis activation. It can also be scaled using weight plates and cables providing the progressive overload necessary for muscle growth.   

Who Should Not Do?

People With Lower Back Pain

If you suffer from lower back pain, you should avoid the sit-up. The sit-up targets the core to improve support for the lower back. However, the flexion required for the movement may aggravate lower back pain. 

Lower back pain can be caused by muscle, ligament, or disc damage. When we curl our body up during a sit-up, pressure is placed on these structures.   

Now, this is not to say you should avoid adding core work, as abs workouts with lower back pain can be done.

Instead, consider adding exercises that don’t require spinal flexion, such as planks, and dead bugs. These will help you build up core endurance without aggravating your lower back. 

People With Abdominal Injuries

The sit-up is not suitable for anyone with an abdominal injury. This is because the sit-up targets the rectus abdominis and obliques, and additional stress may cause aggravation.

If you are currently nursing an ab injury, your best course of action would be to seek assistance from a physical therapist. They can provide you with safe rehabilitation exercises that will help you build up your core strength.  

People With Hip Flexor Injuries

If you have an existing hip flexor injury, you should avoid doing sit-ups. The hip flexors are located at the front of our hip and are responsible for lifting the knees. 

However, when we perform the sit-up, these muscles activate to stabilize and support us throughout the movement. If the muscle tissue is damaged, these movements can cause further aggravation. 

Alternatively, consider performing abdominal exercises that don’t require spine and hip flexion, including planks, side planks, and the Pallof press. These will allow you to target the abs without risking further injury.    

Benefits Of The Sit-Up

Improved Core Strength

The sit-up is one of the easiest ways to improve our core strength. As mentioned, the sit-up has the greatest rectus abdominis muscle activation of all standard core exercises. 

By performing the sit-up regularly, you can develop a stronger core, which can enhance your other lifts and improve your quality of life.

Increased Muscle Mass

Targeting your abs using sit-ups is an excellent way to increase abdominal muscle mass. Much like other muscles, progressively overloading the abs will increase their mass.

To ensure you are loading for muscle growth, perform 3–4 sets of 8–12 repetitions at 60%-80% of your one repetition maximum (1RM). Working within these repetition ranges has been shown to enhance muscle hypertrophy.  

Reveals Athletic Physique

The sit-up is an exercise that works wonders for revealing our lean muscular physique. While building a bigger back, shoulders, and biceps makes you look massive, nothing says you are ripped like a chiseled set of abs.

Sit-ups will create muscle mass and abdominal definition that can taper our waistline. This makes our shoulders, chest, and arms appear bigger, enhancing our overall physique.

Can Be Done Anywhere

One of the best things about sit-ups is that they can be done anywhere. Often when we find a great exercise in the gym, it can be difficult to replicate it without the exact equipment. 

The sit-up doesn’t need any additional equipment to be effective. However, if you want to increase resistance, you can use just about anything to add weight, including water bottles, backpacks, or weights. 

This means that there are no excuses, so place it alongside other bodyweight ab exercises for a killer workout.

Frequently Asked Questions