FitSugar

Sit-Ups Three Ways

Susi May — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:21:08 PST

Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, sit-ups are here to stay. But like all staple exercises, they can lose their luster and shine. Bust the boredom as you bust your gut, and give your sit-ups a makeover. After mastering the basic sit-up, experiment with these three variations using a medicine ball that I just learned from my Equinox trainer.

Get Medical
Once the basic sit-up feels rote, add a 4 kg medicine ball (a little over 8 lbs) to the move to take it to the next level. Hold the ball close to your chest as you sit up and roll down. The ball makes it more challenging for two reasons, the obvious one being that the medicine ball increases the amount of weight you're working against. Secondly, holding the ball to your chest means you can't throw your arms forward and use momentum to reach the top of the sit-up. Do 20 reps for three sets.

Toss It
Rolling up to sitting holding a medicine ball is fun, but tossing the ball once you make it to the top doubles your pleasure. Throwing the ball once you're sitting up not only means you're now working your arms along with your abs, but your core is forced to stabilize itself as you throw the ball. This is more work and makes for a stronger torso, and a stronger you! Do 20 reps for three sets.

Learn my favorite move when you read more.

Sweat, Sit-Ups, and Soreness: 3 Fitness Myths Debunked

Michele Foley — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:00:45 PDT

You know, there's a lot of mumbo- jumbo health advice out there that's easy to write off - don't eat carbs, but eat ALL the bacon you want! But somewhere between the crackpot ideas and sound advice, there's also stuff that sounds pretty believable. To help you wade through the murk, we've deflated three popular fitness myths.

No pain, no gain. This catchphrase was born sometime in the '80s, probably around the time aerobics instructors began chanting, "Feel the burn - doesn't it feel so good?!" Uh, no. Pain isn't pretty, people! It's your body's way of saying, "Hey can we stop for a minute or pick up where we left off tomorrow?" And while a little soreness after a workout is OK, pay attention to your body. Overdoing it means you could be out for days - even weeks. If you hurt during a workout, make sure you're doing the exercise correctly, take a break, or call it a day.
A six-pack is only 100 sit-ups away. The downside: fat doesn't turn into muscle, so doing crunches 'til you're red in the face won't get you a flat belly. The upside: cardio does wonders for the midsection. To make belly fat melt away, do high-intensity cardio workouts like spinning or interval training. But, hey, don't stop with the crunches; strong abs are part of a strong core, which is exponentially beneficial. And when that jiggle in the middle is gone, a toned, tight tummy will be waiting for you.
The more sweat, the better the workout. Sweating is pretty synonymous with working out, but it isn't necessarily a measure of how effective your workout is. Yes, sweating is the body's way of cooling off (and we can all attest to getting a little overheated during our workouts), but some people just sweat more than others. If you want a good indicator of your workout, measure your heart rate and calories burned.

Work It at Home: Just You and a Deck of Cards

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:30:00 PST

Mixing up your fitness routine keeps boredom at bay, and I have a total body workout that is all about variety. This at-home workout will have you sweating in no time and it's always challenging. All you need to get started is a deck of cards, so dig yours out of the junk drawer and get your move on.

The workout involves circuits of push-ups, sit-ups, and squat jumps, and the deck of cards keeps you guessing at the number of repetitions. Here's the gist: Flip over the first card. Let's say it's a 10. Your first circuit will be 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, and 10 squat jumps. Flip over the next card, and repeat the circuit but change the reps according to the number on the card.

To find out ways to make this workout more interesting and challenging,

read more. There's not much you can do to change the squat jumps, but there are endless possibilities when it comes to sit-ups and push-ups. Consider doing some push-ups more slowly, try the one elbow in, one elbow out variation, and maybe include the triple clap push-ups you've been working on. As for the sit-ups segment, any challenging abdominal exercise would be a great substitution for the traditional sit-up. Don't feel like you need to tear through an entire deck of cards on your first try; in fact, half the deck is pretty intense. You may initially get through a fraction of the cards, but challenge yourself by adding another card or two each time you take on this workout. Source

You Asked: Anchor Feet?

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:45:00 PDT

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

"Fit, my boyfriend and I do sit-ups together and we take turns holding each other's feet. Someone recently told me we should stop doing that but this is how I learned to do sit-ups in school. What do you think?"
- Sitting Up Sara

Funny, that is how I was told to do sit-ups in school too. Unfortunately, and fortunately for those of us with bad memories, not everything you learned in elementary school still holds true. Here is the problem: anchoring (or locking) your feet under something heavy (such as a your boyfriend or a couch) while doing sit-ups puts most of the work on the hips rather than the abs, so it becomes a less effective ab exercise. What's more? You could hurt your lower back by anchoring your feet because this tends to make us arch our backs, which may create overextension and strain. So instead of sitting on each other's feet, watch each other's form and think about adding something fun into the exercise, such as a medicine ball. My husband and I love to do medicine ball sit-ups together. To learn how to do them,

read more. Medicine Ball Sit-Ups for Two: Sit with knees bent, facing one another, about 4 to 6 feet apart. The person with the ball lies back with ball overhead. Bring the ball overhead and throw the ball and contract your abs as you sit up. Aim for just above your partner’s head. As the ball is caught, the partner lowers back to the ground. Now continue to throw back and forth 10-15 times. Be sure to use your abs (not your arms) as you rise up. Repeat the set once more. Source

Baby Wants Rock-Hard Abs

GiggleSugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:00:00 PST

Baby fat? Not on this little dude. He's a mere 6 months old and is already an old Pilates pro. He knows what all the chickadees down in the sandbox are really looking for in a play partner- muscle tone and definition. Baby bellies are for lazy slackers who crawl around and sip milk all day, so he's got the sit-ups to make the girls go ga-ga . . .

Thanks, Best Week Ever!

Beach Body Beach Workout

FitSugar — Mon, 21 May 2007 04:00:00 PDT

So you've been hitting the gym a lot to get into that bikini and now that you've arrived, try and keep it that way with this beach body beach workout:

Warm-Up: Tread water for 5 minutes.
Cardio: Jog in the sand for at least 30 minutes. For an added challenge, run in ankle high water.
Walking Lunges: Walking lunges are a great variation to regular lunges. Plus doing them in the sand adds a whole new variation. Try doing 20 forward and 20 backward. For an added challenge, hold two water bottles down at your sides.
Mountain Climbers: Do 3 one minute intervals. (Hands in sand with shoulders over hands. One leg tucked, one leg extended. As quickly as possible "climb" alternating legs back and forth.) Word to the wise: You may want to close your eyes as you'll probably be kicking up a lot of sand.
Push-Ups: Do 3 sets of 10 push-ups on the sand. For an added challenge, make sure your head is at a slightly lower level than your feet.
Crab Walk: (Reverse push-up position: belly facing up, abs tight, legs out in front of you, arms extended below your shoulders, spine straight) Walk forward for 25 steps and then backward 25 steps. Repeat. For an added challenge, soak a towel and rest it on your belly for some added weight.
Crunches: Do 2 sets of 25 basic crunches in the sand -- For an added challenge position yourself so that your head is at a slightly lower level than your feet.
Cool-Down: Walk around in the sand for 5 minutes and follow with 15 high kicks.

Fit's Tip: Be sure to use a waterproof/sweatproof sunscreen and I prefer to wear sneakers (except when swimming) for support of my ankles despite the sand.

Source

Interspecies Physical Fitness

GiggleSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 08:00:00 PDT

Remember the walrus workout? Well, it seems to have gained popularity in the animal kingdom because we're now seeing monkeys exercise and pit bulls...well, they try. But I think we're barking up the wrong tree if we think we'll ever see a pit-bull do a sit-up. They're abs-olutely hopeless!

32,000 Sit Ups? That Won't Be Necessary

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 03:15:00 PST

Check this out. Mark Pfeltz says he LOVES competition. He set out to break the Guinness Book of World Records for doing the most sit-ups.

Very inspirational, but I'm not too sure I agree with his form or technique...

Check out the Pilates Single Leg Stretch instead. It'll be easy on your neck, and it's a more controlled movement, so it really isolates your abs.

Eat Too Many Carbs This Christmas?

GiggleSugar — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 09:08:09 PST

If so, then why not try the walrus workout? If they can do it, you can too- so sit up and get to it already!

Let Pilates Move You: Twisted Obliques

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 11:32:00 PST

If your abdominal strengthening routine is feeling stale, why not put a twist on it?

This variation on the basic "sit-up" targets the obliques. Try it at home or the gym soon and let us know what you think of it.

Move 1) Lie on your back with bent knees and twist both legs to the left until your legs are on the floor. Bend elbows and interlace fingers behind your head. Really cradle and support your head.

Move 2) Exhale pulling your deep abs in to your spine, lift your head and upper back off the floor using your abdominals. Keep your shoulders square to the ceiling because it's so easy to cheat. Really focus on your left shoulder coming off the floor as much as the right one by actively reaching it towards your right hip.

Inhale and slowly lower your head. Repeat 9 more times before switching sides.

Fit’s tip: It is good to stretch your spine and obliques before doing the sit ups. To stretch, lie in the twisted position from "Move 1", but reach your arms straight out to the side and rest them on the floor. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds on each side.

To see how not to do this exercise

View 1 Photos ›