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January 13, 2022 9 min read
Sit-ups were one of those basic exercises taught in your elementary school gym class. They are a basic yet highly effective trend that never goes away.
These exercises sit high up on the list of isolation exercises for razor-sharp six-pack abs. If you have been doing this killer exercise for all your life, it will be reduced to a monotonous, boring routine that you wish you could breathe life into.
In this article, we have compiled ten different sit-up variations that are just as effective as the standard sit-up.
Sit-ups are a popular bodyweight exercise that trains multiple muscle groups in your torso.
According to this study, it is one of the most effective muscle and core strength exercises.
The sit-up might look like the crunch, but thanks to its wider range of motion, it activates more muscles in the lower abs, hip, and back.
Sit-ups target the rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques, iliopsoas of the spine, rectus femoris, and a slew of minor muscle groups like neck flexors, shoulder extensors, and sartorius of the thigh.
However, to engage all these muscles, you need to do your sit-ups properly.
Sit-ups help to target and engage the core and stabilizer muscles. It strengthens and tones your core muscles while equally providing muscle strength, improved balance, and better stability.
Sit-ups not only induce muscle mass but are also a functional exercise.
A study even shows that sit-ups help strengthen the diaphragm due to the compression and contraction of the abdominal muscles. With your pelvic and abdominal areas being the primary area of concentration, sit-ups help to increase mobility and relieve pressure in your lower back.
This improves overall health, flexibility, betters your posture, and reduces the risk of back pain and injuries.
Essentially, sit-ups contribute to your performance in physical activities and even help to improve the fat-to-muscle ratio. They are mostly not a good way of getting rid of belly fat but paired with other fat-blasting exercises, sit-ups are a fine addition to your already stable workout routine.
Pair sit-ups consistently with SHREDDED-AF, and you are on your way to a shredded physique that is fully equipped with 6-pack abs and more.
There are various ways to do sit-ups, and the variations are derived from simple changes in the placement of your arms and legs or even the controlled wrenching of your torso.
Some of these variations also employ weighted equipment like kettlebells and dumbbells.
Regardless of the various style, you get to tune up your simple sit-up variation and get more impressive results.
The traditional sit-up is an old but trusted exercise that never goes out of fashion.
It is a low-intensity and simple workout that helps to improve overall muscle endurance. Your ability to execute other sit-up variations in perfect form hinges on your ability to perform the standard sit-up with proper form.
This is especially important as a mistake in your body form, regardless of the variation, can lead to injuries. The traditional sit-up might not look like much, but its compound movements help to target multiple muscle groups in the body.
The standard sit-up primarily isolates the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and oblique pairs for that shredded muscle look.
It also engages almost half a dozen other accessory muscle groups that are in one way or the other involved in stabilizing your upper body. The standard sit-up helps with mobility, flexibility, and stamina while toning your muscles.
To do this variation:
Like the standard sit-up, the butterfly sit-up is an excellent six-pack exercise for beginners.
It targets and activates the abdominal and core muscles for chiseled abs and impressive core strength.
This variation involves a broader range of movement that brings the torso closer to the pelvis, and so, it is an excellent exercise for your hip flexors. This, in turn, promotes better contraction of the abdominal muscles and induces muscle growth in those areas.
This sit-up variation is challenging on the back and neck and doesn't make an excellent exercise for people suffering from injuries in these parts.
To do the butterfly sit-up:
The V-sit-up variation, also called The V-up, is a full-body exercise that employs both the upper and lower body.
It is a more advanced sit-up option that tasks the rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques, and hip flexors, among others.
This variation provides a combination of core muscle strength and body balance challenge.
The V-Sit is done with your legs above the ground, taking away your anchor and forcing you to engage your core muscles for balance. It builds balance inside and outside your gym life and helps maintain good body posture. The v-sit is an intermediate ab workout favored by experienced gym goes and bodybuilders alike.
To do the V-Sit:
To make the V-Sit more challenging, keep your feet off the floor. This will leave no room for slacking and ensure that your core is engaged throughout your routine.
The sit-up with resistance band is a simple ab-sculpting exercise. The addition of a resistance band to your standard sit-up is a minor tweak that provides an added challenge to an otherwise monotonous routine. This variation helps your body to focus on isolating the muscles of your trunk even better.
To do this variation:
The running man sit-up is also popularly known amongst bodybuilders as the Sprinter sit-up.
It is an iconic sit-up variation that isolates the abdominal muscles and activates the obliques, glutes and hamstrings to some extent. It is a more exerting version of the standard sit-up and is even a viable cardio exercise when done correctly.
The running man sit-up is a unilateral muscle-training exercise. This makes it a great full-body workout option for correcting muscle irregularities on your left and right side.
To do the running man sit-up:
This variation is simply the standard sit-up with a twist.
This sit-up tweaks the plane of the regular sit-up exercise to ensure that your abdominal muscles are activated across all three planes of movement. The twisting of your trunk in this variation enables you to isolate each side of your abs equally, leading you to build a more defined six-pack trunk. It also helps to catch and correct muscle irregularities while helping balance and muscle strength.
To do the Russian twist sit-up:
This sit-up variation can be made more difficult by clutching weight to your chest. The Russian twist is more demanding and requires excellent muscle strength and endurance.
In this variation, gravity joins forces with your body weight to provide the ultimate core workout. Using a decline bench, you position yourself and lower the height of your thighs and hip. This requires more effort to raise your body to a full sit-up.
The decline sit-up provides a broader range of motion that engages your upper back to some extent and also lights your lower abdominals on fire. Although it is an excellent exercise for core strength and muscle conditioning, many can go wrong without the proper form.
To do the decline sit-up:
The decline sit-up can be made easier or more difficult by simply adjusting the angle of the bench.
The stability or exercise ball sit-up is a tricky core-strengthening exercise that requires a great deal of balance.
Imagine doing the standard sit-up but on a more unstable surface. Using the swiss ball requires engaging your core muscles to stay atop the unstable surface.
To do this variation:
You can incorporate the use of weighted plates to make this variation more challenging.
This strength-training variation cranks up the standard sit-up by adding extra weights to put a little more stress on your abs for solid core muscles.
The overhead weighted sit-up can be done using kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, weighted plates, or any other choice of resistance. Like different variations, it primarily targets the abdominals and obliques and improves the mobility of the hip flexors.
To do this variation:
The weighted Swiss ball sit-up is a weighted variation of the Swiss ball sit-up.
Adding a weight plate increases the intensity of the workout, increasing muscle engagement.
To do this variation:
Proper form is essential during this exercise. This would help you avoid injuries while activating the primary muscles. To help you spot and correct any lag in your form during this variation, ask for help from a personal trainer.
Sit-ups can be demanding, but they are great for building impressive abs and strengthening your core. Both are not only aesthetically pleasing but also ideal for better functionality. The sit-up and its variations are a great addition to your workout routine.
They are multipurpose and can be utilized in your fitness journey, regardless of your goals.
It doesn't matter if you are trying to lose weight, increase muscle endurance, bulk up, or improve strength, coupled with other full-body exercises, sit-ups are guaranteed to make your fitness goals achievable.
With a little bit of focus and dedication to sit-ups, you are on your way to achieving your desired results.
