Sports practice and athletic training are subject to permanent evolution, and it’s no wonder that traditionally effective sit ups are not recognized as generally valid anymore. The essential move of the sit ups used to be the lifting of the torso from the lying position towards the bended knees. At present, the lift is done only partly with no bending towards the knees and the firm tightening of the abdominal muscles. Here are some tricks for effective sit ups.
The position of the body controls everything. There is a common risk to strain the neck muscles instead of tightening the abdomen No effort should affect the head during the move. This is in fact the whole purpose of the laced fingers behind the head: to support the movement and allow only for the abdomen muscles to take over the effort. The distance between the body and the floor during the lift should not be higher than eight inches. You can learn the most effective sit ups by following the direct instructions of a gym coach.
Anyone can appreciate how effective sit ups are by noticing the adaptation of the body to the training conditions. The more you work the easier it becomes. The difficulty level of the exercises should not be increased too often or too soon. If you train with regular sit ups for one or two weeks, all you have to do is just to increase the number of reps per week, then, you can think of another difficulty element to include in the routine. A Swiss ball works well for advanced training levels helping you perform effective sit ups.
Lie on the ball with the lower back and keep the torso parallel with the floor. The feet should keep you balanced during the exercise. If you are horizontal on the exercise ball, put your hands behind the head and lift the torso for a few inches. To take the maximum out of these effective sit up, you can lower the body a bit under the horizontal line so that the abs have to work more to lift you up. Do not ignore the safety of the lower back during the exercise, no matter how you keep the legs. It is false to judge effective sit ups by the way they push the body limits and cause pain, since a certain comfort level has to remain permanent.