Negative Sit Ups ExerciseA constant debate between fitness professionals concerns the effectiveness and safety of the sit-up. Sit-ups can be very effective in building your abs to gain the "six pack", but for people with low back problems and a weak core to begin with, it can pose a tremendous safety issue. An effective alternative to would be the negative sit-up. The negative sit-up is the simply a sit-up performed in reverse. And it's very effective! |
How to perform a negative sit-up:
- Start by sitting with your knees bent and feet firmly on the ground, just as you would be if you have just performed a regular sit-up
- Place your hands either on your chest, or to increase the degree of difficulty, behind your ears and slowly lower your torso back onto to the ground
- Try to "roll" your spine down onto the ground starting with your lower back and slowly moving your mid and then upper back to the ground
- Tempo is the key to building the strength in your abdominals- try using a 5-10 second count when lowering yourself to the ground
- Have a partner pull you back into the starting position or use your arms to get back up- it's the down phase that we want to focus on here
Trouble shooting:
- If you find you cannot roll each part of your back down, try starting with a quarter of the movement and come back up
- Do not hold your breath during this exercise- breathe out as you lower yourself down
- This exercise will fatigue your abs quickly so if you can only do 2-3 repetitions then don't be discouraged!
- If you feel pain in your lower back -STOP! Try doing this slow movement with a crunch first to build more core strength
- Doing the negative sit-up will help you build a stronger, toned midsection.
See also: The Bridge Exercise; Side Crunches; Abdominal Crunches
