If you cannot do a full one yet, do crunches for a few weeks first. There is no rush.
Out on the way up, in on the way down. A full sit-up needs more air than a crunch - do not rush the bottom.
Start here if you cannot do sit ups with clean form yet.
Intermediate · None
Crunches keep the load on the abs. A full sit-up brings the hip flexors in heavily, which is why it feels easier at the top and why people with lower back trouble are usually told to stick to crunches.
Better not to. Hooking your feet under something lets the hip flexors take over and turns it into a hip exercise with an ab-shaped movement.
None, on their own. Visible abs are a body fat number, not a sit-up number. Most men see them somewhere around 10 to 12 percent body fat, most women a good deal higher - and getting there is a kitchen job.
Which day to do Sit Ups, how many sets, and what to pair it with - the AI builds the whole plan. Your first one is free.
Build My Free PlanThe most common ab exercise there is. Different from a sit up - here only your shoulders come up, not your whole back.
Nothing moves - you just hold the position. Widely considered the single best exercise for your core.
The most direct exercise for the lower abs - the area that is always the last to show.
Everything on this page is worked out from a formula or from published averages. It has never met you, and it cannot see your blood pressure, your medication or an old injury.
Talk to a doctor before you start if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a heart condition, diabetes or high blood pressure, take regular medication, have or have had an eating disorder, are recovering from injury or surgery, or are under 18. Stop and get advice if any exercise causes pain, dizziness or chest discomfort.
More about where these numbers come from is on the about page.
