Stomach Exercises - How Many, How Hard, and How Often?

In a previous article about stomach exercises, I pointed out that the good old-fashioned sit-up is probably the best exercise there is for your abs. The reason is that "sitting up" is the natural movement of your body that utilizes the abdominal muscles, just like squatting is the natural movement that utilizes the thighs and buttocks. We strengthen our muscles by doing these natural movements a lot of times or with added resistance. So, the natural way to develop your abdominal muscles is to either do a lot of sit-ups or to find a way to make them harder. In this article I'll provide you with a formula for doing your sit-ups that will address the issues of how many, how hard, and how often.

In the way of a review, here's the way to do a sit-up:


Lie on your back with your knees slightly bent.
Cross your arms in front of your chest.
Then, sit up.



That's it. You may find that, when you sit up, your feet will want to come off the floor. If this is your situation, place your feet under a bed or something heavy so this can't happen. Many people do sit-ups with their hands behind their head. This is perfectly OK. However, when you cross your arms in front of your chest, you're more likely to keep your back straight when you sit up.

It's possible to do thousands of sit-ups! Just like a distance runner can run for hours, it's also possible to do sit-ups for a long time. I've done them for over an hour in one shot and it definitely is not a great way to spend your time. So, I recommend that you gradually increase the number you can do until it's at least 50. But, don't do more than 100. That's enough! You pick your target number. As your abs get stronger and it gets easy to reach your target, hold a barbell plate to your chest to make them harder. Then, increase the weight as your strength increases, always aiming for the same target. This is another reason for doing sit-ups with your arms crossed in front of your chest; they are in the right place to hold a barbell plate!

There's nothing wrong with doing sit-ups every day. It won't take you more than five minutes to do a hundred of them. I wouldn't do them less than every other day or three times per week. If you're doing other exercises, always do your stomach exercises first. They are a good warm-up and, if you do them first, you won't skip them!

So, here's the formula:


Work up to between 50 and 100 sit-ups; the number is up to you.
Add weight as you get stronger.
Do your sit-ups at least three times per week.



Good luck!


The "formula" for doing sit-ups as given in this article is taken from the author's book, The K*I*S*S* Weight Training Program. For more information on the book, please visit:

http://www.kissfitnessprogram.com/kiss-weight-training-program.html

For more information on stomach exercises, please visit:

http://www.kissfitnessprogram.com/kiss-blog

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