Protocol for One Minute Sit-ups
Purpose
This measures abdominal muscular endurance.
Procedure1. The participant starts by lying on his/her back, knees bent, heels flat on the floor, with the fingers laced and held behind the head. Avoid pulling on the head with the hands. The buttocks must remain on the floor with no thrusting of the hips.
2. A partner holds the feet down firmly.
3. The participant then performs as many correct sit ups as possible in 1 minute.
4. In the up position, the subject should touch elbows to knees and then return until the shoulder blades touch the floor.
5. Score is total number of correct sit ups. Any resting must be done in the up position.
6. Breathing should be as normal as possible, making sure the participant does not hold his/her breath as in the Valsalva maneuver.
How To Prepare For Sit-ups
1. Determine the number of correct sit ups you can do in one minute.
2. Multiply that number by .75 (75%). Round off the result to the lowest number. This will be the number of repetitions (sit ups) you will do per set.
3. Warm up with some light activity of your choice, such as a stationary bike, walking or jogging on the treadmill, light calisthenics, etc.
4. Perform the number of sit ups (correct form) determined in the calculation done in #2 above.
5. Rest no longer than 60 seconds, and do another set of repetitions.
6. Repeat #4 and #5 until you have done 3 to 5 sets of repetitions. Even though the last sets may be difficult, maintain proper form. If you have to hesitate longer on the floor on the last sets to get in the full number, then do so but rest no longer than necessary. It is important that you get in all the repetitions.
7. Do this routine every other day. Increase the number of reps per set by 1 or 2 each week.
NOTE: If you are unable to do at least 5 reps per set, you will need to modify your routines in order to get in sufficient repetitions to address muscular endurance. You should follow a crunch or curl routine for your abdominals, and also get assistance in designing leg exercises (multi-hip machine or leg lifts) to address the hip flexors. Also, you could use an abdominal machine in a fitness facility using a light enough resistance to get in 15 reps per set for 3 sets.