Conditioning the Core

Abdominals

Sit-ups focus on the abdominal muscles including the rectus abdominus, the internal and external oblique abdominal muscles and the transverse abdominus muscle.

Your rectus abdominus is the six-pack area of the abs, while the transverse abdominus runs along each side of rectus abdominus. The internal and external obliques wrap around your side.

Note: On the bringing together the top and lower parts of the body exhale and as you return to the floor inhale.

Military Sit Ups

Lay on your back and bend both legs 90 degrees with the soles of the feet laying flat on the ground. Cross you hands in front of the chess and bring your shoulders off the ground as close to your knees as much as you can.

Once this motion is done return the torso back to the floor.

Cross Over Sit Ups

Lay on your back and bend both legs 90 degrees with the soles of the feet laying flat on the ground. Place your hands by the side or you face and bring your shoulders off the ground reaching with your right elbow to your left knee as close as you can.

Once this motion is done return the torso back to the floor and repeat to the  opposite side.

V Sit Ups

Lay on your back and bend both legs 90 degrees with the soles of the feet laying flat on the ground. Place your hands by the side or you body and bring your shoulders of the ground and your feet of the ground trying to touché each other as close as you can.

Once this motion is done return the torso and feet back to the floor and repeat.

Iron Cross Sit Ups

Lie on your back and extend your arms to your side making the shape of a cross with your arms. Raise your feet of the ground and raise them straight up in the air pointing to the ceiling. Second lower your feet and torso to the left and then straight back up pointing to the ceiling, then to the right side and back up to the center.

Now bring your feet over your head and try to touch the floor, then bring then straight again. Once this motion is done return the torsos back to the floor and repeat to the opposite side.

Note: This exercise used to be done with extending the feet 6” of the ground and also pointing the feet at a 45-degree angle. This should be removed from this exercise as it puts to much stress of the lower back.

Partner Cross Leg Sit Ups

Lay on your back and bend both legs 90 degrees with the soles of the feet laying flat on the ground and have a partner do the same opposite you.

One crosses the legs to the inside of the partners legs and the other to the outside locking your legs together.

Cross you hands in front of the chess and bring your shoulders of the ground as close to your knees as much as you can. Once this motion is done return the torso back to the floor. Crossing the legs with a partner helps lock you into   position so you can do sit ups very fast.

Over the head and then split Sit Ups

Lie on your back and extend your arms to your side making the shape of a cross with your arms.

Raise your feet of the ground and raise them over your head and try to touch the floor, then bring then straight forward and as that motion of bring your feet forward spread your feet apart as much as you can going into a split and sit up and bring your chess to the ground.  Once this motion is done repeat.

Cross Over Partner Assisted Sit Ups

Lie on your back and your partner lie next to you with their head in opposite direction.

Both of you reach under your partner’s legs and grab their hand, and reach under your own legs and grab your partners other hand so both are grabbing each others hand.

At the command both bring each other’s legs of the ground and touch the floor over your heads at the same time shifting your body to the opposite side from each other and lower your legs to the other side.

Do this continuously to both sides.

Reverse crunch Sit Ups

Hang from a pull up bar and bring your knees to your chess and the lower them. This can also be done on a machine   designed for this exercise.

Iron Cross Stretch Sit Ups

Lie on your back and extend your arms to your side making the shape of a cross with your arms. Raise one foot and bring it across your body and touch the           opposite hand that staid flat on the ground.

One this motion is done repeat to the other side.

Partner Assisted Iron Cross

Lie on your back and have your partner stand with his feet just to the side of your head. reach over your head and grab his ankles. bring your both feet towards his stomach as fast as you can   your partner will catch your feet and through them to either the left or the right side of you body.

You must used your strength in you abs and correct the motion and try again to bring your feet to his stomach and your partner will send them in the opposite direction.

Do not allow the feet to be sent back to the floor.

Knee Crunch Sit Ups

Lay on your back and bend both legs 90 degrees with the soles of the feet laying flat on the ground. Lei your hand down the side of the body and bring the knees to your chess raising the lower part of your back of the ground.

Once this motion is done return the torso back to the floor.

Reverse Back Sit Ups

Lay on your Stomach and keep both legs apart about shoulders width. Extend both hands to your side and bend the elbows bringing your hands closer to your face.

On the command bring your chest of the ground and arch your back. Once this motion is done return the torso back to the floor and repeat.

Planking

One of the safest way to build the core is to plank. Raise your feet as to make the back straight bend the elbows and rest the body on the edge made from the       elbow to the wrist.

The goal is to keep the body straight and hold as long as you can.