Challenging Sit-up Workout With 4 New Exercises

Everybody wants those perfect abs! But are you finding the standard ab exercises tedious now?

Strong abs not only look good but contribute to a healthy core, forming a powerful axis for your whole body.

Target your abs in a new way by doing these upper body movements at the halfway point of a sit-up. Maintain this position while performing any movement with the arms and you will challenge the abs and hip flexors.

So let’s start making that perfect pack and v-lines!

• Firstly place your feet under something stable and lean back until you feel your abs engage.
• Keep your spine and neck as neutral as possible.
• You can go light and do each exercise for 60 seconds, or use heavier weights and aim for 10-15 reps.

Half Sit-Up Press

1. Lean back until your abs are engaged, whilst you have a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Hold your tension, pull your shoulder blades together and point your palms forward.
3. With your arms fully extended push the dumbbells up and into the centre.
4. Slowly lower both dumbbells to the sides of your chest.
5. Pause, then press the dumbbells back to the starting position.

Half Sit-Up Fly

1. Lie back until you feel your abs under tension, with a dumbbell in each hand resting on your chest. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
2. Raise the dumbbells up like you’re pressing them, stop and hold just before you lock out.
3. With a slight bend on your elbows in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon, lower your arms out at both sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
4. Return your arms back to the starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles and breathe out.
5. Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions

Heavier weight can be used with the press and the fly, which requires the midsection to act as an anchor for the arms to produce movement from.

Half Sit-Up Overhead Front Raise

1. To begin, lean back until your abs are engaged, whilst you have a dumbbell in each hand. You should grip the bells with palms facing down.
2. Your elbows should be slightly bent. This is the starting position.
3. Lift the dumbbells up until it is directly over your head while exhaling.
4. Once you feel the contraction, begin to lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position as you inhale.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions

Half Sit-Up Overhead Press

1. Repeat the tension on your abs as performed above with dumbbells in your hands. You should grip the bells with palms facing forward.
2. Your elbows should be slightly bent. This is the starting position.
3. Lift the dumbbells up until it is directly over your head while exhaling.
4. Once you feel the contraction, begin to lower the dumbbells out to the side as you inhale.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions

The overhead front raise and press don’t allow for as much weight to be used.