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Military Sit Ups (BAD FOR YOUR BACK)

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Rating: 4.0; Vote: 1

ve probably heard that full sit-ups are bad for your back and will destroy your spine. That might be a true statement, if you do your sit ups wrong. You see, spinal flexion is one of the motions available to your spine. When laying on your back, as you would before a situp or crunch, your abs are responsible for the curling of your trunk off the ground. Where this goes wrong is when people lack the stability of their pelvis during the motion. In this video, I show you how to be sure that you keep your hips and pelvis where they need to be to avoid many of the dangers of the full military sit up on your spine. The military physical readiness exams require that you be able to perform sit ups. Like them or not, if you are preparing to enlist in the military, or even your local fire or police department, you are going to have to be able to perform full sit ups. In order to protect your spine along the way you want to be sure you get your pelvic position right. Before initiating your first rep of an abdominal sit up, you want to be sure to flatten your lower back against the ground by posteriorly rotating your pelvis. This will act to shut down your hip flexors from dominating the movement, and more importantly, prevent the pelvis from starting in an anterior tilt. When starting from an anteriorly tilted pelvis you introduce a high likelihood that you will shift from anterior to posterior during the exercise. This creates high shearing forces in your spine that will be borne through the annular fibers of your spinal discs. Over time, the gradual breakdown of the peripheral support of your discs leads to disc herniations and ruptures. In order to prevent sit-ups from hurting your back, you have to avoid the shearing caused by the shift from one tilt to the other during the exercise. You can prevent this by starting the exercise and finishing the sit up in a posterior pelvic tilt. Slowly lower yourself down using the eccentric strength of the abs and perform your next rep in the same fashion. Don-t hook your feet under anything to start the exercise as this will trigger the early activation of the hip flexors which while automatically pull your hips into the undesired anterior tilt. As you can see, if you perform the full military style sit up incorrectly it can definitely lead to back problems and a bad back overall. That doesn-t have to be the case however. In fact, you can train your entire body with a physical therapist created workout program by visiting and getting the ATHLEAN-X Training System
Date: 2022-04-22

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Comments and reviews: 10

r34p3r
The thing is that PT with the military isn't really something that is used to keep each soldier at top physical fitness but rather a thing used as group morale and unity. This was the point with using group punishment in which the group would do exercises as a result of individual failure. This was to teach us to understand that there is no 'I' in 'team. ' The military is a killing force. It encorporates physical fitness but the primary focus to train the individual to kick in the door and look you in the face and put two in you before you do it to me. In fact, our leaders always recommended us to hit the gym whenever possible. Then again that's the old 11b Infantry. Now. it's all about looks and rainbows.
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Duane
Hi
Great video. Sit ups are getting a bad rap. They are functional and important and if the curl up is done slowly, segment by segment, it-s excellent for core rehab and getting rid of low back pain. Weak psoas muscles are a very underrated source of low back pain. Muscle balance is key. The posterior tilt MUST be maintained on every rep. This is very important! Many people cant do unsupported sit ups and need to start with eccentric lowering using therabands to help pull themselves up. I use this technique in a Physiotherapy clinic. It is a great step towards proper technique. Thanks Jeff, cheers
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Andrea
If one practices full sit-ups in the way Jeff describes here (controlled, feet fully on the ground) and becomes proficient in this. Will that translate to being able to do military style sit-ups better?
I'm joining the Army soon and while I understand that the sit-ups are necessary (until the PT test changes in a few years) I do not want to wreck my back trying to get a good or perfect PT score.
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Matt
My lower back and tailbone makes a few popping noises everytime I do a sit-up (usually on the way back down) and im supposed to be doing 85 but it is extremely distracting and uncomfortable and I usually can't go past 30 because of this. Does anybody know what might be causing this? Im certain that im using the same technique as in the video, and I always do them on a mat.
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XiaoYaoYou
lay on you back with legs bent 90 degrees and arms next to body, then pull up your pelvic floor/butt while keeping your legs at a 90 degree angle(you can push your arm a bit into the ground for support)make as many reps if you can, rest and repeat. ps DONT pull up your legs, keep them at 90 degrees and pull up your pelvic floor, you wil feel when you do it correctly
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Liz
I'm sorry but from the biomechanical perspective, adding a compressive force in a posterior tilt alone will push the nucleus pulposus backwards and therefore pose a risk for disc herniation. Watch biomechanist Dr. Stewart McGills' videos for getting a strong core without the need to increase the risk of back injury. Exercises that keep the neutral spine are more favorable.
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Andrew
Thanks Jeff. I have been in the Air Force for 16 years and have never had the sit up explained like this. We are required for the test to have our feet under a bar or to be kneeled on by our counting partner. I always have a sore back and hip flexors when I am finished. It makes my 1. 5 mil run so hard on me that it takes several days to recover.
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ss4vegeta1
Jeff, also shouldn't one not curve the mid to upper back as that over time can have an effect on the disks/posture and also one should focus on the abs doing the pulling versus the hip flexors or legs. Lastly the descending, shouldnt it be a little more controlled as the eccentrics may help the muscle development overtime?
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C.
I thought the execution of those exercises were wrong but in the military it-s whatever looks good and can be seen as good. Luckily my focus on exercise is on proper form so I do my exercises properly and don-t stray away from improper form otherwise you gain nothing and may end up causing problems along the way
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Timothy
Took a glance at athleanx. com for the special tactix program. However, noticing the 2015 date on the video, have you modified the program at all for the implementation of the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) as opposed to the old Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT? Just wanted to ask before buying.
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