How to Do a Situp Properly

Tod:    I'm Tod Maffin, this is the return of the How to do Stuff Podcast. I'm very excited because I have with me famous Jillian Anderson. Hello.

Jillian:    Hello, Tod.

Tod:    You are Jillian Anderson?

Jillian:    I am, yes.

Tod:    But you're not the famous one? Jillian:    Unfortunately, I am not the famous one.

Tod:    And what do you do for a living?

Jillian:    I am a trainer at a women's gym. Tod:    How much do you think I weigh?

Jillian:    About 114 pounds.

Tod:    That's just mean. That's just mean. Jillian:    How much do you weigh?

Tod:    I'm not telling, but it's not far off. Teach me how to do a situp right now.

Jillian:    How to do a situp?

Tod:    Yeah.

Is a situp a good exercise?

Jillian:    It depends again on what it is you're trying to work. If you want to work your hip flexors then a situp is great.

Tod:    What's a hip flexor? Jillian:    A hip flexor is what makes your hips flex, but if you're wanting to work your abs and make your core tighter, then a situp isn't necessarily the best choice. Tod:    I'm going to pull up my shirt now. Are these abs or ribs?

Jillian:    Well, up here they're ribs. Down here they're abs. Tod:    Really? I have abs?

Jillian:    You do.

Tod:    Right on. Okay, so teach me how to do a situp. I'm lying on the ground now. Jillian:    A situp. You want to know how to do a situp?

Tod:    Yeah.

You're a trainer; you're going to teach me how to do a situp. Jillian:    Alright.

Tod:    Okay, so I'm lying on my back. Jillian:    You're lying on your back? Tod:    Yeah and my knees are kind of like a quarter ways up.

Jillian:    Yup. Your knees are bent so your feet are flat on the floor.

Tod:    Okay.

Jillian:    Yeah. And you actually want to do a situp, not a crunch?

Tod:    What's the difference? Jillian:    A situp means that you will come up, you'll bring your upper body all the way up so your chest is up next to your knees, like you used to do in Canada Fitness Testing. Tod:    That's just what I was going to say “ParticipACTION.” [ParticipACTION has demonstrated a unique ability to achieve its objective – promoting a healthier, more active lifestyle among Canadians.] Jillian:    Yeah, exactly; however, like I said, that is best for hip flexors; if you want to strengthen your hip flexors. If you want to work your abs, then you would do a crunch instead and that's where you're only bringing your shoulder blades up off the ground and really concentrating on pulling your abs in when you do it. Tod:    Okay, I want to do the easiest one.

Jillian:    Well, okay.

Tod:    Let's do the one that I did in school. Jillian:    Let's do that one. Tod:    Yeah.

Jillian:    Okay. So you want me to sit on your feet then?

Tod:    What? Did they do that?

Jillian:    Yeah. You don't remember that? Tod:    No.

Jillian:    They would anchor your feet. You would have a partner that would anchor your feet and count your situps for you.

Tod:    See, I don't remember because I never even got bronze. I only got this stupid ParticipACTION pin.

Jillian:    Oh.

Tod:    Not that I'm bitter. Okay, sit on my feet.

Jillian:    Okay. Here we go; I'm sitting on your feet. Tod:    Okay.

So now what do I do?

Jillian:    Alright, so lie right back.

Tod:    Ouch!

Jillian:    Yeah, not that hard.

Tod:    Okay.

Jillian:    Hands behind your head. Be really careful about not pulling your head forward. You want your neck to stay in alignment with the rest of your spine when you do this, okay?

Tod:    Okay.

Jillian:    And now what you've got to do is pull your body all the way up so your face is right next to mine. Tod:    Alright.

Jillian:    Okay, go ahead. Okay, so that's more of a crunch, Tod, because you're just bringing your shoulder blades off the ground. Tod:    That's all I can do. Jillian:    Yeah. Oh, there we go! You did it!

Tod:    Is it supposed to hurt that bloody much?

Jillian:    Yeah, it is, actually.

Tod:    Oh.

Jillian:    Because situps aren't a very good exercise. Tod:    No pain no gain?

Jillian:    Well, maybe not, but… Tod:    What's the biggest mistake people make when they're exercising? Jillian:    Not breathing properly is a big one and not checking their form; using momentum to lift a weight instead of their muscle strength.

Tod:    I see guys checking their form in the mirror all the time at the club.

Jillian:    Yeah, but they're checking their body form, they're not checking their exercise technique form. Tod:    Aha, okay. And tell me about breathing. How's the best way to breathe? Is it true in through the nose out through the mouth or is that just some sort of way that my therapist taught me to relax?

Jillian:    That's a good relaxation technique. When you're strength training, you always want to time your breathing so you exhale on the exertion part of the exercise and that helps relieve pressure in your body to stop the Valsalva maneuver from taking over. Tod:    Oh, nice! Say that again.

Jillian:    Valsalva maneuver.

Tod:    I think we're just going to leave it there. Besides Let's Get Physical by Olivia Newton John, are there any other exercise songs? Jillian:    Wow. I can't think of any off the top of my head. Yeah.

Tod:    Okay.

Thanks, Jillian Anderson.

Jillian:    You're welcome, Tod Maffin.