Decline Sit-Up

Active muscles:

Abdominals:

• Rectus abdominis (straight abdominal muscle)
• External oblique (outer oblique abdominal muscle)
• Internal oblique (inner oblique abdominal muscle)
• Transversus abdominis (transverse abdominal muscle, or 'corset muscle')

Pelvis:

• Psoas major
• Iliacus

Legs:

• Rectus femoris
• Sartorius

Execution:

1. Remove any barbell from the rack.
2. Lie on the decline bench and ensure that your lower legs are firmly secured between the leg pads.
3. Cross your forearms over your chest. This is your starting position.
4. Bring your chest toward your pelvis by contracting your abdominal muscles. Focus on curving your spine (rounding your back). Keep looking upward to prevent your neck from curving as well. Your upper back is now off the bench.
5. Extend your back again until your upper back almost touches the bench.

Notes:

For a six-pack or injury prevention?

Strong abdominal muscles are essential for a strong core and for preventing, among other things, lower back pain. In practice, many people mainly perform abdominal exercises for a better-looking abdomen. Often with a tight stomach or six-pack as the ultimate goal. In most cases, you do not need to perform abdominal exercises for a flat stomach or six-pack. These are mainly caused by a low body-fat percentage. You cannot specifically burn fat in the abdominal region, not even with abdominal exercises. So a six-pack is mainly made in the kitchen, as the old saying goes.

With a low body-fat percentage, abdominal exercises can make a visual difference. Thicker muscle bellies in the rectus abdominis then create deeper lines in the abdomen. However, the abdominal muscles are used and therefore trained during many different exercises and daily activities. For most people, a low body-fat percentage is therefore enough for a six-pack. In some exceptional cases, the muscle bellies (the 'blocks') in the rectus abdominis are so flat that they are barely visible. Even with a low body-fat percentage. Very superficial tendons and a linea alba that divide the muscle bellies can also contribute to this. In those cases, it may be useful to perform abdominal exercises for appearance.