Sit-ups (piked)

 

Sit-ups mainly target your abdominal muscles. This type of sit-up requires that you work with both your abdominal and hip flexors muscles.

Objective

• Tighter and stronger abdominal and hip flexor muscles.
• Learn to keep legs straight while executing the drill.

Prerequisites

• Hollow Position
• Sit-ups

Equipment

• None.

Execution

Start by lying on your lower back in a slight hollow position. Lift your legs and body at the same time and as high as possible. At some point you can not get any higher, at this point try and touch your toes and then lower both your legs and body until you are back in the slight hollow position. Repeat as needed.

Stage 1 – Setup

Lie on your lower back in a slight hollow position. Arms straight above your head.

Stage 2 – Pike

Lift your legs and body into a V shape. Note: You should be lifting your body and not just your torso! Note: When you can’t lift any higher then you should try and touch your toes and then lower both your legs and body until you are in the slight hollow position again.

Common Mistakes

Coaches teach gymnasts how to do skills correctly, but most gymnasts learns how to perform the skill correctly when coaches corrects their mistakes. This is not wrong, this is actually how gymnasts learn. This being said, it is very important that coaches corrects mistakes all the time. If a gymnast continues doing the same mistake over and over then they will be good at doing that drill with that mistake and have a difficult time later correcting it.

• Always correct mistakes
• Correct the first mistake you see the gymnast do (even if it is before the actually drill, i.e. the gymnast forgets to stand tall with arms over their head)
• Correct only one thing (sometimes two if they are related)

Mistake 1 – Legs not Moving

This is a very common mistakes for gymnasts that have poor coordination and weak abdominal muscles. Always lift and lower your legs at the same time when executing this drill.

Warning

Any activity involving motion or height creates the possibility of accidental injury, paralysis or death. The equipment and instructional materials are intended for use ONLY by properly trained and qualified participants under supervised conditions. Use without proper supervision could be DANGEROUS and should NOT be undertaken or permitted. Before using, KNOW YOUR OWN LIMITATIONS and the limitations of the equipment. If in doubt always consult your instructor. Always inspect equipment for loose fittings or damage and test for stability before each use. We will not be liable for injuries or consequences sustained from the use of the instructional materials supplied by us. Use common sense!