Army Physical Fitness Test - Sit-Ups


SIT-UPS
This event measures the endurance of the abdominal and hip-flexor muscles.

Equipment
One stopwatch is needed along with one clipboard and pen for each scorer. The event supervisor must have the following: the instructions in this chapter on how to conduct the event and one copy of the sit-up scoring standards (DA Form 705).

Facilities
Each station is 6 feet wide and 15 feet deep. Ensure that no more than 15 soldiers are tested at a station.

Personnel
One event supervisor must be at the test site and one scorer at each station. The event supervisor may not be the event scorer.

Instructions
The event supervisor must read the following: “THE SIT-UP EVENT MEASURES THE ENDURANCE OF THE ABDOMINAL AND HIPFLEXOR MUSCLES. ON THE COMMAND “GET SET”, ASSUME THE STARTING POSITION BY LYING ON YOUR BACK WITH YOUR KNEES BENT AT A 90- DEGREE ANGLE. YOUR FEET MAY BE TOGETHER OR UP TO 12 INCHES APART. ANOTHER PERSON WILL HOLD YOUR ANKLES WITH THE HANDS ONLY. NO OTHER METHOD OF BRACING OR HOLDING THE FEET IS AUTHORIZED. THE HEEL IS THE ONLY PART OF YOUR FOOT THAT MUST STAY IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. YOUR FINGERS MUST BE INTERLOCKED BEHIND YOUR HEAD AND THE BACKS OF YOUR HANDS MUST TOUCH THE GROUND. YOUR ARMS AND ELBOWS NEED NOT
TOUCH THE GROUND. ON THE COMMAND “GO”, BEGIN RAISING YOUR UPPER BODY FORWARD TO, OR BEYOND, THE VERTICAL POSITION. THE VERTICAL POSITION MEANS THAT THE BASE OF YOUR NECK IS ABOVE THE BASE OF YOUR SPINE. AFTER YOU HAVE REACHED OR SURPASSED THE VERTICAL POSITION, LOWER YOUR BODY UNTIL THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SHOULDER BLADES TOUCH THE GROUND. YOUR HEAD, HANDS, ARMS, OR ELBOWS DO NOT HAVE TO TOUCH THE GROUND. AT THE END OF EACH REPETITION, THE SCORER WILL STATE THE NUMBER OF SIT-UPS YOU HAVE
CORRECTLY COMPLETED. A REPETITION WILL NOT COUNT IF YOU FAIL TO REACH THE VERTICAL POSITION, FAIL TO KEEP YOUR FINGERS INTERLOCKED BEHIND YOUR HEAD, ARCH OR BOW YOUR BACK AND RAISE YOUR BUTTOCKS OFF THE GROUND TO RAISE YOUR UPPER BODY, OR LET YOUR KNEES EXCEED A 90-DEGREE ANGLE. IF A REPETITION DOES NOT COUNT, THE SCORER WILL REPEAT THE NUMBER OF YOUR LAST CORRECTLY PERFORMED SIT-UP. THE UP POSITION IS THE ONLY AUTHORIZED REST POSITION. IF YOU STOP AND REST IN THE DOWN (STARTING) POSITION, THE EVENT WILL BE TERMINATED. AS LONG AS YOU MAKE A CONTINUOUS PHYSICAL EFFORT TO SIT UP, THE EVENT WILL NOT BE TERMINATED. YOU MAY NOT USE YOUR HANDS OR ANY OTHER MEANS TO PULL OR PUSH YOURSELF UP TO THE UP (RESTING) POSITION OR TO HOLD YOURSELF IN THE REST POSITION. IF YOU DO SO, YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THE EVENT WILL BE TERMINATED. CORRECT PERFORMANCE IS IMPORTANT. YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO PERFORM AS MANY SIT-UPS AS YOU CAN. WATCH THIS DEMONSTRATION.” (The exercise is then demonstrated. “WHAT ARE YOUR QUESTIONS?”


Administration
After reading the instructions, the supervisor answers questions. He then moves the groups to their testing stations. The event supervisor cannot be a scorer. At this point, the testing is ready to begin. Successive groups do the event until all soldiers have completed it.

Timing Techniques
The event supervisor is the timer. He calls out the time remaining every 30 seconds and every second for the last 10 seconds of the two minutes. He ends the event after two minutes by the command “Halt!”

Scorers' Duties
The scorer may either kneel or sit about three feet from the testee’s hip. The scorer’s head should be about even with the testee’s shoulder when the latter is in the vertical (up) position. Each scorer decides for himself whether to sit or kneel down when scoring. He may not lie down or stand while scoring. The scorer counts aloud the number of correctly performed sit-ups and repeats the number of the last correctly performed repetition if an incorrect one is done. Scorers tell the testees what they are doing wrong as it occurs during the event. A critique of his performance is given to each soldier after the event. When the soldier completes the event, the scorer records the number of correctly performed situps, initials the scorecard, and returns it to the soldier.
When checking for correct body position, the scorer must be sure that at a 90-degree angle is formed at each knee by the soldier’s upper and lower leg. The angle to be measured is not the one formed by the lower leg and the ground. If, while performing the situp event, this angle becomes greater than 90 degrees, the scorer should instruct the testee and holder to reposition the legs to the proper angle and obtain compliance before allowing the testee’s performance to continue. The loss of the proper angle does not terminate the testee’s performance in the event. When the soldier comes to the vertical position, the scorer must be sure that the base of the soldier’s neck is above or past the base of the spine. A soldier who simply touches his knees with his elbows may not come to a completely vertical position. The scorer must ensure that the holder uses only his hands to brace the exerciser’s feet.