Sit Ups For The ADF

As part of the Pre-entry Fitness Assessment (PFA) for the ADF you are required to complete and pass a sit up test. The test requires you to do a very specific style of sit up every 3 seconds until fail or a maximum of 100 reps. See Know the standards if you are unsure of your pass mark.

The test is designed to assess your core strength/endurance which is a vital component as a tactical athlete that assists in a range range of physical tasks from hand-hand combat to load carriage.

Having a strong core is the foundation to all fitness qualities. It allows you to move better, lift more and last longer. Think of it like your body's power house. All force is transferred through the core in some way so if you have a weak core then you are not only missing a shit tonne of potential performance but you are also very likely to run into some serious injuries.

The sit up test is a requirement for all service PFA’s and they are all set at a very low standard which increases dramatically as soon as you join e.g for Army non-combat the sit ups will increase from 20 reps to 70 reps.

Even the 70 reps required for the Army BFA is still considered low. During my time in the Army if you could not reach 100 reps, no matter your age or gender, you better have had a good excuse for it. 100 reps is 100% achievable by anyone with some proper training and a bit of grit to push through the burn, remember your feet are held!

See below for a breakdown of the movement standards for the sit up.

Training For Sit Ups

When training to improve your sit ups there are 2 different pathways you can stress your muscles to develop your strength.

1) Mechanic Stress: High resistance exercises that are difficult to complete a low amount of reps each set. Adaptation is absolute strength which will make each rep during your test easier leaving you with more energy to do more reps.

2) Metabolic Stress: Low resistance exercises that you are able to perform a large amount of reps / time under tension. Adaptation is strength endurance and grit which increases the duration that your muscles can be under tension before you fatigue/quit.

Exercise Selection

Your exercise selection doesn’t have to always be training the exact sit up movement but it does have to be training the same movement pattern.

Movement patterns used during a sit up:

1) Spinal Flexion: Resistance against your spine curving forward

2) Hip Flexion: Resistance against your hip joint flexing

Example exercises that use these patterns

▪️ Band assisted sit ups

▪️Decline sit ups

▪️Weighted sit ups

▪️Incline plank knee to elbow

▪️Plank Lying leg raises

▪️Decline bench leg raises

▪️Hanging

▪️L-sit

▪️Cable crunch

▪️Ab crunch machine

There are hundreds of exercises you could choose from.

Some exercises are better for mechanical stress training while others are more suited toward metabolic stress exercises due to how hard the exercise is to perform or the ability to add weight.

E.g. L-sit variations better suit mechanic stress, incline plank knee to elbow suits metabolic stress

Frequency

Complete 3-4 workouts each week.

You can choose to alternate your workouts between mechanic and metabolic stress or hit both in the same workout.

Volume/Intensity

Select a weight or exercise difficulty to hit the correct intensity for the pathway you aim to train.

▪️Mechanical stress: <10 reps / <15sec with a hard exercise or high weight

▪️Metabolic stress: >20 reps / >30sec with an easier exercise or low weight

Accumulate 12-24 working sets across your training week.

E.g. On Mon/Wed/Fri I do 3 working sets on 2 exercises each day = 18 working sets

Progression

You need to continually progress your training as you get fitter.

Mechanical stress: More weight / harder exercise

Metabolic stress: More reps / time under tension or less rest

Overall weekly volume: More working sets

Example Training Week

Weekly Split

Day 1: Workout 1

Day 2: Workout 2

Day 3: Workout 1

*start week 2 with workout 2

Workout 1

Weighted Sit Up: 3 sets x 6-10 reps as heavy as possible

Incline Knees to Elbows: 3 sets x 40-60sec / 60sec rest

Workout 2

Decline Leg Raise: 3 sets x 6-10 reps. Use a med ball between knees if needed

Band Assisted Sit Up: 3 sets x 30-40 reps using as little assistance as possible

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