BLUF: Airmen will have one minute to complete as many situps as they are able. A complete situp is defined as your elbows touching your knees and back fully on the floor.

Reference: The reference for the Air Force situp standards are outlined in Air Force Instruction 36-2905 which can be found on our reference page. This information was verified current as of December 2018.

Air Force Situp Verbal Instructions

Sit-up Verbal Instructions. The Test Administrator must read the following instructions to all Airmen and demonstrate the proper technique, or show the Air Force instructional video. If the instructional video is shown, instructions reading and demonstration is not required. Begin by laying face up on the floor or mat. Your feet may extend off the floor or mat, but your buttocks, shoulders, and head must not extend beyond the mat. Bend your knees at 90 degrees, with your feet or heels in contact with the floor at all times. Cross your arms over your chest with your open hands or fingers at your shoulders or resting on your upper chest. This is the starting position. When conducting sit-ups, any part of the hands/fingers remain in contact with the shoulders or upper chest at all times. If a bolted non-portable toe hold bar is used: Anchor your feet to the ground by hooking your feet/toes under the bar. Your heels must remain in contact with the ground at all times and the bar cannot move while you perform the assessment. If a toe hold bar is NOT used: Members may request the assessor to hold feet with his/her hands or by putting his/her knees on the feet. The assessor may not anchor member by holding behind the calves or by standing on the feet during the assessment as he/she could lose balance and step off. The member may request a member of the same gender to hold the feet and that request must be granted. Let your monitor know if you need your feet held differently prior to beginning the assessment. (e.g., “You are holding my ankles/feet too tight or not enough.”). From the starting position, raise your upper torso until your elbows touch your knees or thighs. Then, lower your upper torso until your shoulder blades contact the floor. This is one repetition. Your elbows must touch your knees or thighs at the top of the sit-up, and your shoulder blades must contact the floor or mat at the bottom of the sit-up (keeping any part of your hands/fingers in contact with your shoulder/upper chest at all times). The repetition will not count if your hands/fingers come completely away from the chest/shoulder or if your buttocks or heels leave the ground. Additionally, you may not grab onto your shirt as it makes it difficult to determine if you are maintaining proper contact. Any resting must be done in the up position. While resting you may not use knees or any object to support yourself. If there is any resting other than in the up position, the sit-up portion of the test is terminated and your score will be based on the correct number of sit-ups performed up to that point. You have one minute to perform as many correct sit-ups as you are able. Your counter will count the correct number of sit-ups aloud. Your counter will not count incorrect sit-ups. Your counter will tell you what you are doing wrong and will repeat the last number of correct sit-ups until you correct the error. The total number of correct sit-ups in one minute is recorded as your score.