Standing will yield a higher exercise intensity because more of your muscles are involved in the lift. Standing should also be your preference if you’re looking for improvements in power, performance and coordination. Sitting may be more appropriate for you if you are working with heavy weights. Although you can stand while lifting heavy, you’ll likely fatigue quickly and experience a breakdown in proper technique, which could lead to injury. Sitting is also preferable if you’re working on isolating specific muscles.

1. FitnessFlash.org
I s S t a n d i n g o r
S i t t i n g

2. To Sit or to Stand
1. Advantages of standing
2. Advantages of sitting
3. When sitting is better

3. Advantages of standing1

4. Standing while lifting weights will allow you to work your target muscles, as well as
several other muscles throughout your body including your back, core, hips and
legs. Standing will also improve your overall balance and stability.
Take the shoulder press, for example. The exercise is meant to work your
shoulders and arms, which is about all it will do if you are performing it in a seated
position. But if you do it while standing, the muscles in your abdomen and back
will have to work hard to keep your torso upright under the additional weight. The
muscles in your hips and legs will also be called upon to keep your pelvis, knees
and ankles stable.
Due to the reasons above, many experts claim that training while standing up is
preferred, as it is more functional and mimics real life movements better. After all,
you will most likely be required to lift weighs in a standing rather than seated
position. By the same token, it is argued that training standing up will contribute
more to athleticism.

5. Advantages of sitting2

6. Sitting while lifting certainly has its own set of advantages. Firstly, it’s a great idea to
lift weights while sitting if you’re new to the exercise and in the process of learning
proper techniques. Sitting will keep you from using other parts of your body, such as
your legs, to build momentum for an upper-body exercise. As such, sitting makes
sense especially when you are performing isolation movements.
Finally, sometimes you don’t have a choice but to sit if you’re recovering from a
lower-body injury, have poor balance or if you suffer from back or other joint
problems. In these cases, training while sitting down is certainly a superior option
over training unsafely, or not being able to train at all.

7. When sitting is better3

8. Certain exercises are actually more effective when performed sitting down! So don’t
be trapped into thinking that you need to perform every single exercise standing up–
it may not be the best way to do it.
• Cable Rows
• Biceps Curls
• Chest Press / Cable Chest Press
• Dumbbell Overhead Press
• Overhead Triceps Extensions

9. Standing will yield a higher exercise intensity because more of your muscles are
involved in the lift. Standing should also be your preference if you’re looking for
improvements in power, performance and coordination.
Sitting may be more appropriate for you if you are working with heavy weights.
Although you can stand while lifting heavy, you’ll likely fatigue quickly and
experience a breakdown in proper technique, which could lead to injury. Sitting is
also preferable if you’re working on isolating specific muscles.

10. THANK YOU!