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Sit-ups

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ranunky

ranunky

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Should I have my knees bent or not while doing situps? What is the rationale for bending the knees or leaving them straight?
 
I've heard that it's better for your back if you have bent knees.
 
situps are pretty worthless. Planks (weighted if you can hold it for 2 minutes) are way better.
 
From what I've read, sit-ups may be bad on the lower back and also involve the hip flexors. If you want to isolate the abs crunches are recommended. As for planks, afaik static exercises produce different results from dynamic ones.

However there are some great complex exercises that you can do that also involve the abs. The ab wheel is the best shit I ever spent money on in fitness equipment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9I9qTY-ppc
I cannot yet do a full standing rep.
Also the dragon flag is a somewhat easier version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjCMq2zkbOo
http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/35/
 
why would you want to 'isolate the abs'? How will it help anything to have trained isolating the abdominal muscles? Hint, hint, it won't. And it isn't even the best way to induce hypertrophy.
 
Right on. Isolating muscles is something I hear bodybuilders talk about but I never understood it apart from producing the Michelin Man look. And it's worthless for functional strength.

Bodyweight and free weight exercises FTW. The ab wheel for example works your quadriceps, hip flexors, abs, latissimus dorsi, back muscles, triceps and forearms as well as various stabilizing muscles. And together with burpees it is the most difficult exercise I know. (Until I can do the planche :) )
 
Sit ups worthless? Dumb. I work many situp variations into my routine. They saved my lower back.
 
is it recommened to have something holding down your feet while doing situps? any health issues if you do or do not? i don't do this anymore, and it seems to give me much better results.
 
I alternate feet in air and flat on gound. Slightly different exercise. I think the holding your feet thing came about cause it makes the situp easier as you can 'pull' against that. A lil practice and you should be okay without, as far as I'm concered.

Also with planks. You should do situps AND planks you'd have a more balanced workout for your core.

Ill bet money that anyone who runs a lot and does mucho situps will come away with serious abs. Just takes disipline.
 
^ well now you've shifted the topic of conversation, to visible abs. This is not what we are talking about. Visibility of the abs is entirely up to your diet (ie going into a caloric deficit for long enough to trim BF down so your abs show). The original topic of conversation was not 'how do I get my abs to show' but rather about correct form for sit-ups (of which I responded that it doesn't matter since you should be skipping them for better workouts).

if you are squatting and deadlifting that is plenty enough core work for most people. Unless for some reason your core strength is horrible, its not going to be your weakest link.

Get a 405lb squat and you won't have to worry about weak abs.
 
Tru dat about squat and me derailing thread. But if you have multiple muscle and tendon injuries like me and/or fell weight lifting is boring and stupid, you have to crosstrain to get results. I do mma mountain climbing, yoga, run bking, and all the bodyweight exercises and full body stretches that support my activities.

The bit about abs was a reaction I think to something I read on here of someone asking how to get abs. For some reason I just posted that thought in a thread about situps.
 
Knees in line with hips gives your core more work. If your knees are too far towards you, there less/no extra work being done.

Lowering the legs while keeping your lower back imprinted on the floor works your lower abs.

I don't do sit ups for core work. Pilates, yoga, and kickboxing works for me.
 
Do crunches instead. Reverse crunches, bicycle crunches, hanging leg and knee raises are all effective.
 
situps are probably the most beneficial thing in order to achieve a 6-pack
think how many sit ups boxers do and how strong, ripped there abs are
 
The lower-back comes into this primarily with respect to your form as you do the sit-up or crunch.

Bent knees, feet on the floor, make your abs work a little harder to lift your upper body.

If you've had back problems, though, crunches, with feet up and crossed, can work just as well, with less stress on the discs.

Bottom line is that if the ab work is hurting your back, either you're doing it wrong or you shouldn't be doing that particular exercise.

Above advice to use a variety of ab exercises is good. Leg or knee raises can be excellent.

I disagree with the advice that squats are all you need for core work.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys you've been really helpful. I didn't even know about the oblique muscles up until now! Luckily mine are already quite developed thanks to sprinting:). I have another question, perhaps it should have it's own thread, perhaps not. What excercises antagonise the muscles worked in situps? If possible some stuff to strengthen the lumbar region of the vertebral colum, back problems run in my family and I feel that I have sub-optimal posture originating in this area. What excercise, or set of excercises would you use? Bearing in mind that I don't have any equipment other than a few dumbells.
 
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Heuristic said:
I disagree with the advice that squats are all you need for core work.
Click to expand...

I know that "better" is a subjective term, but I'll use it anyway.

Who would have better abs, a guy who is 20% bf who does 1000's of sit ups a week from various angles, or a guy who is 10% bf who only does squats (or nothing at all, for that matter)?

Six pack vs jelly rolls, folks.
 
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