Situps

[TheSavageBean]

Hey Nerdians.

 

The following resources are generally what is said about situps

 

against:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/483473-are-situps-crunches-bad-for-the-spine/

tl;dr: SITUPS?! YOU MEAN HERNIATED DISKS DONT YOU! CAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL GET

 

for:

http://deansomerset.com/2010/12/21/why-spinal-flexion-isnt-going-to-kill-you/

tl;dr: Lol it's been done for CENTURIES and our spines are meant to flex, situps are fine.

 

Both are PT/brosciency.

 

I do situps as part of boxing. The trainer makes us do 50 at the end of every session. To give him a little cred, he's an olympic athlete. I understand the various reasons they're done in a group session like a boxing class, and why they're actually important for boxing (flexion is important for guard and frontal core strength is good for minimizing damage).

 

Is there anything more concrete about situps and whether they're good or bad for you?

[Flex Luthor]

I've never understood the demonizing of sit-ups, I just think there are far more efficient ways to work your core.

[Affekonig]

One guys opinion on the internet:

There's nothing wrong with doing a an actual abdominal situp, stabilized through the hips, with active shoulders+spinal erectors.

Reality, the vast majority of people doing "situps" do not have the low ab strength and general core control to do an actual situp. (no of course I can't back up "vast majority," the broad generalization is required by rule 77.b.2 of talking about exercise on the internet.)

They are doing what I term a "hip-flexor-up" gripping like mad with their hip flexors and trying to haul the upper body around from the hip. The common dependence on bracing one's feet under something to be able to do situps is an obvious indicator. The hips aren't being used to provide a stable platform for the upper body to work against, they're being used to haul the upper body off the ground, hence the need for an external torque for them to work against.

Google your Psoas muscle, look at where the upper attachment is. Exactly!

Then we tell people as early as grade what, 6? that the way to do situps is max reps for time. So instead of doing a controlled movement top to bottom they jerk like hell at the bottom to generate momentup to carry them up. Tug like hell on where is the upper attachment of the psoas again?!?! Exactly!

Those muscles are already tight and people don't know how to stretch them. Working them incorrectly pulls the pelvis more and more out of alignment, leading to all the problems that brings.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I am working on them because I want to join the military, I try to engage my abs first then my hips.

[I-Jo]

LOL all I could think of was military style sit ups and training/doing the PT test.  My hip flexors always hurt like mad when I really went at it.   But it was a thing and it's what we did.

 

I don't really do "sit ups" any more because as noted- there I feel are- more effective ways to get that done. I do a straight up type thing- but there is no curling of the spine- it tends to throw people for a loop because they INSIST you have to curl the spin to activate the abs. (sure okay- tell me about your planks again)

 

anyway- so I don't do them- I don't LIKE doing them therefore I don't bother but sit ups probably don't come anywhere close to as bad as half the other crap I witness at the gym. shrug. 

[TheSavageBean]

One guys opinion on the internet:

There's nothing wrong with doing a an actual abdominal situp, stabilized through the hips, with active shoulders+spinal erectors.

Reality, the vast majority of people doing "situps" do not have the low ab strength and general core control to do an actual situp. (no of course I can't back up "vast majority," the broad generalization is required by rule 77.b.2 of talking about exercise on the internet.)

They are doing what I term a "hip-flexor-up" gripping like mad with their hip flexors and trying to haul the upper body around from the hip. The common dependence on bracing one's feet under something to be able to do situps is an obvious indicator. The hips aren't being used to provide a stable platform for the upper body to work against, they're being used to haul the upper body off the ground, hence the need for an external torque for them to work against.

Google your Psoas muscle, look at where the upper attachment is. Exactly!

Then we tell people as early as grade what, 6? that the way to do situps is max reps for time. So instead of doing a controlled movement top to bottom they jerk like hell at the bottom to generate momentup to carry them up. Tug like hell on where is the upper attachment of the psoas again?!?! Exactly!

Those muscles are already tight and people don't know how to stretch them. Working them incorrectly pulls the pelvis more and more out of alignment, leading to all the problems that brings.

 

"Hip-flexor ups" is probably a good word for it. I've noticed my hips are going through more since I've started the situps and strong hips are basically paramount to boxing so I can understand another reason our trainer makes us do them.

[cline]

I do oodles of different types of sit-ups. I do a ton at boxing, too. But if you look around, it's mostly people doing lousy crunches. Done properly, there are many awesome sit-up variations. And yeah, I do them.

[cline]

Forgot to add: if you only ever do one type of sit-up you aren't really working the whole core.

[TheSavageBean]

Teach me your ways Cline. I try to engage core as much as possible when I do it, we do side-sides and things as well to train oblique areas.

[jfreaksho]

I found that my situp numbers never really improved until I quit doing them and started doing leg lifts and pullups.

[cline]

The key is to engage the core fully before you start.  Most people think it's engaged while they are doing them but it's often not.  A real crunch, situp, etc. doesn't involve rocking - you shouldn't rock on the tailbone.  There should be no movement except the upper body or legs if you are doing leg raises, etc. 

 

Full situps and half situps are different from crunches.  negatives are different.  Then you can add in star crunches, clam crunches, etc. 

 

Reminds me - most people wrap their hands behind their heads - nope.  Don't pull through the neck - cup your ears with your hands or hands on the chest.

 

legs in the air versus on the ground makes a difference too. 

[Waldo]

Though I don't do them for reps, situps are obviously a movement oft used in real life.

 

I personally like to do them legs lying flat on the ground, and try to get up without any leg lift whatsoever. Usually get a little bit though, going to a low hollow position first before getting my torso into the air. Hands out in front of me to help keep the legs down.  I do one of these pretty much every time I go from laying to sitting.

 

That form does take about as much ab force as I'm capable of mustering. 

[JamesAE]

I've never had a problem with doing situps. Nor has anyone else. They've had problems doing their version of a situp.

Anyone else found situps great in aiding dodging (or even throwing) a punch? Especially if you do the side to side ones,

[I-Jo]

I much prefer versions of Pikes- or V sit ups (legs open and closing in various positions)... like stars and what not.

 

Jest away.  I'll wait for the dirty jokes...

 

 

 

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har har har..

 

 

yes but they are killer.

 I have a great star/pike/eagle combo thing- it's awful- I've got pretty amazing abs for what I do- and I can't get through 10-15 reps without dying. 

[jfreaksho]

Though I don't do them for reps, situps are obviously a movement oft used in real life.

 

I personally like to do them legs lying flat on the ground, and try to get up without any leg lift whatsoever. Usually get a little bit though, going to a low hollow position first before getting my torso into the air. Hands out in front of me to help keep the legs down.  I do one of these pretty much every time I go from laying to sitting.

 

That form does take about as much ab force as I'm capable of mustering. 

 

Lots of people do situps, but would probably be better served with Turkish get-ups in real life.