Situps?

[andy@moFo]

Do situps cripple you? speaking to a few people who were doing sports science degrees and they were saying its long term damage on the spine is pretty brutal.. can anyone shed any light on it?

 

[Morba]

as with any exercise, form has to be perfect.

 

[Stiff_Cookie]

I dont have a degree or anything but I just dont understand the logic.

The idea is that you curl yourself up using your abdominal muscles. Your not over-extending your spine at all.

The only problem I can see if those people who put their hands behind their head and pull up with their arms.

What reasoning do those people have for claiming situps cause damage?

 

[Morba]

I dont have a degree or anything but I just dont understand the logic.

The idea is that you curl yourself up using your abdominal muscles. Your not over-extending your spine at all.

The only problem I can see if those people who put their hands behind their head and pull up with their arms.

What reasoning do those people have for claiming situps cause damage?

basically the reason that you just gave i think, its poor form and should not be done like that.

 

[trojan698]

Do crunches instead! Much more effective!

 

[dobbsy]

I've done a sports science degree and i got the impression it was 'full situps' as opposed to crunches that can cause excess stress on the spine and back.

 

[Styles]

ANY exercise performed incorrectly puts Unnesessary pressure and strain on many different parts of the body. Learn correct form with all movements and you greatly reduce risk of injury now, or later in life.

I find crunches a much superior abdominal builder. Weighted Crunches that is.

 

[Chong Warrior]

Flat sit-ups are pretty much a waste of time and don't hit the abs very hard. Decline sit-ups on the other hand on a 45 degree slope or more are a totally different kettle of fish, I do them to hit all the abs, especially the lower ones.

Crunches only hit the upper abs.

 

[marl]

I think they're ok if, as others have said, proper technique is used and they are done in a smooth, controlled manner.

I find if i do them with my feet secured they're fine, lately, with nothing to secure my feet i've found they put some strain on my lower back and i was inclined cheat at the start of the movement by throwing my arms forwards.

 

[semi-pro waster]

Crunches only hit the upper abs.

I thought the suggestion was to do reverse crunches also if you want to hit the lower abs? Probably easier for most than on a decline bench if it is anything like my gym which doesn't have a decent bench as the leg supports are too far away to actually be useful and I'm not exactly short.

 

[Clipsey]

Hanging legs raises *** tbh!
So many different variations you can do and you can go to the extremes!

 

[Stiff_Cookie]

basically the reason that you just gave i think, its poor form and should not be done like that.

Yea but that logic applies to every exercise, if its done incorrectly it could result in injury.

Unfortunaty, at least for me anyways, I was brought up always doing the cruch with hands interlocked behind my head. I had to unlearn that and become comfortable with them across my chest or touching my ears.

 

[Chong Warrior]

I thought the suggestion was to do reverse crunches also if you want to hit the lower abs? Probably easier for most than on a decline bench if it is anything like my gym which doesn't have a decent bench as the leg supports are too far away to actually be useful and I'm not exactly short.

Yeah reverse crunches are good, they get easy after a while though and having a dumbell in between your feet to make them harder can be dangerous... trust me, I know!

Hanging legs raises *** tbh!
So many different variations you can do and you can go to the extremes!

Yes hanging leg raises are very good, difficult to do correctly though. Rule of thumb is, if you swing you're doing them wrong. You should be able to hang and perform the leg raise with your body remaining perfectly still. You need to hold the stomach in to stabalize your insides to prevent them making you swing.

Yea but that logic applies to every exercise, if its done incorrectly it could result in injury.

Unfortunaty, at least for me anyways, I was brought up always doing the cruch with hands interlocked behind my head. I had to unlearn that and become comfortable with them across my chest or touching my ears.

Try having your arms stretch out fully striaght over you head to increase difficulty. I find you only need small weights to make this exercise very difficult doing it this way. With weights on my chest or what ever I find I need to use loads of weight and it's uncomforatble and a total pain in the ass.

 

[georges]

Yea but that logic applies to every exercise, if its done incorrectly it could result in injury.

I think it's because people trick themselves into thinking they're doing it properly by pulling their head up with their arms.
It's one of the exercises which many people do at home intermittently since it's so common on tv etc.

Must be one of the most prevalent incorrect practices, I would imagine. I swear everyone at kickboxing does it wrong, especially in endurance things towards the end of a session when people are tired.

 

[Curunen]

ANY exercise performed incorrectly puts Unnesessary pressure and strain on many different parts of the body. Learn correct form with all movements and you greatly reduce risk of injury now, or later in life.

I could not a agree more. The only reason damage occurs, is because of people not listening to their bodies, and forcing them to move in ways they are either not ready for, or that will be harmful to their bodies in any case.