Is it weird I can't do a situp and in pretty decent shape?

[cw42]

I can do situps fine (with feet held down), decline situps, ab straps, crunches, and whatever.

However, I def am not able to do a situp with knees up, and def not a v-up. I consider myself to be in decent shape, but can't for the life of me do this. Perhaps it's a weak back, or fat (i'm estimating myself around 15% bodyfat)?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Yes, it is weird. It's not a weak back. It's a weak front. If you truly are at 15% body fat (which is NOT fat), it wouldn't hinder you from doing a non-anchored sit up. What kind of program are you on? What are your current PR's? What are your stats? If you're in any kind of shape, you should be able to do a sit up, anchored or not.

 

[Whisper]

It's definitely a bit odd that you can do pretty much every type of sit-up motion other than an unanchored sit-up. What exactly happens when you try? Does it actually hurt, or do you just get up to a crunch-like level of elevation and then can't go any higher?

 

[cw42]

do you just get up to a crunch-like level of elevation and then can't go any higher?

That's pretty much what happens.

I'm 5'7", 147lbs. My midsection def has some fat to it, but the rest of me is in decent shape. I don't keep good track of my stats, but to give you an overall sense, I can bench 185, and squat 225 a few times as my max. In addition to some of the other situp like motions I wrote previously, i'll also do back extensions holding a 25lbs dumbbell, and planks with a 45lbs weight on my back. I also do situps on a swiss ball, but def can't do them without my feet held down.

 

[Whisper]

That's pretty much what happens.

I'm 5'7", 147lbs. My midsection def has some fat to it, but the rest of me is in decent shape. I don't keep good track of my stats, but to give you an overall sense, I can bench 185, and squat 225 a few times as my max. In addition to some of the other situp like motions I wrote previously, i'll also do back extensions holding a 25lbs dumbbell, and planks with a 45lbs weight on my back. I also do situps on a swiss ball, but def can't do them without my feet held down.

Squats work your abs probably just as well as situps, I'd wager; if you're doing them regularly, and can do situps on a swiss ball, then it might just be a mechanical/form issue rather than underdevelopment of the abdominal muscles themselves.

Then again, I could be completely wrong.

 

[skace]

Something certainly doesn't add up.

 

[Whisper]

Something certainly doesn't add up.

Agreed. It just seems odd that the OP can do every type of sit-up-like exercise other than unanchored sit-ups. Additionally, many of the exercises listed are seemingly more difficult than regular sit-ups (e.g., leg-raises with ab straps, decline sit-ups). Which leads me to believe the problem is either mechanical (i.e., something about his body just won't let him do full sit-ups) or form-based.

 

[eits]

you have hypercontracted psoas muscles and lower weak abs and/or really hypertrophic/hypertonic lower back muscles. stretch your psoas muscles out and you should be good. there's a stretch i love for psoas, but i can't find any good images/videos... so, just go with whatever stretches you can google for your psoas muscles.

also, your form might be wrong, too. you're not supposed to lift your low back off the floor... you're supposed to just curl your rib cage up off the floor, isolating your abs and not your hip flexors.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Flexion of the leg at the hip involves a lot of the psoas muscle. This muscle can also be used to bend the trunk forward, so that's what I think is happening with all the other exercises you say you can do. Which means that your psoas major is probably really strong but your rectus abdominis is really weak.

Also, according to a bioelectric impedance analysis I have about 20% body fat and I can still do situps perfectly fine. Admittedly I can't do much, but I can still do some.

 

[katank]

Above two posters are probably right. To test out if it's strong hip flexor and weak rectus abdominis, try doing butterfly situps. This is where you put soles of your feet together in front of you and spread your knees out down to the sides. This shuts off your hip flexors and makes it more of a pure ab exercise.

 

[cw42]

Thanks for the info fellas. I'll do some research on stuff mentioned, and see what i can do.

 

[eits]

Flexion of the leg at the hip involves a lot of the psoas muscle. This muscle can also be used to bend the trunk forward, so that's what I think is happening with all the other exercises you say you can do. Which means that your psoas major is probably really strong but your rectus abdominis is really weak.

Also, according to a bioelectric impedance analysis I have about 20% body fat and I can still do situps perfectly fine. Admittedly I can't do much, but I can still do some.

this.

(i.e. basically what i said 😉)

 

[eits]

Above two posters are probably right. To test out if it's strong hip flexor and weak rectus abdominis, try doing butterfly situps. This is where you put soles of your feet together in front of you and spread your knees out down to the sides. This shuts off your hip flexors and makes it more of a pure ab exercise.

wow. that's the first i'd heard of that, believe it or not, but it makes perfect sense. definitely using that in my arsonal.

thanks!