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Why can't I do situps?

MichaelD

MichaelD

Lifer
The answer is not as easy as you think.

OK, I've been working out for one month now. I've lost a total of eight pounds so far. 🙂 Before I started hitting the machines, I could not do many situps.

I've been hitting the ab machine six days a week. You sit upright in it, with two pads against your chest. You set the pin at the appropriate weight (ie. 50, 60, 70, etc) and you push forwards, using only your abdominal muscles.

I have been doing six sets of ten reps with 100 pounds!! It's not easy, I do strain to get the last two sets done, but I do. Four weeks ago, I could only do three sets with 70 pounds, so obviously, I've progressed.

My stomach is noticeably flatter...I even have a two-pack!!! Working on the six pack. 😱

The problem is that I can only do like two more situps than I could before!!! :disgust: What is up with that? I figured I could do at least 50 by now! I'm lucky to break 25. 😱
 
You're weak. I can rack any situp machine you through at me. 😀

My friend has the strongest abs out of anyone I know. There's a lying crunch machine at our gym, and you put weights on it. It's pretty hard, I can only put on 2x 45 plates on it. Most people do it with 25 pounds. But my friend can do it a good 3 times with 270 pounds on it. 270 freaking pounds!
 
I would try doing less weight @ more reps and see if that helps. Also a lot of machines don't work the "support" muscles... they only work the major muscles. Thats why free weights are usually better imo. I've seen people who can bench their own weight or more on the bench press machine and struggle doing 20 push ups. This doesn't seem to happen to those who use the free weight bar to press.

Also, the machine you're using for your stomache... I would make sure you have the seat at the proper height. I know a lot of friends that had the chest pads too far down on their chest and had to put the weight up much higher then they could have done if they were doing it properly. Once I adjusted the seat height and the pads were further up towards their shoulders they were crying like babies and had to set the weight down 🙂
 
Try cable crunches, hanging leg raises, and some ball crunches. That machine you're using is pretty worthless imho.

Oh yea - you have to make sure you're isolating and using only your ab muscles when you do it. Lots of people think they are when they're really everything but
 
Originally posted by: MichaelD

The problem is that I can only do like two more situps than I could before!!! :disgust: What is up with that? I figured I could do at least 50 by now! I'm lucky to break 25. 😱
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The ab machine should be primarily hitting your abdominal muscles, whereas standard situps primarily use the iliopsoas. It's a different movement.

If you like, you can try doing situps on an incline board. Since most incline boards have a place to hook your ankles onto, it's also a lot easier to grab a 45-pound plate or something else heavy to hold onto while you're doing incline situps and make it a little more challenging.
 
One of the principles of fitness is Specificity. This means that in order to be really good at situps, you must do situps, as opposed to other exercises. To generalize, if you're a swimmer, the exercises you need to do relate to swimming, as opposed to, say, pushups...
 
Ah, I get it. Actually, I do have the machine setup properly. 🙂 I used to be quite fit; one kid and a second job, and 7 years later....well, I'm working on it now. 🙂

I guess I'll stop using that machine and get on the dreaded incline board....set at the lowest angle, of course. 😉 Thanks guys. My stomach thanks you, I thank you, the hordes of women that will be running their manicured fingers across my soon to be washboard abs also thank you. 😀
 
Originally posted by: Judgement
I would try doing less weight @ more reps and see if that helps. Also a lot of machines don't work the "support" muscles... they only work the major muscles. Thats why free weights are usually better imo. I've seen people who can bench their own weight or more on the bench press machine and struggle doing 20 push ups. This doesn't seem to happen to those who use the free weight bar to press.

Also, the machine you're using for your stomache... I would make sure you have the seat at the proper height. I know a lot of friends that had the chest pads too far down on their chest and had to put the weight up much higher then they could have done if they were doing it properly. Once I adjusted the seat height and the pads were further up towards their shoulders they were crying like babies and had to set the weight down 🙂
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The main difference is *endurance*. Unless you train do to 20 rep+ for bench press it is different to a normal bench press where you typically go from 6-12 rep range. You will not find many people that go for 20+reps on the bench press.

2 the machine is on *rails*. This doesn't allow you to deviate and to control it so much. You jut put all of your energy straight in to it. Even if it is at an angle you will get the energy transfer to it. You try doing this with a normal bench press the bar will fall to the side.

MichaelD you are not training for reptitions are you when you are on the machine? Read your post and you have been doing 10reps x 6 sets. Well if you are working out on 10reps you can't expect to be doing much more when you do normal sit ups. If you want to do more sit ups just do more real sit ups. The increase in weight you add for resitance will make abbs stronger per each sit ups but won't help much when it comes to numbers and endurance.

Koing

Read Astaroth33 post and it is basically like mine. Incline board is great. Remember to not *throw* your arms up to help you get up. Keep them still by our side.

Squats, deadlifts will also help you to have strong abbs. Main thing to get 6 pack abbs is your diet. Clean it up 😎

Koing
 
Doing a lot of situps just requires you to train your muscles to do a lot of them. Start off doing 25, then 2 sets of 20, then 50, 100... etc.

When I was doing my rowing training I started off with 100 crunches, and after 2 weeks I had worked all the way up to doing 1000 in a row (took for ever to do haha). It's just a matter of doing them.
 
Whatever happened to that one foreign weight lifter dude? Talkin' bout ripping people's arms off or somethin?
 
My diet is much better! NO more late nite eating. Three square meals a day. Lotsa fish and salad too. Oh...and about 99% less alcohol. 😱

I'm 6'1". In four weeks Iv'e gone from 221 to 213. 🙂

I'm going to hit that situp board tonight! Hopefully, it doesn't hit back too hard. 😱
 
Originally posted by: Sid59
more lower back, i assume.

get on the machine where you sit or stand and lean backwards against the weight.
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That machine is right next to the (apparently) useless situp machine. Ironically, I do three sets of ten reps with 260 pounds. The full rack is 280! I guess my back is OK, but my stomach is crap. 😱
 
Mike listen to Koing, he knows what he is talking about.

Case in point, I went to the gym every day over the summer, yet could not do 30 pushups in a row (not this summer). I did elliptical for 30 minutes every other day, but could not keep up with my roommate while running. Its a case of endurance as well as muscle development. Machines isolate specific muscles. Situps do not, they use the entire trunk.

Aside from that, I hope you are doing crunches rather than full sit-ups, because they are bad for your back. I read that. Do sit upd if you would like, but please dont complain about any back pain (that goes for all of you who do full sit-ups vs crunches)

NOTE: before posting I did 100 solid full sit ups, so I know a full sit up vs anything else.
 
Originally posted by: xyion
Mike listen to Koing, he knows what he is talking about.

Case in point, I went to the gym every day over the summer, yet could not do 30 pushups in a row (not this summer). I did elliptical for 30 minutes every other day, but could not keep up with my roommate while running. Its a case of endurance as well as muscle development. Machines isolate specific muscles. Situps do not, they use the entire trunk.

Aside from that, I hope you are doing crunches rather than full sit-ups, because they are bad for your back. I read that. Do sit upd if you would like, but please dont complain about any back pain (that goes for all of you who do full sit-ups vs crunches)

NOTE: before posting I did 100 solid full sit ups, so I know a full sit up vs anything else.
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"Crunches" as in "half situps"? I.E. you don't go all the way back down, you stay "contracted?"
 
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