Are sit ups good or bad?

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Replies

  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member

    2) Wendler is talking to people who are already Intermediate lifters and have a certain baseline of lifting under their belt. I wouldn't advise them for untrained individuals or beginners.

    Well the President made us do them for his test in gym class! No fair.

    Politicians, eh?

    Maggie Thatcher never made me do anything like that when I were a lad.... but she did take away free school milk, I seem to remember?
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member

    2) Wendler is talking to people who are already Intermediate lifters and have a certain baseline of lifting under their belt. I wouldn't advise them for untrained individuals or beginners.

    Well the President made us do them for his test in gym class! No fair.

    Politicians, eh?

    Maggie Thatcher never made me do anything like that when I were a lad.... but she did take away free school milk, I seem to remember?

    Yeah, we had the Presidential fitness tests every year. Had to run a mile, do pullups, sit ups, etc.... I dreaded that day every year.
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
    I have had so much conflicting information on sit ups that I honestly don't know whether they are beneficial or harmful, please can someone enlighten me.

    Also - if they are harmful, what is a better alternative?

    There is never anything harmful about wanting a stronger core. Your core helps support your back and your body. There are a lot of things you use your core for so again, wanting a stronger core isn't a bad thing.

    I do a variety of crunches, planks etc. every other day.
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    I think the key here is the OP question. She is asking about sit ups. Lots of people are referencing crunches. I also believe a lot of people now days think crunches are sit ups. There is a big difference. Pretty much every person I talk to in the fitness industry says sit ups are now frowned upon because it is so easy to cause injury.

    As others have posted, for strengthening core, compound lifts and planks are the best form of exercise. Also, as others have said, to get definition you need to have less body fat percentage and that is done in the kitchen, not in the gym.
  • arrseegee
    arrseegee Posts: 575 Member

    2) Wendler is talking to people who are already Intermediate lifters and have a certain baseline of lifting under their belt. I wouldn't advise them for untrained individuals or beginners.

    Well the President made us do them for his test in gym class! No fair.

    Politicians, eh?

    Maggie Thatcher never made me do anything like that when I were a lad.... but she did take away free school milk, I seem to remember?

    Yeah, we had the Presidential fitness tests every year. Had to run a mile, do pullups, sit ups, etc.... I dreaded that day every year.

    Which lucky president got the day from hell named after them? I'm not convinced the last two would have been able to do either situps OR pullups!
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member

    2) Wendler is talking to people who are already Intermediate lifters and have a certain baseline of lifting under their belt. I wouldn't advise them for untrained individuals or beginners.

    Well the President made us do them for his test in gym class! No fair.

    Politicians, eh?

    Maggie Thatcher never made me do anything like that when I were a lad.... but she did take away free school milk, I seem to remember?

    Yeah, we had the Presidential fitness tests every year. Had to run a mile, do pullups, sit ups, etc.... I dreaded that day every year.

    Which lucky president got the day from hell named after them? I'm not convinced the last two would have been able to do either situps OR pullups!

    Initiated under a Ford program, AFAIK
  • hazeljordan1974
    hazeljordan1974 Posts: 107 Member
    Thank you everyone.

    I will continue with sit ups - but will ensure that I engage my core. I will also add in the plank (which I loathe).
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
    Sit-ups with the intention to "tone" your belly and "spot reduce" fat = bad/pointless.
    Sit-ups with the intention to strengthen your core through a progressive dynamic movement = good.

    Just try not to do them off the floor, could hurt your tailbone iirc
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    I think they're good if you add some weight to them. I like doing with a weight behind my head either on the floor or a decline bench. If you do them weighted and you don't feel them working your abs then you're doing something wrong.
  • hazeljordan1974
    hazeljordan1974 Posts: 107 Member
    I think they're good if you add some weight to them. I like doing with a weight behind my head either on the floor or a decline bench. If you do them weighted and you don't feel them working your abs then you're doing something wrong.

    I was trying them weighted (a 5lb weight across my chest) and did feel it in my abs and rest of my core.

    I am doing them on a mat as I feel sure I will fall off a Swiss ball!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    I think they're good if you add some weight to them. I like doing with a weight behind my head either on the floor or a decline bench. If you do them weighted and you don't feel them working your abs then you're doing something wrong.

    I was trying them weighted (a 5lb weight across my chest) and did feel it in my abs and rest of my core.

    I am doing them on a mat as I feel sure I will fall off a Swiss ball!

    you won't. trust me.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVBddP5oW8Y

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imui46JTe7s

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