Sit ups.. help!

alondrasilva10

I just had a baby about 4 months ago. Since then I have been focussing on getting back to my pre pregnancy weight (135lbs/ I am 5ft 7in tall) and I am only 3 pounds away. I'm not sure if it's fat.. or the extra skin from having a baby but my belly does not look as thin as it did pre-baby. My husband said I should try doing sit ups.. but I can't do a sit up to save my life.

My question is, do you think it will help doing situps to get my belly a little more 'tighter'? and if so, how should I start? Do I start with one sit up today and then try doing two sit ups tomorrow?

I'm not kidding though.. I really cannot do not one proper sit up. You wouldn't know that by looking at me.. it's so sad.
All advice/tips are welcomed.

JenMc14

You have to lose the fat. If it's lose skin, you have to give it time to bounce back. TO strengthen the core, do planks and variations. Do compounde xercises such as squats and deadlifts. You can even fo crunches. I wouldn't do sit-ups. The closest thing I've done to a sit-up since school PE is some stuff in a Pilates workout.

AnninStPaul

I have had far more success with planks than with sit-ups or crunches. And they take less time per workout. It took nine months for your body to build and stretch that extra skin, give it a few more to bounce back.

canelly

You have to lose the fat. If it's lose skin, you have to give it time to bounce back. TO strengthen the core, do planks and variations. Do compounde xercises such as squats and deadlifts. You can even fo crunches. I wouldn't do sit-ups. The closest thing I've done to a sit-up since school PE is some stuff in a Pilates workout.

Exactly!! Lose some body fat first and strengthen your core.

<~~ I got that flat belly and I haven't done one single sit up. I also have 2 kids but my baby is 5 yrs old.

LoraF83

You have to lose the fat. If it's lose skin, you have to give it time to bounce back. TO strengthen the core, do planks and variations. Do compounde xercises such as squats and deadlifts. You can even fo crunches. I wouldn't do sit-ups. The closest thing I've done to a sit-up since school PE is some stuff in a Pilates workout.

Yep.

khall86790

You have to lose the fat. If it's lose skin, you have to give it time to bounce back. TO strengthen the core, do planks and variations. Do compounde xercises such as squats and deadlifts. You can even fo crunches. I wouldn't do sit-ups. The closest thing I've done to a sit-up since school PE is some stuff in a Pilates workout.

^ This.
If you want to follow a routine why don't you try Jillian Michaels 6 weeks 6 pack? It works the whole body but targets your ab muscles for a lot of the moves.
And if you don't want to, I'd watch that video and a few other ab videos (blogilates.com has a lot of ab targeted workouts) to get an idea of moves you can do and then create your own!

Abells

Compound lifting will strengthen the core. forget sit-ups

squats, DL's, OH presses. Things that require balance

norrisski

crunches, exercise ball crunches, planks, swimming (have to tighten the stomach to swim), air bikes. My abds are still a work in progress but those are what are helping me and i can stick to them.

saxmaniac

The only sit-ups I find impossible are the ones where your feet aren't anchored... jeez, I'm really weak!

Other than that, your core must be very weak. I would look into pushups and maybe planks if you can't do an anchored pushup.

moment_to_arise

definitely try squats, deadlifts like other have recommended, try looking into strong lifts 5x5 (i just started and i know it sounds impossible but a week in i am already noticing a visual difference). you want compound total body strengthening to tighten everything up. plus it wont hurt your butt and thighs either

AmyMgetsfit

I have to tell you, I am 58 years young and I love my 3lb hula hoop. I do at least a half hour every other day. I could do it longer if I didn't get tired from being on one spot. I can tell my core is stronger and I am starting to see some definition in my ab area. I had to work up to the amount of time because having 3lbs hit your middle for very long in the beginning can cause some slight bruising until you can get that area a little stronger. I started out at 5 minutes every 2 days, until it didn't hurt so much.

jacksonpt

this...

You have to lose the fat. If it's lose skin, you have to give it time to bounce back.

and this...

Compound lifting will strengthen the core. forget sit-ups

squats, DL's, OH presses. Things that require balance

alondrasilva10

You have to lose the fat.

Maybe this is a stupid question.. but haven't I already lost fat by losing weight?? If not, how do I lose fat?

saxmaniac

If you want *skin* tightness there's nothing you can do but lower your overall bodyfat % more. Everyone says "you can't spot-reduce" fat. It's not about losing pounds on the scale.

If you want the belly to poke out less, then working your core will definitely help - there's lots of people who've had amazing results with things like the 30DS reducing the waist size dramatically. Some of that might be newb gains, and some might be posture improvement, but it all counts.

cattrill

You have to lose the fat. If it's lose skin, you have to give it time to bounce back. TO strengthen the core, do planks and variations. Do compounde xercises such as squats and deadlifts. You can even fo crunches. I wouldn't do sit-ups. The closest thing I've done to a sit-up since school PE is some stuff in a Pilates workout.

Exactly!! Lose some body fat first and strengthen your core.

<~~ I got that flat belly and I haven't done one single sit up. I also have 2 kids but my baby is 5 yrs old.

What core exercises have you been doing/how often/how much? Sorry for so many questions but you clearly know what you are doing