Do sit ups work ?
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sjohnson__1 wrote: »Isolation holds are most effective, IMO. The core is a stabilizer... Maintaining tension throughout the movement (whatever the movement) is very important. Crunches will work the upper abdominals, hanging knee raises and leg raises (as you progress) will smash the lower abdominals. However, that's not all there is. Planks are great for working the transverse abdominis (the muscle underneath the "six pack" abdominal muscles, used primarily for stability and support for the spine). Also, as mentioned above, I would suggest everyone work their way up to performing ab-rollouts on a regular basis with good form. For most people, this movement takes time to get down. Start with a basic knee plank with a med ball under your elbows. Roll the med ball out so your torso is extended and come back to start. And eventually you'll be able to work up to push-up plank walk outs followed by the ab rollout.
There are no upper and lower abdominals...0 -
Abs are made in the kitchen... took me too many years to figure that out0
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I have to be good at situps since they are part of the Army Physical Fitness Test. For the first couple years of my enlistment they were my worst category. last January I started doing the 300 ab workout after each gym workout which is a combination of several crunch variants and other ab workouts. By June I was coming within a couple situps of maxing out that category.0
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stevencloser wrote: »sjohnson__1 wrote: »Isolation holds are most effective, IMO. The core is a stabilizer... Maintaining tension throughout the movement (whatever the movement) is very important. Crunches will work the upper abdominals, hanging knee raises and leg raises (as you progress) will smash the lower abdominals. However, that's not all there is. Planks are great for working the transverse abdominis (the muscle underneath the "six pack" abdominal muscles, used primarily for stability and support for the spine). Also, as mentioned above, I would suggest everyone work their way up to performing ab-rollouts on a regular basis with good form. For most people, this movement takes time to get down. Start with a basic knee plank with a med ball under your elbows. Roll the med ball out so your torso is extended and come back to start. And eventually you'll be able to work up to push-up plank walk outs followed by the ab rollout.
There are no upper and lower abdominals...
LOL. True... but different movements will work different areas of the rectus abdominis more directly. Just like certain movements and angles do when working pectoralis major -- incline bench, decline bench, flat bench.
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The only people who should be doing situps are those who have to pass a physical fitness test for military, law enforcement, etc...and really, I hope these organizations come to the conclusion that it's really a waste of an exercise.
With both sit-ups and traditional crunches, you're working your hip flexors more than anything...people also "curl" their backs and put a lot of stress on their necks with these exercises.
If you're going to do crunches, do them on a bosu or exercise ball or a declined bench and make sure you keep your back straight and don't pull on your neck. Planks are a great core workout and there are numerous others. That said, I wouldn't put all of my energies into a bunch of direct core/ab work...you're going to be far better off doing compound movements with some core isolation at the end of your workout than you are doing endless isolation stuff.
Also keep in mind that core work isn't going to spot reduce fat...it's not going to flatten your stomach...losing fat in general is the only thing that is going to do that.0 -
All great info! Interesting read and opinions here.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »The only people who should be doing situps are those who have to pass a physical fitness test for military, law enforcement, etc...and really, I hope these organizations come to the conclusion that it's really a waste of an exercise.
With both sit-ups and traditional crunches, you're working your hip flexors more than anything...people also "curl" their backs and put a lot of stress on their necks with these exercises.
If you're going to do crunches, do them on a bosu or exercise ball or a declined bench and make sure you keep your back straight and don't pull on your neck. Planks are a great core workout and there are numerous others. That said, I wouldn't put all of my energies into a bunch of direct core/ab work...you're going to be far better off doing compound movements with some core isolation at the end of your workout than you are doing endless isolation stuff.
Also keep in mind that core work isn't going to spot reduce fat...it's not going to flatten your stomach...losing fat in general is the only thing that is going to do that.
There have been ongoing talks in the Army about changing the APFT to a more performance based test, buddy carrying, shuttle runs, stuff like that instead of pushups/situps/running. I personally hope they do change. In my last unit there was a guy who was 5'0" who could churn out pushups and situps like nobody's business, but me being 6'4", both having a longer distance to push/curl and more weight to move, has a harder time doing these exercises. However, i'm confident that i'm overall a stronger person and would have an easier time pulling someone wearing full combat armor out of a fire fight if need be. Plus, you get a lot of leaders who just PT for the test, and ignore other muscle groups like the back (my favorite to workout), legs, abs, etc. Rant over
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cwolfman13 wrote: »The only people who should be doing situps are those who have to pass a physical fitness test for military, law enforcement, etc...and really, I hope these organizations come to the conclusion that it's really a waste of an exercise.
With both sit-ups and traditional crunches, you're working your hip flexors more than anything...people also "curl" their backs and put a lot of stress on their necks with these exercises.
If you're going to do crunches, do them on a bosu or exercise ball or a declined bench and make sure you keep your back straight and don't pull on your neck. Planks are a great core workout and there are numerous others. That said, I wouldn't put all of my energies into a bunch of direct core/ab work...you're going to be far better off doing compound movements with some core isolation at the end of your workout than you are doing endless isolation stuff.
Also keep in mind that core work isn't going to spot reduce fat...it's not going to flatten your stomach...losing fat in general is the only thing that is going to do that.
BINGO..
For me, it's all compound movements + a few iso movements.
(I rotate between hanging leg raises, hanging knee raises, ab-rollouts and weighted cable crunches. For obliques I do unilateral farmers carries. Nothing rigorous, maybe 2-3x a week on the isolation movements.)0 -
sjohnson__1 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »sjohnson__1 wrote: »Isolation holds are most effective, IMO. The core is a stabilizer... Maintaining tension throughout the movement (whatever the movement) is very important. Crunches will work the upper abdominals, hanging knee raises and leg raises (as you progress) will smash the lower abdominals. However, that's not all there is. Planks are great for working the transverse abdominis (the muscle underneath the "six pack" abdominal muscles, used primarily for stability and support for the spine). Also, as mentioned above, I would suggest everyone work their way up to performing ab-rollouts on a regular basis with good form. For most people, this movement takes time to get down. Start with a basic knee plank with a med ball under your elbows. Roll the med ball out so your torso is extended and come back to start. And eventually you'll be able to work up to push-up plank walk outs followed by the ab rollout.
There are no upper and lower abdominals...
lol, just like there's no "upper and lower" pec... but different workouts will work different areas more directly. ie: incline bench, decline bench, flat bench...
Pectoralis major is made up of 3 parts that are layered top to bottom, going from your shoulder to your sternum.
Rectus abdomnis is one singular muscle each on the left and right side of your navel going from below your chest downwards to your crotch. There can't physically be an "upper and lower" part to it any more than there can be an upper and lower biceps.
The separation into a 6-8 pack is due to connective tissue located on top of it.0 -
I love planking. Sit-ups and crunches do nothing for me (interest wise).0
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Hm, weird, the English wiki article says pectoralis major only has 2 heads, the German one says 3.0
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stevencloser wrote: »sjohnson__1 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »sjohnson__1 wrote: »Isolation holds are most effective, IMO. The core is a stabilizer... Maintaining tension throughout the movement (whatever the movement) is very important. Crunches will work the upper abdominals, hanging knee raises and leg raises (as you progress) will smash the lower abdominals. However, that's not all there is. Planks are great for working the transverse abdominis (the muscle underneath the "six pack" abdominal muscles, used primarily for stability and support for the spine). Also, as mentioned above, I would suggest everyone work their way up to performing ab-rollouts on a regular basis with good form. For most people, this movement takes time to get down. Start with a basic knee plank with a med ball under your elbows. Roll the med ball out so your torso is extended and come back to start. And eventually you'll be able to work up to push-up plank walk outs followed by the ab rollout.
There are no upper and lower abdominals...
lol, just like there's no "upper and lower" pec... but different workouts will work different areas more directly. ie: incline bench, decline bench, flat bench...
Pectoralis major is made up of 3 parts that are layered top to bottom, going from your shoulder to your sternum.
Rectus abdomnis is one singular muscle each on the left and right side of your navel going from below your chest downwards to your crotch. There can't physically be an "upper and lower" part to it any more than there can be an upper and lower biceps.
The separation into a 6-8 pack is due to connective tissue located on top of it.
I understand the anatomy. I was just of the thought that it's possible to target the upper portion of the rectus abdominis in a way that requires more activity in that region than in the lower region of the muscle. I understand it being a single muscle means you can't isolate one region of the muscle without some activation throughout the entire part... Sounds to me like you're saying that's not possible?0 -
sjohnson__1 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »sjohnson__1 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »sjohnson__1 wrote: »Isolation holds are most effective, IMO. The core is a stabilizer... Maintaining tension throughout the movement (whatever the movement) is very important. Crunches will work the upper abdominals, hanging knee raises and leg raises (as you progress) will smash the lower abdominals. However, that's not all there is. Planks are great for working the transverse abdominis (the muscle underneath the "six pack" abdominal muscles, used primarily for stability and support for the spine). Also, as mentioned above, I would suggest everyone work their way up to performing ab-rollouts on a regular basis with good form. For most people, this movement takes time to get down. Start with a basic knee plank with a med ball under your elbows. Roll the med ball out so your torso is extended and come back to start. And eventually you'll be able to work up to push-up plank walk outs followed by the ab rollout.
There are no upper and lower abdominals...
lol, just like there's no "upper and lower" pec... but different workouts will work different areas more directly. ie: incline bench, decline bench, flat bench...
Pectoralis major is made up of 3 parts that are layered top to bottom, going from your shoulder to your sternum.
Rectus abdomnis is one singular muscle each on the left and right side of your navel going from below your chest downwards to your crotch. There can't physically be an "upper and lower" part to it any more than there can be an upper and lower biceps.
The separation into a 6-8 pack is due to connective tissue located on top of it.
I understand the anatomy. I was just of the thought that it's possible to target the upper portion of the rectus abdominis in a way that requires more activity in that region than in the lower region of the muscle. I understand it being a single muscle means you can't isolate one region of the muscle without some activation throughout the entire part... Sounds to me like you're saying that's not possible?
To my understanding of how muscle contraction works, it's not possible to only activate half of a muscle head or activate one half more than the other. When it contracts, it contracts.0 -
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stevencloser wrote: »sjohnson__1 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »sjohnson__1 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »sjohnson__1 wrote: »Isolation holds are most effective, IMO. The core is a stabilizer... Maintaining tension throughout the movement (whatever the movement) is very important. Crunches will work the upper abdominals, hanging knee raises and leg raises (as you progress) will smash the lower abdominals. However, that's not all there is. Planks are great for working the transverse abdominis (the muscle underneath the "six pack" abdominal muscles, used primarily for stability and support for the spine). Also, as mentioned above, I would suggest everyone work their way up to performing ab-rollouts on a regular basis with good form. For most people, this movement takes time to get down. Start with a basic knee plank with a med ball under your elbows. Roll the med ball out so your torso is extended and come back to start. And eventually you'll be able to work up to push-up plank walk outs followed by the ab rollout.
There are no upper and lower abdominals...
lol, just like there's no "upper and lower" pec... but different workouts will work different areas more directly. ie: incline bench, decline bench, flat bench...
Pectoralis major is made up of 3 parts that are layered top to bottom, going from your shoulder to your sternum.
Rectus abdomnis is one singular muscle each on the left and right side of your navel going from below your chest downwards to your crotch. There can't physically be an "upper and lower" part to it any more than there can be an upper and lower biceps.
The separation into a 6-8 pack is due to connective tissue located on top of it.
I understand the anatomy. I was just of the thought that it's possible to target the upper portion of the rectus abdominis in a way that requires more activity in that region than in the lower region of the muscle. I understand it being a single muscle means you can't isolate one region of the muscle without some activation throughout the entire part... Sounds to me like you're saying that's not possible?
To my understanding of how muscle contraction works, it's not possible to only activate half of a muscle head or activate one half more than the other. When it contracts, it contracts.
+1 - I appreciate the discussion.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »The only people who should be doing situps are those who have to pass a physical fitness test for military, law enforcement, etc...and really, I hope these organizations come to the conclusion that it's really a waste of an exercise.
With both sit-ups and traditional crunches, you're working your hip flexors more than anything...people also "curl" their backs and put a lot of stress on their necks with these exercises.
If you're going to do crunches, do them on a bosu or exercise ball or a declined bench and make sure you keep your back straight and don't pull on your neck. Planks are a great core workout and there are numerous others. That said, I wouldn't put all of my energies into a bunch of direct core/ab work...you're going to be far better off doing compound movements with some core isolation at the end of your workout than you are doing endless isolation stuff.
Also keep in mind that core work isn't going to spot reduce fat...it's not going to flatten your stomach...losing fat in general is the only thing that is going to do that.
I did an assessment at the Human Performance lab of a local university. Part of the assessment was sit ups. Even though I hadn't done sit ups for years (favoring ab rollouts and compound movements) I got enough sit ups on the test to be in the top 1% for my age group.
I would practice if I had a job where I had to pass a sit up test, but they would not be my go to exercise.0 -
If you're bad at planking, that means your core isn't very strong. How to get better at planking? Plank! You won't get better at it if you don't do it. Just keep doing it until you can hold it for longer and longer and longer.
I used to barely be able to hold a plank for 20 seconds. Now I do 60-second intervals (though I could do more...it gets boring after awhile) with a 10lb weight on my back. Practice makes perfect.0 -
LyndseyLovesToLift wrote: »If you're bad at planking, that means your core isn't very strong. How to get better at planking? Plank! You won't get better at it if you don't do it. Just keep doing it until you can hold it for longer and longer and longer.
I used to barely be able to hold a plank for 20 seconds. Now I do 60-second intervals (though I could do more...it gets boring after awhile) with a 10lb weight on my back. Practice makes perfect.
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gleesonstacey wrote: »LyndseyLovesToLift wrote: »If you're bad at planking, that means your core isn't very strong. How to get better at planking? Plank! You won't get better at it if you don't do it. Just keep doing it until you can hold it for longer and longer and longer.
I used to barely be able to hold a plank for 20 seconds. Now I do 60-second intervals (though I could do more...it gets boring after awhile) with a 10lb weight on my back. Practice makes perfect.
Hi no my core isn't very strong because I had a cesarean ten weeks ago and they cut through my stomach muscles. I am cleared to exercise but will take time to regain strength0 -
Thank-you everyone for replying to my question, it's still early days for me because I did only have a baby ten weeks ago but I'm just very impatient. I will continue to exercise daily though and I know in time I'll be strong again and thank-you for the info
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