i can't do situps???

BeautyFromPain
BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
edited December 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Really trying to work on my core strength, I can only do tiny crunches and bicycle crunches, and have been working on it since february with school and seem to not be able to do them no matter what!

I do have scoliosis and hold all my extra weight around my middle?
Not sure if that has something to do with it.. someone please help?

ETA: I am doing a Personal Training course so it is vital that I can do them!!
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Replies

  • dellieve
    dellieve Posts: 35 Member
    I was more just tubby and had the same issue, could not do them and had to focus on just crunches.

    A trick that got me into situps, was using a weight to hold your feet down to start with.

    I was doing them at the gym, and put a 10kg weight on my feet, and within 2 weeks I was able to do full situps without using the weight.

    Hope that helps
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
    try planks to start (elbow or high)

    Google up the form, it's an unreal ab workout and better for your back.
  • kailaburch89
    kailaburch89 Posts: 69 Member
    I started with my feet under the cupboard and about a week ago I accidently found my legs were too bent, I had my knees too close to me and too much of an angle, I straightened them out some and now I can do sit ups WITHOUT the cupboard on my feet, try moving your legs around some :) I also sometimes have to use my arms :)
  • trail_rnr
    trail_rnr Posts: 337 Member
    Be careful with situps with your back (since you already have problems). Situps are hard on the spine; every time you "crunch", you compress the vertebrae. There are many, many other core exercises out there that are better for people with compromised spines. Planks and bridges are two very simple ones you can start with. In my house we're fond of the Foundation program. Google "Foundation core exercises". It made a huge difference for my hubby; the results have been pretty surprising!
  • daves160
    daves160 Posts: 600
    Try getting some ankle weights. Keep going, you will be able to do them. Don't give up! I had the same problem. After losing some upper body weight...and perseverance, I can now do them without a problem.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    try planks to start (elbow or high)

    Google up the form, it's an unreal ab workout and better for your back.

    I can do planks and prone hold both for up to 4 minutes.
    I need to be able to do situps because I am in training to become a CPT and gym instructor and can't really instruct an exercise I can't do myself?
  • bangersnmash90
    bangersnmash90 Posts: 78 Member
    You could try Jilian Micheals 30 Day Shred, it works on a ton of different muscles and slowly moves you up in terms of difficulty. I couldn't do a proper sit up before I started th 30DS but it's a move you do in the 3rd level and I managed it first time, the same with push ups etc, I couldn't even do girlie ones very well but now I am so so close to being able to do a 'proper' one.

    The DVD is pretty cheap too!
  • dolldreams
    dolldreams Posts: 245 Member
    I have scoliosis too. When I joined the Army, I couldn't do one single sit up. My muscles had just never been trained to do one so I had no idea how to even call on those muscles to sit up.

    I practiced sit ups in my bunk at night. The soft surface really helped. I ended up being able to do upwards of 50 sit ups in 2 minutes.

    That was about 13 years ago and I still do situps in bed. I can do them on the floor too but in bed is great because of the softer surface it really takes a lot of pressure off the spine.

    Not sure how bad your curvature is but mine is real close to 20 degrees and exercise has done nothing but helped.
  • sars_68
    sars_68 Posts: 308 Member
    Would a 'frame' help? That's what I use although I'm not sure what they're actually called! They're not too expensive either.

    S x
  • sailorsiren13
    sailorsiren13 Posts: 460
    Pilates is great for this as well it works the core and your whole body
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    You could try Jilian Micheals 30 Day Shred, it works on a ton of different muscles and slowly moves you up in terms of difficulty. I couldn't do a proper sit up before I started th 30DS but it's a move you do in the 3rd level and I managed it first time, the same with push ups etc, I couldn't even do girlie ones very well but now I am so so close to being able to do a 'proper' one.

    The DVD is pretty cheap too!

    I don't understand why...

    I can do pushups, crunches, planks and prone holds. I run and dance most days and do yoga and pilates.
  • antypim89
    antypim89 Posts: 31 Member
    I think like other people have already said just to keep practising to build strength little by little but also may think about some other training as whilst sit up may strengthen the core they do not burn that much belly fat unfortunately. This is something that has plagued my body ambitions.

    You can do squats make sure they are correct i.e. stance and posture since your gluts are the biggest muscle in the body they metabolise fat and calories at a faster rate then just the smaller ab muscles. Then progress to adding squats and another complimentry exercise such as a knee lift and it should burn even more fat.

    Anyway Good Luck, just be careful you dont hurt yourself
  • DiannaMoorer
    DiannaMoorer Posts: 783 Member
    You'll just have to work at it. I have scoliosis and do lots of full sit ups. Keep a weight on your feet,knees up and grunt loud!! If you can't quite get to your knees take your hands and grip the leg close to the knee and give yourself an assist by pulling. also momentum helps a lot and don't forget the grunting!
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    I think like other people have already said just to keep practising to build strength little by little but also may think about some other training as whilst sit up may strengthen the core they do not burn that much belly fat unfortunately. This is something that has plagued my body ambitions.

    You can do squats make sure they are correct i.e. stance and posture since your gluts are the biggest muscle in the body they metabolise fat and calories at a faster rate then just the smaller ab muscles. Then progress to adding squats and another complimentry exercise such as a knee lift and it should burn even more fat.

    Anyway Good Luck, just be careful you dont hurt yourself

    I do weight train 3-4 times a week full body plus run and dance and yoga on other days. I want to do situps because I am in training to become a CPT and can't instruct an exercise I cannot do...
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Something that helped with do full sit ups was to hold a weight in my hands (medicine ball or hand weight), raise it over my head and then bring it forward as I sat up - the extra leverage made all the difference. After doing it that way for a while, I'm now able to do sit ups with out the weight as an assist. Keep practicing and working on it and give your muscles some time to get stronger.

    Please just be careful of your form and listen to your body's signals so you're not hurting yourself.
  • WILSONBA
    WILSONBA Posts: 197
    I have scoliosis at 20 degrees curve and i find the more i train the better my back feels. just keep working on them and you'll get it, like everyone says use weights to hold you down or tuck your feet under something. they also have machines at the gym that train your muscles to work.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    situps are pretty rough on your back anyway.

    I'd just find some other excercises to do. I like leg raises but they can be a bit rough on the lower back as well.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    situps are pretty rough on your back anyway.

    I'd just find some other excercises to do. I like leg raises but they can be a bit rough on the lower back as well.
    i need to be able to do them for school...
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    i need to be able to do them for school...

    sorry I just now noticed that part of your post.
    Without seeing how you do them I don't know if it's a form issue, or if it's because of the scoliosis.

    I would just work on keeping your core tight and do your best to get them, even if you have to cheat the movement a bit at first.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    I have scoliosis too. When I joined the Army, I couldn't do one single sit up. My muscles had just never been trained to do one so I had no idea how to even call on those muscles to sit up.

    I practiced sit ups in my bunk at night. The soft surface really helped. I ended up being able to do upwards of 50 sit ups in 2 minutes.

    That was about 13 years ago and I still do situps in bed. I can do them on the floor too but in bed is great because of the softer surface it really takes a lot of pressure off the spine.

    Not sure how bad your curvature is but mine is real close to 20 degrees and exercise has done nothing but helped.

    Thanks for this! I tried doing situps in my bed but couldn't do it all the way up so put a pillow under my back so am slightly raised... I know it's cheating but over time hopefully I'll be able to remove the pillow
  • Raddichio
    Raddichio Posts: 162 Member
    I can't even do crunches---haven't been able to do either crunches or situps for the last thirty years. I had three c-sections and a couple other abdominal surgeries before I was thirty. My last pregnancy was a multiple birth with many complications, necessitating 3 months in the hospital, confined to bed. I grew so big due to the complications that my skin literally cracked and bled. Not a pretty sight, and thirty years later my abdomen is still not a pretty sight. I have been exercising and trying to strengthen the core, but I have put on the extra weight in the midsection and between that and my virtual absence of muscle tone, I'm not able to do crunches at all. I've been very discouraged, but I just keep trying, as well as doing other ab work and hope that as the weight continues to come off and I continue to exercise, that there will be some improvement. I know my squats and lunges have gotten better, so I can hope, can't I?

    I think the idea of ankle weights is a very good one. I'm going to try that when trying to do crunches, as I seem to end up flailing around on the floor doing nothing---maybe it will stablize me a bit. I hope that some of the ideas here help you to achieve your goal.
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    Crunches and sit-ups are pretty pointless, from what I've read, unless you add some resistance to them somehow. Planks and even push-ups are good body-weight exercises, and you get a surprising amount of core strength doing heavy barbell squats. You'd think those were mainly leg exercises, but the abs and back have to be pretty tight to stabilize and balance the weight.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Crunches and sit-ups are pretty pointless, from what I've read, unless you add some resistance to them somehow. Planks and even push-ups are good body-weight exercises, and you get a surprising amount of core strength doing heavy barbell squats. You'd think those were mainly leg exercises, but the abs and back have to be pretty tight to stabilize and balance the weight.

    Sigh. Another person which does not read.
    I do planks and prone holds. I do squats and lunges. I do pushups. I do a full body weights program.
    I am in training to become a Personal Trainer and cannot instruct someone on an exercise if I myself cannot demonstrate it to them.
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
    I can't do sit ups with my knees bent but I can when I have my legs out straight. Maybe try that and see if helps? Maybe you can build up to the 'real' sit up.

    It does sound daft.... I know I wasn't expecting to be able to do it. But 3 years of not being able to do them, and now I can. I have a strong core, flat stomach so no weight getting in my way. I'm honestly sure I'm just not built to be able to do it.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Im doing a 'core strength' class and the trainer has the people who can't do sit-up drop their knees to the sides and put a kettle bell on their feet - maybe that'll help?

    Edited to add: I googled, they are called butterfly situps.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loo2zeMPyXA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
  • hanniejong
    hanniejong Posts: 556 Member
    I can't do them either but what my personal trainer told me was in stead of sitting up. it up and lean back as far as you can go, it achieves the same thing
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    I can't do them either but what my personal trainer told me was in stead of sitting up. it up and lean back as far as you can go, it achieves the same thing

    facepalm read the ACTUAL post rather than just the headline
  • LiftHuff
    LiftHuff Posts: 131
    http://startingstrength.com/articles/abs_rippetoe.pdf

    Situps are silly.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    For what it is worth, sit-ups aren't a great core exercise. You get a lot more bang for your buck doing stabilzation exercises (planks) and rotational exercises (weighted russian twists). I spend a lot of time in the gym and I've never seen a trainer have a client do a sit up.
  • RumOne
    RumOne Posts: 266 Member
    I have scoliosis too. When I joined the Army, I couldn't do one single sit up. My muscles had just never been trained to do one so I had no idea how to even call on those muscles to sit up.

    I practiced sit ups in my bunk at night. The soft surface really helped. I ended up being able to do upwards of 50 sit ups in 2 minutes.

    That was about 13 years ago and I still do situps in bed. I can do them on the floor too but in bed is great because of the softer surface it really takes a lot of pressure off the spine.

    Not sure how bad your curvature is but mine is real close to 20 degrees and exercise has done nothing but helped.

    This! I also do them on a fitness ball which helps strengthen your core and is a soft surface for your spine.
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