Full sit ups?

The dojo I go to has us do some full sit-ups amongst other exercises as part of our conditioning in class. It was always my understanding from my research into general fitness that a full sit-up is not a good thing for your lower back. Can anyone comment on this?

 

By full sit-up I mean, lying on your back flat, hands above head then raising to touch toes and back down.

 

Al

If performed properly sit ups are fine and more of a "compound" ab exercise than a crunch (more musclle groups involved) but unfortunately most people cannot perform a proper sit up and so may feel it more in their lower back.

 

The hip flexors function as primary movers in a sit up as long as the weaker abdominals can hold the isometric contraction. You will feel a burn due to the isometric contraction of the weaker abdominals trying to hold the spine stable while the stronger hip flexors perform the movement. This improper form could be the reason so many people had back pain, due to the pulling on the spine by the hip flexor muscles.

 

Your martial arts instructor may believe that in doing the sit ups instead of crunches, you will be working the psoas/hip flexors more rather than the abs. Crunches tend to isolate the abdominals far more than do sit ups.

 

If anyone in your class experiences any lower back pain due to performing these sit ups than they are doing them improperly. Sometimes a rolled up towel tucked into the small of the back alleviates some of the strain.

Hi Kickchick,

 

So would full sit ups be a good strengthening excercise for the hip flexors?

 

We also do a full sit up slowly with a side to side motion kind of an arc from one side to the other. Which muscles are affected most by this?

 

Just wondering........

Thanks for the info KickChick!

 

So what is a give away that your are doing a full sit up wrong exactly?

 

Al

Well the sure give away is that you feel it in your back. Lead with your chin, do not tuck it under... and contract the abs so your back doesn't come into play.

 

Start with your back flat (important!)... on the floor, legs up as if you were sitting in a chair that fell backward. Cross your feet at your ankles and cross both arms in front of you on your chest and look straight up at the ceiling. Pick a focal point on the ceiling and focus on it. This exercise should be performed in short motions pointing your chin up at that spot on the ceiling. Your head should not move, or should move very little. Do not bring your chin into your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the floor.

 

The abdominal sit-up is performed with tight small movement. You can vary the sit-up by using the same technique and crunching from side to side. For this exercise, you should place the hand of the side you are working behind your head, elbow flat to the floor. With proper form, use your abs and the right side of your ab muscle to pull your body up, bringing your right elbow to your left knee. Do the same for the left side.

 

Depending on how close your feet are to one another the more you will work the hip flexors ... and if you spread the feet apart a bit more than shoulder width then you isolate the abs more. Try it.

 

Oh and shotochem ... I have done those in my cardio firness class. They are killers and these also work the hip flexors. I call them Rollies....

 

Sitting up, feet on floor (and to be kept there), hands together in front. Roll back to your right "cheek" leaning right and lower back without touching the floor, holding abs tight (don't let your back arch); cross over to your left "cheek" and roll up to sitting. This is like going in a giant circle. Beginners can roll on the floor, and/or push up with their elbows.

 

I add some punches: From the sitting position on the rollie, lean back, feet on floor, punch to center pressing through the knees

 

After the 8 punches, feet still on the floor, leaning back further (holding abs tight to protect the lower back ...if back bother you then you should sit more forward), twist side to side touching the elbows to the floor.

Doing situps in slow motion is also a good variation. Just kind of pretending there is a rope hanging over you and pull yourself up hand over hand using the hanging (invisible) rope.

Thanks KC, Ill try adding some punces to my routine.

 

Oh and shotochem ... I have done those in my cardio firness class. They are killers and these also work the hip flexors. I call them Rollies....

 

So, thats why my hips have been feeling better lately.....

 

I thought I might have gotten younger

 

Bending the knees during sit-ups helps neutralize the action of the hip flexors and makes the abs work more but they really are only involved in the initial phase of the sit-up, after which the hip flexors take over. In addition, doing sit-ups rapidly and with momentum, knees bent or not, does not really work the abs much. I forgot to add that you should raise raising slowly only part way which works the abs better.

 

Sit-ups also can be hazardous to your lower back, especially when using the straight leg type. This arches your back and may create strain. Twisting (right elbow to left knee and vice versa) at the top of this type of sit-up movement is not only useless, it places tremendous rotational stress on the lower back that can lead to injury.

 

According to Dr Stamford is director of the Health Promotion and Wellness Center and professor of exercise physiology in the School of Education at the University of Louisville, Kentucky

 

Correct way to do a sit up:

 

Lie on your back on a padded surface, bending your knees to about 90° with your feet flat on the floor. Don't anchor your feet, because doing so will bring leg and hip flexor muscles into the action.

 

Choose the position of your hands and arms according to your abdominal strength. The closer your hands are to your head, the more difficult sit-ups become. As a beginner, rest your hands at your sides. When you get strong, you can cross your arms across your chest. Eventually, cross your arms behind your head with each hand on the opposite shoulder if you're able.

 

Don't, however, interlace your fingers behind your head. When you do, you tend to pull on your head, which can stress the neck and cause injury. Pulling on your head also makes the abdominal muscles work less.

 

Start each movement slowly, as if you are in slow motion.

 

Focus on using your abdominal muscles only. Close your eyes and visualize the abdominal muscles tensing and shortening like slow-moving cables through a pulley that draws your shoulders and head off the floor.

 

Exhale while the abdominal muscles contract and pull you upward. This will suck the muscles inward, ensuring involvement of the deeper muscles. Inhaling may cause your abdomen to protrude, leading to overarching and strain of the lower back.

 

Stop about halfway to the upright position--about 6 to 12 inches off the floor--and tense your abdominal muscles. Hold this position briefly, then lower slowly to the floor. As the abdominal muscles begin to tire, you may not be able to rise to midway, but go as high as you can.

 

Upon returning to the starting point, touch the floor lightly with your upper back and head, keeping the abdominal muscles tense, then begin the next movement.

 

If you find that sit-ups are too demanding, try doing only the curl-down phase. Assume a sitting position by pushing yourself upward with your arms. Slowly lower to the floor, keeping your abdominal muscles tensed. Return to the up position and repeat.

 

Don't overdo it. One set of 5 properly executed sit-ups or curl downs is enough at first. Add 1 sit-up each workout until you reach 15, then add more sets. When you can do three sets of 15, change hand positions to add resistance

Thanks for the info KickChick.

 

They do make us do full situps in my classes. Hands above head, back flat no bend in legs and as fast as you can to them. I however don't have lower back pain unless they follow them with what they call supermans. Switch to fron hold hands and legs off the ground with only abs on the ground. These really bug me as I figure they are just plain masochistic with little real benefit.

 

Al

You're welcome aes!

 

...I can actually think of far better ways of being masochistic to yourself and including some physical benefits at least!