see here wrote:
i do 50 a day and no, i've got like a 2-pack. it doesn't work that way.
Yep, I do on average 250 no less than every other day, sometimes every day, and I've got more of a keg.
OK, maybe not quite that bad, but there not much definition at all, cuz I'm a fatty.
Didnt German do something like 300 sit ups and 100 pushups a night or something down those lines? In no way am I suggesting thats why he runs fast. Just looking to confirm this.
Dave Wottle wrote:
sit ups arent going to help you with running. A strong core is important in running and maintaining good economic form but do bridges and dynamic excercises, not sit ups. ps you can do all the ab work you want but diet and running will get you a six pack
"Good economic form". What, like keeping your back straight while you sit and balance your checkbook?
If you want to develop abs that stand out you might as well actually train them to get larger also. I use hanging leg raises with ankle weights. Typically I do chin-ups with legs held at 90 degrees.
Check out some of the training exercises that guys training to perform a "human flag" do.
You can actually develop an 8 pack btw.
just run baby
50 and no, to answer both your questions.
Who the hell still does sit ups?
Various types of crunches isolate the abs rather than stressing the hip flexors and the lower back.
as the adage goes, abs are made in the kitchen.
do NOT do situps if ur a distance runner.
u will develope severe back problems.
distance runners who do any situps will develops back problems because our abs become stronger than our back is, and unless u do a LARGE repertoire of back bends and back extentions, then ur situps can leave u permanently injured, even crippled.
The Overseer wrote:
Various types of crunches isolate the abs rather than stressing the hip flexors and the lower back.
yeah, I don't like situps because it doesn't seem to work my abs as much as it should. They basically just make my hip flexors sore.
I would suggest doing 6 inches (lay totally flat on the grand, back down, raise legs off ground so that heels are 6 inches off the ground, hold for however long you can. Try not to put your hands under you butt. To make it more difficult, put your hands behind your head while performing the exercise).
You could also do crunches, or leg raises by hanging on a pull-up bar
200-250 per day every other day, usually in sets of 50-60 at different times during the day:
early AM
mid AM
lunch
early PM
later PM
I had some sciatica, and it appears to be abating a bit
with this routine. I'm not certain how many I'll max
out at.
Any suggestions? It's become akin to brushing my teeth, part of the daily routine. I alternate days with 200-250
pushups. I've gotten CRAZY with the pushups, up to 530 in
one day, however I tend to get headaches the next day or two with that high a number.
The Overseer wrote:
Who the hell still does sit ups?
Various types of crunches isolate the abs rather than stressing the hip flexors and the lower back.
Situps and variations of the situp are still extremely effective. All the new-age crap like ab rollers don't do anything. They might make you tired, but it's useless.
Floyd Mayweather has the sickest midsection you'll ever see. He uses relatively old school techniques, but he makes it hard and does a lot of them.
Sit ups are among most corrosive exercises one can perform in regards to compressive forces transmitted through the low back. Bent knee sit ups produce approximately 3300N of force through the lumbar spine on each rep, which also happens to be the NIOSH limit for low back compression in workers. Stick to planks, much safer in regards to your back and more applicable to running (unless you plan on running in a semi-crunch position with tight hip flexors).
http://www.backfitpro.com/articles/Enhancing%20back%20performance%20with%20super%20stiffness.pdf
Only true if done with bad form.
No, form really doesn't change that - anytime you bring the spine out of neutral alignment in a crunch position, the newtons of compression start going through the roof.
A good text reference:
McGills other text reference is a decent reference for laypeople, particularly athletes, for designing spine exercise programs
I don't do any and I have an 8-pack going. I am just a freak of nature.
If your are looking for a six pack, it may be obvious but fat loss is one key. the other is hard for runners to understand, but total body fitness is a huge part of skulpting. you need to do either circuit training, weight training, or a combination of the two. Whatever you do, adding deadlifts, cleans and dumbell/kettlebell swings to a pushup and pullup routine will cut you up. as for specifically building your ab muscle size do crunches with a 5lbs weight held behind your head- when you build up to 4*50 reps with 25lbe weights, you are ripped.
[quote]gregmacd wrote:
Thanks for all of your replies. It sounds like I would need to do more than 100 situps a day for a rock hard stomach. I'm gonna build myself up to a 1000 per day.
A thousand a day will take 50-60 minutes. Are you sure you wat to do that?
The best excercises for ab definition are the ab extension wheel and the bicycle sit-up. You won't need to more than 50 ab extensions or 200 bicycles to get ripped.
RunningPT12 wrote:
No, form really doesn't change that - anytime you bring the spine out of neutral alignment in a crunch position, the newtons of compression start going through the roof.
A good text reference:
http://www.amazon.com/Back-Disorders-Second-Stuart-McGill/dp/0736066926/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256344066&sr=1-1McGills other text reference is a decent reference for laypeople, particularly athletes, for designing spine exercise programs
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Fitness-Performance-Stuart-McGill/dp/0973501804/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256344066&sr=1-3
Form plays a huge role in the risk of injuring your lower back. And if you do lower back exercises, like hyperextensions, you should be fine. Why have I been able to do 800-1000 situps a day, 4-5 days per week for several years with no back problems? People who swear off one particular kind of exercise because of fear of injury usually got hurt doing it INCORRECTLY, either in form, volume, lack of warmup or overall balance of their routine. I mean, lots of people drown every year, that doesn't mean you should never go swimming just because you might drown.
gregmacd wrote:
How many situps do you do each day? Is this enough for a defined six pack?
OVER 9000!