How many sit-ups?

[Byzantine Prince]

I'm getting my abs a little stronger, so far I've reached 80 and can't do more.

How much can you do and how well toned do you think your abs are?

[Cygnus X-1]

About 5 sets of 20 when i can be bothered. I used to be able to do a lot more before i got lazy

Anyway, i hope you aren't doing them all at once. It's best to do quick bursts, stop, do something else in quick bursts (arm curls, push ups etc) and go back to and do another set of 10-20 reps. Atleast that's what i was always told.

[Sjakihata]

3 sets of 20. One straight, one left, and one right. Doing it every evening. Could probably go further, but Im taking it easy.

[Drisos]

I mostly do just 50 in a row. I feel like I can get a bit further but I'm too lazy to do so. My abs aren't really visible unless I use them

[Beirut]

1

Then I pray to God to kill me so I don't have to do a second.

[Ja'chyra]

I usually sit up in the morning right before I get out of bed, then that's me till the next morning. Buff or what

[Ianofsmeg16]

200 per day...but one time yesterday i was feeling adventurous so i did 300

but i've only just started doing reular exercise so i aint that buff...

[Byzantine Prince]

Yeah only-in-a-row people. No wimpy sets damn it!

WOW Ian of Speg, that's pretty powerful! I usually try to sneak in doing 2 sets of 80's though. My abs have improved a lot in the last couple of months.

[Papewaio]

32 ... 1 for each year of age.

Note that if you want to get really toned abs... swimming particularly breast-stroke is the key stroke, heavier weights, side sit ups and of course getting leaner overall.

When I was 25 I used to do 220 situps per session, 6 days a week. The best tone I got though was from swimming... not laps just body surfing and having fun in the water at the beach.

[Kekvit Irae]

40, twice a day, once in the morning, once at night is the best way to go if you want to tone yourself up.
Same thing for pushups.

[Byzantine Prince]

32 ... 1 for each year of age.

Note that if you want to get really toned abs... swimming particularly breast-stroke is the key stroke, heavier weights, side sit ups and of course getting leaner overall.

When I was 25 I used to do 220 situps per session, 6 days a week. The best tone I got though was from swimming... not laps just body surfing and having fun in the water at the beach.

You really let yourself go didn't you Pape.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I do 200 strait on every day except Tuesday and Thursday...

Byzantine Prince: I am confused on your gender. I seem to have stumbled on a post where you were portrayed as a girl or something. Please answer this question once and for all!

[Byzantine Prince]

I'm male but I don't talk like one. I find gender in terms of personality traits to be rather pointless.


EDIT2: I have been portrayed as Che Guevara, and also John Lennon, when they used my picture over old posters.

I think you are thinking of BKS. He has a picture of himslef dressed as a girl posted in the babe thread I believe.

[Somebody Else]

I have to be able to do 44 pressups, and 50 situps - 2 minutes each. Can do the situps (last time I was timed for it - bearing in mind I was still drunk from the night before, I managed 57). Pressups still need a little work though.

Trying to improve, in the morning - if I remember, I try to do a set of each. Starting with pressups - I do as many as I can (40 this morning) then 50 situps, then a few more pressups.

[Just A Girl]

You guys Lie so bad....

Why would any 1 do situps?

I guess id do about 10-15 befor i got bored.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

You guys Lie so bad....

Why would any 1 do situps?

I guess id do about 10-15 befor i got bored.

Because I have a reputation for the biggest hitter in the league. I play soccer and I am known for big hits. I need to be really REALLY strong to keep it up...

[Just A Girl]

Lol if you do all that every day,
Where do u find the time to be here lol.

Any way thats off topic :)
So Better not get in to a conversation about it.

[SwordsMaster]

My goal is to do 100 straight situps in 1 minute. I've managed 72 this morning.... I will probably never get it as I just cant go up and down that fast....

Do that every morning. Plus whenever I get myself to the boxing gym, thats another 200 which generally happens 3 times a week.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Good for you SwordMaster!

[Craterus]

I did 500 straight once. Then I fell asleep, literally.

[Kekvit Irae]

Are situps really that effective anyway? My abs are nothing special to look at, but it'd be good to know what really works for toning that area in terms of someone who doesn't have the time to go to the gym.

Not really. Butterflies or Six Inches are very effective. Lay flat on your back and lift your legs up in the air six inches to a foot, keeping them straight. Now start kicking your legs, making a scissor motion (again, keeping the legs straight) for about a minute or so. You will feel the burn.

[Strike For The South]

straghit through? dunno Who needs sit ups? Ill crush you with my armor I refer to as my chest and those tree trunks I refer to as legs

[Kekvit Irae]

Forgot one important detail... keep your hands under your bum. This is done for two reasons, to support your back when lifting your legs, and to act as a counter-balance (because the arms will go flying around everywhere when you are in pain). Most of the time, it's just to make sure you dont cheat and try pulling your legs up

[Ianofsmeg16]

WOW Ian of Speg, that's pretty powerful! I usually try to sneak in doing 2 sets of 80's though. My abs have improved a lot in the last couple of months.

Yeah, it isnt 200 in one go though, 100 in the morning, 100 at night, i should get pretty toned soon

[Sjakihata]

Kekvitirae would you explain that excercise again, simplified. Thank you.

[Geoffrey S]

3x 50 and lots of swimming.

[Kekvit Irae]

Kekvitirae would you explain that excercise again, simplified. Thank you.

Six inches:

1. Lay flat on your back.
2. Put your hands under your bum.
3. Lift your head up so you are looking down at your feet.
4. Lift both of your legs (keeping them straight) six to 12 inches off the ground.
5. Hold for about thirty seconds.
6. Rest for ten seconds.
7. Repeat.


Butterflies:

As per six inches, up to step 4.
5. Lower one leg (but do not touch the ground) while raising the other leg. Keep your legs straight.
6. Switch legs, so that the raised leg is now the lower one, and the lower one is now the raised one.
7. Continue "kicking" like this rapidly in a scissor motion for thirty seconds.
8. Rest for ten seconds.
9. Repeat.


The movement exersion of keeping your legs in the air, as well as keeping your head up, will give you a most extreme workout in a minimal timeframe.

[ah_dut]

You've just hit Ah_dut's favourite rant point...sit ups. If you don't want an anatomy lesson, ignore me...

Your abs do not contract during a situp, so therefore the only work your abs can get is through isometrics (or holding) your spine together. Your Hip Flexors (psoas group) do the actual work. Therefore, it's not the greatest excercise in the world.

Secondly, the abdominals are mainly fast twitch fibers (source: Poliquin's book) and therefore are not suited to very high repetition work.

Thirdly, what is muscle tone? it is residual tension. How do you get tension? by contracting a muscle harder (try curling a light dumbell, then a very heavy one, when you curl a heavy one...your arm flares up more and is harder.) Therefore, you should surely keep your reps low and resistance up (stuff like the flag...)

I think you get the point of this rant, sit ups aren't too great. And most people (I'm not saying everyone) don't do enough lower back work compared to ab work (on the foolish notion that if you do lots of ab excercise you'll spot reduce your waist) and then get serious back pain.

Rant finished.

That being said, I do think ab work is very important. I used to do a good few situps (the conventional way) before I read all of Pavel's stuff on it...

[Somebody Else]

Meh - I just do the bog standard ones purely because I need to do a certain number of them in a certain time to pass the BPFA.

[Byzantine Prince]

EDIT: Nevermind that.

Thanks for the advice Kekvit and Ah-Dup. I'll make sure to apply some corrections to my usual work-out habits.


Oooops.