Big Problem with my situps/crunches

[Zoltta1]

Well i ship out 20091102 and im having problems with my crunches. In 2 minutes i can only get 45 crunches before my lower back muscles give out, the erector spinae in technical terms. Im a lightweight guy at 145lbs, 6 feet tall. I can do 13 pullups and a 10:00 run give or take a few seconds. I feel like crap when the fat kid next do me does 75 crunches over my 45. Im tall and lanky so i kinda have to come down a little farther for my shoulder blades to touch. After about 30 my lower back starts to tighten up and from there on out i can only do 3+ crunches, stop and do 3 more and repeat that.

So in conclusion either i am doing them wrong or i really need to work on my lower back exercises.

Any advice?

[BruceLee]

Well all I have to say is look up some lower back stretches and remember that when doing crunches lift with your abs...duh right.

[Walls]

When you start out doing your crunches, scoot your butt in as close to your heels as you can. Doing that uses your leg muscles more. As your legs get tired, start to scoot out, using more of your abs and less legs. It helps you from fatiguing your ab muscles as fast. Try pacing yourself as well. Don't go as fast as you can starting out, you'll get tired too fast. Work on getting 20 crunches every 30 seconds.. that'll give you 80 in 2 minutes. Hope this helps!

[Zoltta1]

When you start out doing your crunches, scoot your butt in as close to your heels as you can. Doing that uses your leg muscles more. As your legs get tired, start to scoot out, using more of your abs and less legs. It helps you from fatiguing your ab muscles as fast. Try pacing yourself as well. Don't go as fast as you can starting out, you'll get tired too fast. Work on getting 20 crunches every 30 seconds.. that'll give you 80 in 2 minutes. Hope this helps!

Thats the thing, my abs dont get fatigued, just my back muscles do. My legs do a little but not enough to stop me. Someone suggested the Janda situp so im going to try those too. Thanks for the advice

[Gerken]

Have you been working on your crunches since you DEP'd in, because I was in the same situation when I became a poolee only able to do the minimum. What I was told to do was to do 100 crunches everyday and you will build yourself up. Make sure not to stop and rest while doing your crunches, since once you rest once you wont want to keep up your pace. I now am doing 4-5 sets of 100 crunches/day to make sure that I get at least 100 on the next pool function. The only way to do more, is to actually do them.

[Hartford]

Have your butt touch your heels or as close as possible. And pull hard up on your legs so the fat person sitting on your feet works to your advantage. I dont have problems with my lower back getting sore but maybe to improve that try doing hyperextensions.

Like this:



Or this:



Besides that, practice makes perfect. I do a lot of different abdominal exercises nearly everyday to improve my crunches. Leg raises, hold @ 6", side to side, crunches, weighted crunches, hanging leg raises, hanging knee raises and some others that I don't know the names of.

[Kurokawa]

Hey,

I used to have something similar. Do you arch your lower back upwards at all when doing the crunches? If you do, that's your problem right there.

[Zoltta1]

Hey,

I used to have something similar. Do you arch your lower back upwards at all when doing the crunches? If you do, that's your problem right there.

hmm i never thought about that, it could be the problem. I guess its because i am tall and lanky

[Jensen139]

you almost want to tilt your pelvis up so that the small of your back is flat on the ground, and like someone said but i'll add to it. Perfect practice makes perfect.

[Capital M]

Have your butt touch your heels or as close as possible. And pull hard up on your legs so the fat person sitting on your feet works to your advantage. I dont have problems with my lower back getting sore but maybe to improve that try doing hyperextensions.

Like this:



Or this:



Besides that, practice makes perfect. I do a lot of different abdominal exercises nearly everyday to improve my crunches. Leg raises, hold @ 6", side to side, crunches, weighted crunches, hanging leg raises, hanging knee raises and some others that I don't know the names of.

this.

[sparkie]

Eat more friggin Bannanas.

[Kurokawa]

hmm i never thought about that, it could be the problem. I guess its because i am tall and lanky

I'm the same. Just make sure you bend your back and not try to lift your chest with it.

[Zoltta1]

I'm the same. Just make sure you bend your back and not try to lift your chest with it.

Bend your back in what way? Like an upside down U or curl it upwards?

[McManus15]

The taller you are the more of a rolling motion u need. Try rolling your back more, not to the point where you will pull anything, just add a little of the motion and it will stop the upward arch of your back. Hope this helps.

[atimmons]

I'm tall too and I've noticed when I get to the end of a set up crunches my lower back/neck are real stiff. So what I did was I stretched out my lower back and neck muscles real good before starting crunches and that helped.

Kurokawa is right, pay attention to your posture when you do the crunches. If your back is bent backward you're putting alot of strain on it. Hunch over, there's less distance to travel and you get more out of the crunch then.