Correct situps?

[elise]

I just read the thread in the young dancer's forum regarding crunches and situps. A while ago I had looked up some information on situps and found the following web page:

 

http://www.abmat.com/intro.htm

 

Which, granted, is an ad for a product, but the concepts made some sense in my head. Any opinions or insight?

[Mel Johnson]

Seems to me, you could do as much with a pillow. My first ballet teacher had us do situps, too. Only thing, she would do some "standard" versions, then switch to one that had the legs straight and the head and shoulders trailing and offering NO assistance whatever - it was all abs and back muscles. When I could do that, I really thought I had something there!

[elise]

Yeah that's what I've been doing with a pillow or a towel, the concepts behind it seemed to make some sense atleast. Though they are much easier situps. I can hardly do a regular old school sit up even with someone holding my feet, these I can do on my own.

[lampwick]

I do some with my head and shoulders trailing too. I try and lift the chest straight up toward the ceiling--but I do this with bent knees. It initiates from a strong contraction in the abs and the lower back presses into the floor. They're done very slowly and many reps are not needed. I left out some details because I think this one really needs to be done supervised---it took me a while to "get" and I wasn't given this exercise until I was already pretty strong. But my lower stomach (which always had a little curve) flattened out completely within a very short amount of time. Very cool.

 

I was under the impression that a full situp involves the hip flexors quite a bit. That's why crunches and all it's variants became so popular. This exercise looks like it would really work the rectus and hip flexors. I guess it's a good "starter" exercise as long as the abs are held in and up and the psoas gets stretched right afterward. If you start to get some lower back pain, it's could be the psoas freaking out.

 

In most of the ab work I do, I keep my head up or have someone watch to make sure the rectus doesn't "puff" out. It's really really hard to keep it in, but will make a better looking stomach area. A pilates teacher told me to think of the whole stomach spreading out flat. This way, you start to engage the muscles in your sides...I think they're called the transverse abs or something like that.

[Guest abc4dance]

If you have an anterior pelvic tilt you will not want a cushion under your lower back as it will exaggerate your posture. If you have a posterior pelvic tilt, you may not be able to get 15 degrees of extension in your lower back without creating alot of other muscular involvement. If you have a flat back you may not have the articulation to go from extension to flexion.

 

If you use a prop under your lower back to stabilize your pelvis you are no longer using your deepest layer of abdominal muscles - the transversus abdominus to do it's job - which is lumbo pelvic stability. The exercise as described is using the most superficial layer of abdominal muscles as it's focus - the rectus.

 

My suggestion is to go to a pilates instructor and learn how to properly do the exercise "The Rollup" having it modified to suit your body. Here are some of the modifications and the muscles worked (and order they are worked in) that I have posted on another website.

 

There are several modifications of The Roll Up which lead up to the actual exercise. Before advancing from one modification to the next, it is important that you are able to complete the repetitions of the current modification correctly and with fluidity. Avoid using momentum to pull you through the exercise. For all of the exercises you can use a broomstick / baton / wide dowel / magic circle in your hands to help feel the engagement of the scapula stabilizers and add a little bit more upper body resistance.

 

Modification 1

If you have any lower back problems, weak abdominals, tight hip flexors (to the point that your pelvis is anteriorly tilted with legs extended straight), and/or spinal articulation in flexion is difficult, stay with this modification until that issue is resolved.

 

Begin by lying supine. Your legs are adducted, knees bent, and feet are flat on the floor. Your arms are straight and extended overhead so that your elbows are next to your ears. If you notice your shoulders elevating or rib cage coming off the mat, raise your arms toward the ceiling until you are at an angle where the shoulder and rib alignment is correct.

 

Inhale and stretch your arms up towards the ceiling, without allowing the shoulders to protract or the arms to move closer together.

 

Exhale and execute a head nod. Stabilize the scapulae as your head initiates moving into thoracic flexion. As you continue to exhale, slide the ribs down towards the hips as in the Ab Prep. Continue to bring the spine into thoracic flexion, but do not go past the position of the Ab Prep. Your hands will be reaching towards the outside of your thighs. If you have difficulty engaging your adductors or structural reasons make keeping your knees together uncomfortable place a pad or folded towel between your legs to alleviate the discomfort.

 

Inhale and maintain the position.

 

Exhale and return to your starting position, with your arms returning over head at the very end of the exhalation. Repeat 5 more times.

 

Muscles

1. The shoulder stabilizers (Mid and Lower Trapezius, Rhomboids, and Serratus Anterior) engage.

2. Neck flexors slightly increase cranio vertebral flexion during head nod.

3. Transversus and Pelvic Floor muscles engage for lumbo-pelvic support. Transversus compresses the abdomen.

4. Rectus Abdominus and Obliques concentrically contract to bring the thoracic spine into flexion.

5. Rectus Abdominus and Obliques eccentrically contract to return the thoracic spine to neutral.

6. The adductors isometrically contract to maintain the leg position throughout the exercise. These include: Adductor Magnus, Brevis, Longus, Gracilis, Pectineus, Psoas, Iliacus, Glutes Maximus and Biceps Femoris.

 

 

Modification 1 Ball

Begin by lying supine. Your legs are abducted far enough apart to place a nerf type soccer or basketball or magic circle between your knees, knees bent, and feet are flat on the floor. Your arms are straight and extended overhead so that your elbows are next to your ears. If you notice your shoulders elevating or rib cage coming off the mat, raise your arms toward the ceiling until you are at an angle where the shoulder and rib alignment is correct.

 

Inhale and stretch your arms up towards the ceiling, without allowing the shoulders to protract or the arms to move closer together.

 

Exhale and execute a head nod. Stabilize the scapulae as your head initiates moving into thoracic flexion. As you continue to exhale, slide the ribs down towards the hips as in the Ab Prep. Continue to bring the spine into thoracic flexion, but do not go past the position of the Ab Prep. Your hands will be reaching towards the outside of your thighs. At the same time, squeeze your legs together, putting pressure on the ball.

 

Inhale and maintain the position.

 

Exhale and return to your starting position, relax your squeeze on the ball, and your arms returnover head at the very end of the exhalation. Repeat 5 more times.

 

Muscles

1. The shoulder stabilizers (Mid and Lower Trapezius, Rhomboids, and Serratus Anterior) engage.

2. Neck flexors slightly increase cranio vertebral flexion during head nod.

3. Transversus and Pelvic Floor muscles engage for lumbo-pelvic support. Transversus compresses the abdomen.

4. Rectus Abdominus and Obliques concentrically contract to bring the thoracic spine into flexion.

5. Rectus Abdominus and Obliques eccentrically contract to return the thoracic spine to neutral.

6. The adductors concentrically contract to squeeze the ball throughout the exercise. These include: Adductor Magnus, Brevis, Longus, Gracilis, Pectineus, Psoas, Iliacus, Glutes Maximus and Biceps Femoris.

 

Modification 1 - Arms

This will challenge the abdominals more by changing the weight distribution.

 

Begin by lying supine. Your legs are adducted, knees bent, and feet are flat on the floor. Your arms are straight and extended overhead so that your elbows are next to your ears. If you notice your shoulders elevating or rib cage coming off the mat, raise your arms toward the ceiling until you are at an angle where the shoulder and rib alignment is correct.

 

Inhale and maintain your position.

 

Exhale and execute a head nod. Stabilize the scapulae as your head initiates moving into thoracic flexion. As you continue to exhale, slide the ribs down towards the hips as in the Ab Prep. Continue to bring the spine into thoracic flexion, but do not go past the position of the Ab Prep. Your arms remain straight and next to or slightly in front of your ears.

 

Inhale and maintain the position.

 

Exhale and return to your starting position. This can be done with the 1 Ball version also

 

Muscles

Same as Modification 1

 

 

Modification 2

If you have lower back problems, but can stabilize your pelvis with your legs straight in front of you, need to continue to build thoracic articulation, and/or need to continue to build abdominal strength, this modification will continue to challenge you without compromising your safety.

 

Begin by lying supine with your legs adducted and feet dorsi flexed (flexed). Your arms are straight and extended overhead so that your elbows are next to your ears. If you notice your shoulders elevating or rib cage coming off the mat, raise your arms toward the ceiling until you are at an angle where the shoulder and rib alignment is correct.

 

Inhale and stretch your arms up towards the ceiling without allowing the shoulders to protract or the arms to move closer together.

 

Exhale and execute a head nod. Stabilize the scapulae as your head initiates moving into thoracic flexion. As you continue to exhale, slide the ribs down towards the hips as in the Ab Prep. Continue to bring the spine into thoracic flexion, but do not go past the position of the Ab Prep. With your legs straight you may find that you can not go as far as you did in Modification 1. That is okay, what is important is that you are supporting yourself with the scapulae and abdominals in a stable position. Your hands will be reaching forward at approximately the same level as your shoulders. If you have difficulty engaging your adductors or structural reasons make keeping your knees together uncomfortable place a pad or folded towel between your legs to alleviate the discomfort.

 

Inhale and maintain the position.

 

Exhale and return to your starting position, with your arms returning over head at the very end of the exhalation. Repeat 5 more times. You can also

 

Muscles

1. The shoulder stabilizers (Mid and Lower Trapezius, Rhomboids, and Serratus Anterior) engage.

2. Neck flexors slightly increase cranio vertebral flexion during head nod.

3. Transversus and Pelvic Floor muscles engage for lumbo-pelvic support. Transversus compresses the abdomen.

4. Rectus Abdominus and Obliques concentrically contract to bring the thoracic spine into flexion.

5. Rectus Abdominus and Obliques eccentrically contract to return the thoracic spine to neutral.

6. The adductors isometrically contract to maintain the leg position throughout the exercise. These include: Adductor Magnus, Brevis, Longus, Gracilis, Pectineus, Psoas, Iliacus, Glutes Maximus and Biceps Femoris.

 

 

Modification 2 Arms

Begin in the position described in Modification 2, but leave the arms next to the ears as described in Modification 1 Arms.

[Mel Johnson]

In short, why RAD encourages a "roll-down" cambré and not the "straight-down" style.

[balletowoman]

It's more a 'roll up' than down. Down is straight, up is articulated (unrolling of the upper back)

[Guest abc4dance]

Balletwoman - is your post referring to the RAD Cambre'? Would that mean you are still stretching a flat back forward and down and then rolling through the spine to return to standing?

 

Thanks

[balletowoman]

That's right, although rolling through is actually not quite as I understood it in modern for eg (it's the last part that is rolled through, but still in a balletic way).

[Guest Maverick]

Similarly in Pilates, the notion is to roll the core abdominals into the lower spine so that the "action" is in the mid to lower torso, rather than the upper torso and neck region when "rolling up," aka situp. It takes a bit of practice, but it is far superior to the situps we had to do in football camp and the military. As an aside, in my day we were given salt tablets to help hold in the water.....only later did it become known that this was not such a good idea!

 

Roll on,

 

Maverick