Why cant I do sit-ups?!
Question: I have scoured the net for correct technique and nothing seems to help. As soon as I try and sit up I can feel my neck getting really tense. If I carry on I end up with a stinking headache for at least a day. Is it because my stomach muscles are so weak and feeble or am I just doing it all wrong?
Answers: I have scoured the net for correct technique and nothing seems to help. As soon as I try and sit up I can feel my neck getting really tense. If I carry on I end up with a stinking headache for at least a day. Is it because my stomach muscles are so weak and feeble or am I just doing it all wrong?
Sounds to me like your abs are weak and if your neck hurts then you probably have your hands behind your neck and that is not the way to go if you have weak abs. If you are dead set on doing sit ups try crossing your arms in front of you if not then on your hips. If you still can't do them then you can start out with crunches, leg lifts and scissor kicks. On the crunches remember you are not doing a sit up but rather trying to curl your chest towards your hips. Your lower back should stay on the floor keep your fingers on your abs so you can feel the abs flexing and you can also do crunches for the sides with your legs bent and together and all the way over on to the floor but keeping your upper body facing up. Contact me if you need any help. Good luck!
sit ups are bad for you so dont do them
Support your head and tuck your chin in to your chest.
do not conect your hands behind your head
try crossing you arms on your chect this should stop the head acks
try hooking your feet under something like a bed or a sofa, try this method until you get used to doing them, and put your hands behind your neck to, this will support your neck
situps should be all about your ab muscles-- your neck shouldn't be doing any work-- it sounds like you are straining with your neck trying to 'pull yourself' from the head up.
trycrossing your arms across your neck and turning you head sideways-- that helps me concentrate on just keeping my neck and head in a straight line with your body.
also tucking your feet under somehting sturdy can help as it provides leverage and your abs don't have to work as hard. Just keep trying and build your abs up-- and stop straining your neck to avoid those headaches!!
Do what I do. I can't do prpoer sit ups any more due to bike crash but I have a rocking frame thing (No idea what the proper name is!) that supports my head and neck and it works a treat. Takes up a bit of space unless you dismantle it every day which i can't be bothered to do. Sit ups are tricky unless you're very fit with firm abs!
it sounds like you could be putting to much tension on your neck when you sit up. You might be pulling yourself you using the neck and shoulders not the stomache. Try really hard to relax the neck and shoulders and contract your stomache muscles and pull yourself up that yay. If this helps, do the sit ups slowly when you want to increase the intensity.
:)
Why not try stomach crunches instead?
Sit ups do not do much for the unfit. Much better that you do CURLS!
Just lie flat and roll your shoulders forward, tensing your abs....... just as effective!
Alternatively, lie flat and lift your straight legs some 6 inches, pause and lower, under control. Vary that exercise by spreading and closing the legs, whilst elevated.
the reason your neck hurts is because your stomach muscles are weak and your neck is doing all the work. What you need to do is stop, rest your neck for a bit then restart. Keeping on stopping when your neck hurts again. This is how you stregnthen your stomach muscles.
Also try to get some advice from a fitenss instructor who can watch you while you do sit ups- fitness instructors can be found at the gym.
Make sure when you lift you dont crunch your head into your chest- keep looking skywards and keep your neck long.
Make sure you are not "jerking" your self up, it needs to be a slow and smooth movement up, if oossible a little squeeze at the top, then SLOWLY lowering yourself down to your back
Make sure both shoulder blades come off the floor
Make sure -VERY IMPORTANT)- that you suck in your stomach while you lift and drop, if you dont your not using the muscles correctly and your neck will take over. Think "belly button sucked into touch your spine", squeeze as much as you can and thoughout the excercise.
Have your arms comming from your temples, if this is too hard you can either clench your fist and keep it at the back of your neck as a support, but whatever you do dont use your hand or arm or fist to lift your self off the floor when doing situps, thats what your stomach is supposed to do and can also cause necj injuries.
When you do sit ups dont clench yur teeth, allow your jaw to relax, do everything slowly, stay calm
Put your tounge at the roof of your mouth, it ca help with neck tension.
BREATHE! on the contractions breathe utwards, so going up breathe out, comming down breath in, and do this slowly.
The slower you do the sitrups, the more likely they are to be effective.
There are many variations on sit ups, using the swiss ball, using gym equipment and standing, these will all be availible at your gym, along with classes and instructions. I have found things which at the gym dont hurt my neck at all, and mean I can excersise my stomach much much more.
But yes, your neck will hurt and until your stomach is stronger it will continue to hurt, just keep on practicing, when it hurts too muc stop, take a few breaths and when your ready, begin again. It will get easier.
you need to use your stomach muscles. this will tone your stomach. as your neck is hurting it means that you are not doin them correctly
Try doing them on a 30-45 degree inclined bench with your head higher than your feet to start with and reduce the angle over time.
I got this trick from a physio Roll a towel up place it at the back of your neck and holding it with both hands sit up at the same time Tuck your neck in at the same time Feels good now ?