borich

trying to get in shape by going gym and doing sit ups. currently doing 40 sit ups everyday using an abdo board, was wondering how long till i start to notice difference?

Borich

lightning101

Try cutting all carbohydrates and replacing with proteins - you will soon see the abs coming through - you will also get tired and cramp up but each to their own.

milo

probably never if your diet isnt in check.

besides, doing a 40 rep max is about as effective for muscle building as not bothering.

get your diet sorted - abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.

if you want to improve your core strength (which is an excellent idea), doing weighted crunches to a 5-8 rep max REALLY slowly is the way to go.

milo

presumably this is a typo, as in the absense of other forms of fuel, the body will convert protein to glucose and use that as carbohydrates. thats a VERY expensive and inefficient way of fuelling your body. if you're suggesting he replaces carbs with proteins AND plenty of fats, thats another ballgame and one that id agree with.

altho i will agree with u that its his diet that needs sorting. too many people ask how many crunches to get good abs and you ask them their diet and it turns out they're eating pizza and cakes.

borich

yeah im eating loads of pastas jacket pototas but wondering how many sit up i should be aiming for each day to make a difference

Borich

milo

pasta and jacket potatos are not good for cutting diets. if you're eating loads of them, you're unlikely to see abs any time soon.

forget about trying to do lots of situps each day. this is TOTALLY counter-productive. if you want a better core, go for weighted ab crunches with a weight you can only manage 5-8 reps for.

but like ive said, its all about diet, and your diet isnt right.

borich

could someone do me a list of example foods i should be eating? i don't eat pizzas chips and crap like that. cut that out when i start going to the gym

Borich

Bubba po

lightning101

Feckin lurker bubba

milo

carbs:
oats
barley
rye
brown rice
broccoli (best veggie by far - buy organic and eat raw)
salad
dextrose (MAYBE for post-workout if you're an ectomorph while cutting, otherwise use for bulking only)

protein:
egg whites
chicken (breast fillets)
tuna (in brine drained - do NOT get the kind in oil)
whey (used VERY sparingly post workout)
casein (dont get this from dairy - use a powdered micellar source)

fats:
ground flaxseed (also great source of fiber)
flaxseed oil
cod liver oil
extra virgin olive oil
egg yolks (in moderation)
meat fats (in moderation)

thats exactly what should be on your shopping list and i think ive posted similar to this up for u before?

however its more than just about the types of foods - it's about utilizing them correctly and at the right times. you need to get your macros correct, and also the right ratio of monosaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fats, and enough omega-3s.

midget1500

milo

how do you do weighted crunches (without a machine?)

free weight behind neck? what sort of weight is reasonable for a novice?

cheers
steven

scoob_babe

Sit-ups alone won't help - diet and all-round weights/cardio are needed too.

jjones

eat pizza chips and drink loads of pints of beer.

why settle for a six pack when you can have a barrel?

milo

i prefer free weights on chest. use a decline bench if possible as you'll get a much better range of motion. do the movement REALLY slowly with a pause at the top.

edited to add: as far as what weight is good for a novice, dont worry about that for now. just focus on progressive resistance and perfecting form.

lightning101

What worked for me was to use a two ends of a rope through a single pulley while on knees, lurched over - then with heavy weight on pulley, pull rope and tense muscles and hold for 5 secs or longer at the bottom.

Similar to tricep but focusing on stomach

SiPie

Borich

Make sure you are not doing yourself some real damage by doing incorrect situps....

Keep your butt firmly pressed to the floor, with your knees raised (soles pinned flat on ground) and as you are pulling up, keep looking upwards and maintain a space (the size of a large orange) between your chin and breastbone......

Lots of potential damage to lower back and spine if not done properly....

Cheers

hades

Depends on what difference you're trying to see. From my experience, if you're trying to get better at doing sit-ups, do 40 a day, and after a week, you'll be able to do lots more. I do things like sit-ups, press-ups etc as something I can do at home to just keep various muscles vaguely toned, and add to my rowing machine / odd runs / long fast walks over hills as part of keeping vaguely in shape. I once (out of curiosity, i.e. to see if I can) got as far as 500 situps consecutively (steady rate, probably took about 15 minutes or so). Whilst I'm not a flabby blob, I also am far from having a 6 pack. To my mind, this proves being good at sit-ups doesn't give wonderful abs.

Other than that, what everyone else said. There's plenty of people here who're good at this fitness stuff, I'm not - only do enough to keep myself fit enough to be able to do things I enjoy and be happy with myself.