200 situps

[ailbhe]

Rob and I both did the two hundred situps initial test today. They use "crunches" as their basic situp, and the initial test is to do as many as one comfortably can. Rob and I both fudged the test a bit; I did my situps while looking at and talking to Astrid, in her bouncy chair, instead of while looking at the ceiling and exhaling in a controlled way. Rob did his situps without getting his shoulder-blades off the floor, because he couldn't work out how to get his abdominal muscles involved at all; he's used to using his shoulders and legs instead. It looked painful.

Anyway, those caveats taken into account, I managed 17 and he managed maybe 7.

We're both disappointed with our results - and pretty surprised by his - and planning to have a go at the program. But I'm not going to do it if it hurts my hips; I want more core strength to make things like carrying the baby in a sling easier, give me more oomph when my hips are up to cycling again, etc, and that would all backfire totally if I damaged my joints.

Anyway, by this logic, we should be doing Week One Day One on Friday evening, probably while the children are at Girls' Brigade.

(Also, I have a cunning plan: I told the children that if they were in their pyjamas when Rob got home I'd ask him to set up the Wii for them).

Comments

[the0lady.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeeeeeverytihng she sais. Also, Rob sounds a bit like me in that he over-engages his shoulders normally instead of the core, and that means that sit ups / crusnches come with a risk of neck strain.

I also did Pilates for a many years, and can recommend it. Various leg lifting exercises are good, as well as reverse sit ups - you start in a sitting position with your feet on the ground in front of you, knees bent, back straight. Then you gradually roll onto your sit bone and start lowering your back onto the floor, pausing and rolling back up form where you're comfortable. In time you will be able to go lower and lower, and eventually do it with your legs extended at 45 degrees in front of you (starting from a V, basically). To begin with, and if the core is that weak, it might be an idea to have one of those elastic bands (I can lend you one) rapped around your feet to give you a bit of a boost on the way up.

[ailbhe]

I think you're both right and Rob shouldn't do situps of any kind as things stand. I think I'm ok - nothing I did hurt at all, I'm just aware that later something might, IYSWIM. I engage my core every time I stand up, it's just not as strong as I want it to be.

My hip joints won't let me do leg lifts for a few months yet, but I'll see if Rob can. It's amazing how much less fit he is with walking rather than cycling to work.

[the0lady.livejournal.com]

Yeah sorry, I kept saying "you" when I meant "Rob"... You as in actual you should stay away from leg lifts for now. When your core is stronger you will be able to do exercises to build up your hip flexers and support the joints.