BF2S Forums Sit Ups or Crunches

Crunches are better imo. There isn't as much movement involved and it still works the stomach muscles. It builds abs but if there's some fat there to begin with, you'll have to get rid of that before the muscle shows.

Can someone explain what crunches are please? I hear about them all the time, but don't know what they are, so just do situps

ShadowsStrike wrote:

Can someone explain what crunches are please? I hear about them all the time, but don't know what they are, so just do situps

I find that I get pot belly abs like that (over developed, chunky etc.) The best way I found was criss crosses and leg lifts. The get the lower abs and obliques as well, which makes it nice and flat.

Oh and if you are doing crunches, remember you are not lifting your torso to your knees, you are pushing you head and shoulders towards the ceiling.

Remember to exercise your back too! You'll get a bad back if you only do crunches/situps. A fysiotherapist told me to double the amount when switching to back muscles when exercising. If you don't know what type of exercise in on about; lie on the face down, arms straight, lift arms and legs up in the air and hold for a second or two. You can also put your hands behind your head.

Here's a very good way to stretch your abs after training. I use this method.

Last edited by Ultrafunkula (2008-07-24 12:02:44)

If you want to strengthen your back muscles, push ups always work... Also, if your doing crunches, keep your neck and back flat, lift your body like a board. Also, you can put your hands behind your head to take the strain off your neck if need be, but dont pull up on your head, just lightly rest it on your hands.

naightknifar wrote:

lol... fysio the rapist


Edit: And yeah, ditto with the method of use.

Yes yes I know what you saw mr. Connery...

pull/chin ups ftw 

yes they work your abs too

Adams_BJ wrote:

I find that I get pot belly abs like that (over developed, chunky etc.) The best way I found was criss crosses and leg lifts. The get the lower abs and obliques as well, which makes it nice and flat.

i g wrote:

pull/chin ups ftw 

yes they work your abs too

I prefer hanging leg raises.

Hang from bar, lift legs (together), hold for a second, drop slowly and repeat.

I have about 8 different crunches I do 15 of each in quick, controlled succession.
1. Normal crunch with legs upraised and crossed at a 90 degree angle (thigh is straight up and shins are at a 90 degree angle to 'em)
2. Crunch with feet on ground pressed as close to you butt as possible
3. Crunch with left leg on ground and the ankle of the right leg resting on the knee of your left so that you bring your left elbow up and touch your right knee
4. Same as above but opposite
5. Crunch on side and bring knee up to touch elbow (works the side abs)
6. Same as above but opposite
7. Bicycle crunches (Have legs set up as the first crunch but uncrossed and then bring left knee forward, touch right elbow to it, bring right knee forward, touch left elbow to it and that is one crunch)
8. Lastly, 6 inches crunches (keep legs 6 inches together off the ground and raise them to a 90 degree angle to your body, then lower back to starting position 6 inches off the ground, place hands out to the side)

That'll do ya in if you do 4-5 sets of those a day.

Last edited by MorbiD.ShoT (2008-07-24 13:44:51)

HurricaИe wrote:

if you're trying to slim down, that means you're trying to burn some fat off of there. Crunches don't do that (well, not as efficiently as cardio).

True.

Simple thing to keep in mind, if you take more energy (food, calories) in than you burn/need you gain weight and the other way around.
If one keeps eating/drinking a lot fat, sugar and empty calories (e.g. white bread) it would require a hell of an exercise plan every day to lose weight. Fat food, sweets and all the tasty stuff is OK, but not every day, not all day long and certainly not good in the evening before you go to sleep and cut your bodies energy consumption down to a minimum.
Constant energy burning sports like running/jogging (especially!), bike, swimming... are very good at burning fat, make you fit and less easy to exhaust (at everything *wink*) and built up a healthy amount of muscles where the body needs them.
Further body building gain you more muscles which in return burn more fat during the day! (Only if they are earned honestly, no chemical cheats - will kill you one way or the other anyways.) But burning fat calls for a prolonged training - say 1h three times a week at least.

Don't forget to give your body time to rest and develop. Training every day is less rewarding than training every other day. The human body needs these 48h to built up the muscles and fill up the energy reserves - which is a good thing, constantly exhausting them over a longer time will put the body under stress and make it store more resources/fat for what it thinks trying times.

This is also the reason why crash diets never work (for long), the body registers low calorie intake as a lack of natural resources - just like back than in the stone age which is not really long ago when it comes to our internal programming - and as soon as he can get more food again - that is when you end your diet after loosing the weight you wanted to - he starts preparing himself for the next bad season and builds up fat cells like no tomorrow. Also these diets always lack something (some vitamins or minerals), which just can't be healthy. Eat mostly good food and that all day, meaning many small meals instead of two or three big ones; sin once in a while and  drink a lot (water or watered juice, do not underestimate the power of hidden sugar/calories or even fat!)



This should be enough for today - hope I did not rape my English as bad as it seems to me.

Last edited by Mavik (2008-07-24 13:55:09)