Increasing Sit-Ups

[RZIDE]

I have a Pt test at the beginning of August (police) and need help increasing the number of Sit-Ups I can do in one minute.

Right now I am just doing small sets throughout the day. Does anyone have any ideas how to increase the number I can do as rapidly as possible?


Thanks.

[Godsmack]

How do you have to hold your feet?

I used to do tons of incline situps and planks to help increase my situps. How. Many do you need to do and whats the time limit?


J

[RZIDE]

Feet are held by someone else. Hands behind the head with fingers completely interlocked. Elbows have to touch the knees.

I am at roughly 30 when I'm not sore, I've been working them a lot lately. The minimum is 40 in a minute.

Ive tried to incorporate leg raises and flutter kicks along with the sit-ups.

[Godsmack]

Ok no problem.

Incline situps (high angle) with weight being held in your hands such as a 25/45 lb plate. Knock out as many as you can before muscle failure. Rest one minute, do it again. Rest another minute, then a last set with no weight to failure.

It's what the Army was teaching to those who failed the APFT push up event when I left a few years ago. There may be much better ways to go, but this is what I know. You can also do 'lean with it, rock with it' situps.


J

[jasong]

When I was in the military I would do them to failure for 3 sets. I paid the most attention to the first set and did everything I could to progress by at least 1 situp each time. I trained them eod. Godsmack's plate idea sounds like a good plan as well. Technique helps a ton too. Find out what an acceptable sit up is and don't do more work than necessary to get a countable sit up. We had to just touch our shoulder blades to the floor and elbows to our mid thigh.

[Godsmack]

http://youtu.be/wiGABFRrcak

This is one other thing we did, except we did them slower, and not just 9 to 3 but 9 to 12 to 3 with 10 seconds between each stopping area. Usually using 6 2.5 or 5 lb plates to start, and one full cycle was one rep. Three reps per set and 5 sets was the goal (I usually tapped out at 2 sets).

J

[RZIDE]

Ok, I have been trying to work in the above exercises, and thanks for the ideas.

I have a few more questions:

1. I get stuck at the top half of the sit up. What can I do to work/build that weak point?

2. What is the opinion on working abs everyday vs every other? I have to test aug 10th and need to get as many as possible by then but don't want to "overtrain" as much as I hate to use that term.


Thanks again for all the info!