OT Fitness question

[Rusty]

My son Rusty Jr. is getting in shape to take his physical test for being a LEO. Running is fine, push ups are fine but sit ups are a problem. He can barely do one. I know this might sound like a crock but 4 of the 6 kids in our family were born with a hernia, Jr. included leading me to believe there is a hereditary trait of weak abdominal muscles. I was wondering if anyone has experience in working past this to be able to do the sit ups. I say just keep straining on it till they can be done.

[86er]

Try starting on an exercise ball. Put your feet flat on the ground and bend your knees. Lay back across the ball and sit up. Start with the ball roughly on the upper back to as far as between the shoulder blades. You can move the ball further underneath you to make it increasingly difficult. This will build the abdomen directly, slowly but surely without all the other strains involved in doing a traditional sit-up on the floor. Good luck to your son!

P.S. - you can get additional information from the Cooper Institute in Dallas. Check out their web-site. They run a program known as Physical Efficiency Battery for Law Enforcement. I am familiar with Cooper because I am a Certified Law Enforcement Fitness Specialist.

[kimwcook]

What Joe said. A lot of LE physical fitness tests use the Cooper test. I'd also work on pull ups, some use them some don't. One could also start with varying degrees of bands and use them to help pull you up and slowly decrease the strength of the bands as the abdominal muscles strengthen. I don't know the actual test the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission uses at this time, but when I went through we also had to go over a six foot wall along with the other normal tests, run, push-ups, sit-ups, etc...

[horsesoldier03]

As a person that is now also abdominally challenged, my suggestion is to start with crunches and flutter kicks. I would suggest working in sets have him build his tolorance. If he can only do 5 at a time now then so be it. My daughter once had the same issue and so I started making her do situps and crunches when watching tv. Every time there is a commercial knock out a set. Having done 20 yrs in the military with Physical Training a part of the daily routine, I will also state that there is NO SUBSTITUE for the real McCoy. If you want to be able to do sit ups the best course of action is to do as many sit ups as you possibly can. You may start out only able to do 5 situps but after you have done 5 each time you executed them for a while, pretty soon you will be able to get 6. etc.

Best of luck

[Rusty]

That's the problem, right now he struggles to get one.

BTW He's not fat. He's 5'7" and 153lbs.

[HATCHETTJACK]

well im fat and can do 50.... in place of a ball use an ottoman the same way... doesnt take long to work your reps up

[76/444]

Try a different approach. Try some leg lifts on parallel bars. Worked for me with a crushed disk. Or hanging from a chin up bar.

[JReed]

Leg lifts, flutter kicks, and crunches. sit ups are part of our physical fitness test. I have a bunch more that I can suggest but I dont know the names for them except what we call them.

[CEMENTHEAD]

Leg lifts, flutter kicks, and crunches. sit ups are part of our physical fitness test. I have a bunch more that I can suggest but I dont know the names for them except what we call them.

and of course...."the HELLO DOLLY" !!

[JReed]

Leg lifts, flutter kicks, and crunches. sit ups are part of our physical fitness test. I have a bunch more that I can suggest but I dont know the names for them except what we call them.

and of course...."the HELLO DOLLY" !!

Yeah that was one I wanted to list but wasn't sure how many would know what I was talking about.

[Sixgun]

My brother and I both had both sides operated on for hernias. We had screens inserted. Those nasty intestines just popped on through our stomach muscles with the ease of a hot knife through butter. Looked like we had golf balls under the surface of the skin. Both of us are in fairly good shape.

Sometimes you just gotta learn to live with what the Good Lord gave you.-------------Sixgun

[76/444]

My brother and I both had both sides operated on for hernias. We had screens inserted. Those nasty intestines just popped on through our stomach muscles with the ease of a hot knife through butter. Looked like we had golf balls under the surface of the skin. Both of us are in fairly good shape.

Sometimes you just gotta learn to live with what the Good Lord gave you.-------------Sixgun

Amen.

[SFRanger7GP]

I'm guessing his technique is all wrong. I don't have a stomach muscle at all (removed entirely due to cancerous tumors) and I can still do situps. I use my leg muscles.

[awp101]

Leg lifts, flutter kicks, and crunches. sit ups are part of our physical fitness test.

Ah 1 2 3
Ah 1 2 3
You're not motivated
You're not sounding off

[kimwcook]

Bends and mothers comes to mind real quick thinking back to the Corps.

[rjohns94]

Hello Dollys!!! exactly what we called them in dive school. I remember all too well doing flutter kicks with our fins on our feet dangling over the edge of the pool.