Posted: 5/3/2009 11:09:30 AM EDT
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I'm working on getting in shape for the military. I plan on enlisting as 11x with an option 40 in about a year.
I've been told the best way to get better at push ups, sit ups, and running is to... do push ups, sit ups, and run.  I have the push ups and runnning part taken care of, but sit ups are a different deal. It's nearly impossible for me to do even one without something, or someone, holding my feet/ankles. There isn't always someone around to hold my ankles, so I bought an iron gym system because it says you can do sit ups with it. Tried it out, and it doesn't work. Just slides out of place.
Are there any sit ups alternatives I could do that would help with my APFT score? Or is there a way to do sit ups by myself that I'm not aware of? |
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Quoted:
I slip my feet under the edge of the sofa and use it to hold them down. Not fancy but it works for me. -Deke +1 Like that or under the edge of a bed or other piece of furniture. A pillow helps close the gap between the top of your foot and the bed/sofa/furniture. |
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By the time you enlist you're going to want to have strong enough abs to do them without support. That being said, practice them with your feet locked down as it will be on your APFT.
You're also going to want to be able to do lots of pullups. If you're serious about an option 40, you need a 300+ PT score going in. -Also flutterkicks, you will be doing lots of those too 
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When testing for a police academy several years ago, I knew that I would need to do 40 situps in 60 seconds to max out. I started doing situps holding a 40lb plate on my chest in the gym. I did this for 4-5 months before test time. I went in for the PT test and got out 46 in 60. Felt like nothing since I had lost 40 lbs. Sadly I didnt concentrate nearly as hard on the pushups and did not pass that part of the test. |
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when you anchor your feet you end up using more of your hip flexors. Unanchored uses abs, so I'd mix up sets of both. IMO the BEST ab workouts are:
L-sits and L-pullups. If you can do these, your abs are very strong...you'll do fine on the crunches. Practice with knees bent at first until you build strength |
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don't forget to work your lower back as well
as for situps...there's only one way to get better at them, and that's to do them. I do unanchored first, then anchored, then oblique crunches, leg throws (obliques again), reverse crunches/situps (bring your knees to your forehead), and finish off with flutter kicks |