need help with PFT situps

[RyanVR]

Hello everyone,

I'm of course trying to raise my PFT score but i have encountered some problems.

I've been doing the armstrong program for 2 weeks and i have improved +5 pull-ups (from 8 to 13)

i've been out with a hamstring pull for the last two weeks so i haven't be running too much (last timed 3 mile was 20:37 coincidentally...on my first/only pft)

but my problem is....the sit ups. Most people view this as the guarenteed points but i'm stuck at 63 right now, despite following the crunch workout that is the companion to armstrong.

My problem lies not in the abs, but in my quads. When i get to the 60 range my quads are so tensed up they feel like they are about to tear apart. Stretching doesn't affect it. And so i'm wondering if my form is off?

feet on ground, partner sitting on feet and holding legs, arms crossed on chest (making a square), raise and touch thighs with elbows

so i can't figure out the problem.
I've tried scooting farther in and also farther away but no change.

I don't think it is lack of muscle strength because i have well devoloped quads from years of soccer but who knows.

anyone ever have this problem...it sucks to be able to do more situps but be stopped by such a thing. (kinda like being able to do more pull-ups but having bad grip)

any pointers would be appreciated.

Ryan

 

[EA-6B1]

I've had trouble with getting the full 100 too. I've overlooked it as being an easy 100 points. I need some pointers too.

 

[topher1235]

This is what I do, but by no means is it the end-all be-all. Move your butt as close to your feet as possible. This decreases the distance you have to raise your body to touch elbow to your quads. Another thing that helps (if you have a partner hold your feet as you will during testing)tell them to lock their arms and pull into their body. This takes a lot of the strain off of your quads and raises your butt, making it easier to do the situps. That and simply busting them out in morning when you get up has helped me. Hope it helps you also.

 

[AT2]

I used to have the same problem. I've found that if I concentrate on using only my abs, it takes a lot of the work away from my quads. Try flexing your abs on the way up and then letting yourself lightly fall back down. Hope this helps

 

[Alex Fowler]

I got 121 situps on my last (Navy) PFT, I'd say just work your abs as hard as you can. You don't need to spend 45 minutes at a time working your abs, the PFT doesn't test how many situps you can do in 45 minutes, it tests how many you can do in 2 minutes. Do flutter kicks, leg raises, bicycles, crunches, they'll all help. Do 50 flutter kicks, rest for a few minutes, then knock out 50 more.

My quads used to kill me when I did sit-ups too, but I solved that over the summer: not sure if everyone will have this set-up, but the Nautilus machines at the gym I worked out at over the summer were designed so that you could stick your feet underneath the platform and do sit-ups. However, while the bottom bar on the machine that you stick your feet under is low enough so that your feet won't be going all over the place, it still gives them a little wiggle room, which forces you to use your quads a lot more to keep your feet in place. The result being, when you do your situps for the PFT with a partner keeping your feet nice and firm on the deck, your quads won't have to do anywhere near as much work as they're used to and you can focus on getting too 100.

Hope this helps, shoot me an e-mail if you have any more questions, I'm not a PT stud by any stretch of the imagination but sit-ups are something that I'm very, very good at.

 

[Nikki]

I increased my situps from 73 to 102 in about 2 months by working on my hip flexors, though this hasn't much to do with the abs, it improves situps. Every other day, I do hanging leg raises...slowly! I do about 15-20 of them then immediately do decline crunches and then v-ups (also know as tucks) whew..awesome ab workout. Do 3 supersets of these completing 15-20 reps each.

 

[RyanVR]

I'll try working the hip flexors more.

I've also been trying to do some work with the lower back to help out also. (I don't know what the machine is called but you lean forward and lift yourself back up while(at 45 degree angle)

On the bright side, If i get accepted at the next board (late october i heard) then i'll have 7+ months to get that 300 pft.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Nikki]

Good Luck! I am working on it too...need about 1 min faster on the run and hang a lil longer..that back machine i use is called "the lower back machine" seriously..it is made by nautulis

 

[HueyHornet75]

i used to do about 300-500 situps for training...it kind of sucks but goes quick. i would do 100 crunches, then do 25-50 "textbook" situps by sticking my feet under my couch and coming ALL THE WAY UP. that's the painful part. slam those out as fast as possible. do 100 more crunches. then do 25-50 more "textbooks". then finish off with 100 crunches. 100-120 in two minutes will be quite doable after awhile. after awhile you'll probably be able to do 100 textbooks in 2 minutes, then do as many as possible in two minutes during the 4th set. (that's the practice how you play portion) good luck.

 

[ouiserbynature]

Can anyone tell me the PFT requirements for the officer programs of both the Navy and the Marines.

 

[Nikki]

Don't know the navy's, if you are just looking for the minimum requirements, don't join the Marine Corps. To recieve a 300, males must run 3 miles in 18:00, do 20 pullups, 100 situps in 2 min. http://marines.hawkweb.com

 

[AviatorMR239]

is it necessary to bring your torso all the way up where your chin is nearing your knees, maybe i just have long arms but folded across my chest my elbows hit my quads less that 45 degree on the "up" motion...still counts?

 

[Nikki]

Depends on which branch you are joining. For Marines, keep your arms folded as low on your torso as possible and touch your elbows to quads..These are crunches, but feel just as horrible as situps, just a lil' faster. I believe the Navy does regular situps and I have know idea how to properly execute them.

 

[Alex Fowler]

Navy does them the same way. Your hands have to be on your shoulders/upper chest at all times, but other than that the only requirement is to touch your elbows to your thighs, which means touch your elbows about an inch above your waist.

 

[AviatorMR239]

i'll have to get back into my old habits then... when i train my abs i learned long ago it's not about doing 2756278652 of them, it's the quality of each one. I used to fire them off as quick as i could, up and down like a....well you get the picture.. Instead i squeeze and contract every bit i can on each crunch... so my 20 feels like my old 50-100. Now i actually have my 6 lil buddies poppin through.

Nikki mentioned something that drives me crazy, people who think doing hanging leg raises ad nauseum will work their abs, when it is fact working the hip flexors. Not that it's bad to work them but they substitute it for ab exercises. It nice to know someone else is aware of what hip flexors are.