Improving Ab Workout - Exercise & Fitness Message Board

Goya123 · 05-06-2005, 08:20 PM

I recently added some weight training to my workout regime and am very satisfied with the exercise and the results so far. I feel great when I'm working out at the gym with the machines, eat a well-balanced diet, and go just about every other day. However, I'm somewhat less satisfied with my abs. I don't do the ab machines at the gym because I've heard that they are not very effective and, after trying them, I agree. So, home exercises seemed to be the best route. I've been doing about 20-25 crunches, twisting crunches, and reverse crunches every day. At first, they seemed to be working. I could feel a satisfying "burn" during the workout and I started to see some great results. However, I feel like I've plateaued. The rest of my body seems to still be improving, but my abs look the same. Also, the workout has become a bit boring. I don't feel as much in my abs when I'm doing crunches. Rather, I just sort of get tired. Do I need to do more crunches? Am I, perhaps, not paying close enough attention to form anymore? Has anyone experienced this same problem?

Thanks.

ForgottenFaith · 05-06-2005, 10:31 PM

I have the same problem. I think it's the repitition of the same ab workouts over and over that get tedious. Like you, I don't feel much of a burn anymore; I just get tired. I know that I don't execute the proper form as well as I used to, because I'm so burned out on the same movements everyday. I'd like to hear other peoples responses to your question too.

Ding · 05-07-2005, 05:34 AM

just like all the other muscles in your body, you can become very adapted and used to a certain set of moves if you do the same thing every time. with abs, you need to work on doing a wide range of different moves and variations, which you can easily find out about in books, on the internet or by asking a trainer to show you a few. this makes sure that all the different areas of muscle in your core get a workout, not just the same parts every time.
you should also vary the amount of reps you do, increase the number by 10 or 20 (or whatever you can manage) at every work out. theres no wonder you don't 'feel the burn' any more, because your muscles have adapted to the workout and aren't being made to work any harder.
also, make sure that you contract the abs and pull them in tightly (as if pulling the belly button into the spine) when performing the moves, and really focus on keeping that held, because that ensures you are training the abs to flatten and become tighter which is what you want. 'squeeze' the ab muscle tight when you reach the crunch part of the moves, and you should soon start to feel that burn again. with abs its far more important to focus on form rather than quantity of the moves. focus on trying to do your sets with perfect form, before you start increasing the reps, as form is often where people are going wrong.
try doing a few of the moves in each set really slowly. this is a good technique as it really makes the muscles in your abs work hard and longer, and also forces you to think about your form. many people make the mistake of just rushing through their ab workouts, and end up using the momentum of the movement rather than the actual muscle to get the moves done.

so in conclusion (sorry for the essay!)
- use correct form
- do a wide variety of moves
- increase the number of reps progressively
- slow down the speed of some of the moves
hope that helps you, and keep us posted on how you get on. good luck

Goya123 · 05-08-2005, 08:03 AM

Thanks for the advice.

I have one more question: How many sets should one do of abdominal exercises? Just one? Three? Should abs be treated just like any other muscle group?

Ding · 05-08-2005, 09:54 AM

yes, abs should be treated like any other muscle group in that you should always allow them recovery time. so allow at least a day in between your ab workouts, and always stretch them afterwards (lie on your back, bend knees accross to the floor one way, and stretch the arms accross the body the other way, then repeat on the other side. then point the toes upwards and reach hands above the head to feel a stretch all along the ab muscles)

for the number of sets, I do about 10 different types of moves and do about 20 reps of each one, more or less depending on the intensity and speed of the move.
i think the number of sets to do all depends on the strength of the muscles, and should be varied accordingly. a rule of thumb, is if you do a set and don't feel 'the burn' then do another etc etc, until you feel that your abs have worked hard and intensly.

one last word. every time you work your abs, you should also work your lower back muscles. this is because it helps to strengthen the core further, and sort of 'pulls everything in'. after starting lower back work i noticed that the work i do on my abs has become alot more visible.
to work the lower back try these moves -
- lie on your front and place your hands under the chin, with your elbows pointing outwards. raise the shoulders and upper body very slightly off the ground then lower. repeat for about 16 times (two sets of 8)
- in the same position, place the hands in the lower back region and repeat the movement of lifting your upper body slightly off the ground. repeat for 16 again.
also try - lying on your front, then lifting your right arm slightly upwards, whilst raisng your left leg slightly upwards at the same time. repeat for 8 times. then switch to lifting your left arm upwards whilst raisng the right leg, for 8 times.
always be careful with these moves though, they should only be small and controlled as the back is fairly delicate.

best of luck