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What Are You Doing To Work Your Abs ?


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Pilates core exercises, leg raises, bicycles, decline weighted crunches (occasionally), and yoga. Of all the core/ab exercises I've tried I find yoga and pilates to be by far the most effective. I like that they balance out lower back and oblique strength with abs. Most of the machines I've tried at the gym just feel like they are stressing my lower back.

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Deadlifts is one of my primary exercises.

 

I don't like crunches, so I have been thinking of getting the ab wheel like the one pictured below.

 

Anyone here use one?

 

http://i53.tinypic.com/znmx.jpg

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Some important things about abs:

 

1. Abdominal training is primarily flexion of the spine and not flexion of the hip joint. The flexion of the spine works the abdominal muscles and the flexion of the hip joint works the hip flexors on your thigh.

2. Half of your abdomen are the obliques. A good method to keep your abs clean is to train front abs one day and obliques the next day. Example: Monday - chest, triceps, shoulder, obliques; Tuesday - back, biceps, forearm, front abs; Wednesday - legs, obliques; etc. This will keep the area activated for a longer time - more blood there, better metabolism.

3. The only way to 'cut' your lower abs is to lift your legs.

 

The 'prayer' and lifting your legs are awesome exercises.

I got my abs out with 'truck crunches' (I don't know if this is the correct term, I got it from bodybulding.com). I didn't know why back then but now I know they give a really good spinal flexion:)

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Also don't forget, your abs won't show if you have fat over them. No matter how much you work the muscles underneath, they're still underneath. Get some good cardio in, HIIT, sprints, that sorta of thing and make sure your diet is clean. The ab wheel rocks, I've heard nothing but good about that little piece of equipment from every training forum I ever been on.

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Personally I don't like crunches, especially while holding extra weight. Last time they just ended up making my lower back pain worse. Kettlebell windmills and turkish get-ups are interesting, but my shoulders tend to get tired far before my midsection. Ab wheel and various plank positions are pretty awesome. I've also had good experiences with various simple mobility drills centering around midsection. I feel they have made my core stronger in differend positions, improved mobility and reduced lower back pain.

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Individual exercises:

Plank static hold [this is the single best exercise IMO, I do a 1 minute plank on top of a medecine ball while rolling it in circles on Mondays and then a 2 minute plank on the ground on Thursdays every week].

Wallsits [i do a 2 minute one every week, brutal but definitely uses the core]

Ab roller (these work great, but you gotta know what you're doing with it our you can tweak your back and not even really use your abs)

 

Compound exercises:

Squats

deadlifts

 

I agree, if you want definition of your abs (do you have a "six pack" underneath your "two-liter"?) you have to clean up your diet. Robert also goes into pretty good detail on this in his book about how you have to eat to get definition after you've spent time eating enormous amounts of calories bulking up.

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  • 2 months later...

Musclemag has a Abs Special on the stands now

 

The entire issue is devoted to abs and covers most everything about abs

 

Tons of exercises illustrated and explained

 

Definitely helped me reduce the confusion I had about how to develop abs

 

http://i55.tinypic.com/2rwqps8.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Deadlifts, front squats, bent presses, windmills,standing with your feet touching while doing overhead pressing of any kind, stone carrying, and a static holds( basically just holding the weight in a way that engages the abdominals, ex- one arm barbell push presses and at the top of the movement just hold the weight up as long as possible) I might not have a visible six pack, but I can guarantee I have a powerful core.

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  • 1 month later...
Ab Exercises?

 

Ab Gym Equipment?

 

Ab Gadgets?

 

All of the above?

 

Ab exercises, and core work in general. Most of it is done standing, not all of it is seated. I swear by bicycles myself.

 

Only equipment I've ever used is resistance bands. Wrap around the tops of your feet and have the ends of the bands coming out in between, and do what amounts to rowing motions with your legs in the air with your knees at a 90 degree ankle. Basically you move your feet forward while leaning back (but keeping good posture!), and the bands add the resistance. You'll feel those too.

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