hating ab day

jenncornelsen

so i have been working out atleast once a week for a few years. i don't mind cardio and try to do atleast 20-30 min per day. all good. i strength train twice a week working my arms back and chest, with a bit of leg work. my problem is core. i have had two large babies and my abs are somewhat seperated from this. they can only be fixed through surgury but i would like to do some overall core exercises that focus on more than just abs. what are other people doing? any suggestions? thanks!

Hornsby

If you are already doing some strength training, get on a complete progressive program rather than just doing arms and back. Nothing will be better for your core than squats and deadlifts.

jenncornelsen

thanks! i will look them up so i know i have proper form. can deadlifts be done with dumbbells?

Hornsby

jenncornelsen wrote: »

thanks! i will look them up so i know i have proper form. can deadlifts be done with dumbbells?

Yes. Not sure it's as effective, but someone else can chime in on that.

michellesz

Great core exercies...and planks a fave. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20664616,00.html

Hornsby

michellesz wrote: »

Great core exercies...and planks a fave. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20664616,00.html

While those exercises are fine, please do realize that they will do nothing for abdominal fat as the article suggests.

jenncornelsen

lol i know. just looking to round out my strength training. i am currently doing plank though i can't hold it for more than a minute yet

Holly_Roman_Empire

Hornsby wrote: »

jenncornelsen wrote: »

thanks! i will look them up so i know i have proper form. can deadlifts be done with dumbbells?

Yes. Not sure it's as effective, but someone else can chime in on that.

I've done modified deadlifts for dumbbells, and for me personally, it wasn't as effective. They did the job, but really there's nothing better than a bar and plates for deads.

OP, I do decline situps to strengthen my core, but I would refrain from dedicating a whole day to just abs.

cwolfman13

I wouldn't bother with actually having a day dedicated to abs. Really, you do want to get on some kind of full body, progressive program...that is going to do more for your core and abs than anything else. I do some isolated core work and some isolated ab work (note that these aren't the same thing), but I would never dedicate an entire day to it...I usually do this kind of stuff after my primary work is complete and it's really pretty minimal as my core is usually pretty well fried from my other work.

jenncornelsen

by a whole day i am meaning more like 15 minutes. and it would probably be incorporated into another day just right now i am not doing anything besides plank

mirrim52

If you have diastasis recti, be very careful with ab exercises. Some, like crunches and planks, can make it worse. You would be best to speak to a medical professional with experience with it to make sure you aren't going to do any damage.

futuremanda

Pilates is great for core strength. Though if you're say, already at the gym lifting weights, might be easiest to go with a weights-at-the-gym-based solution. Just adding ideas!