Abs not sore....

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princesspea234
princesspea234 Posts: 182 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have tried pilates, abs 300, ab workout videos. Hardly anything makes my abs sore, but my back WILL get sore. What's up with this? Is it a bad form thing? A weak back? Also...Is there a way to work my abs? They are one of two areas that REALLY bothers me.

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  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    I have tried pilates, abs 300, ab workout videos. Hardly anything makes my abs sore, but my back WILL get sore. What's up with this? Is it a bad form thing? A weak back? Also...Is there a way to work my abs? They are one of two areas that REALLY bothers me.

    Define "bothers" you? Are you talking strength or look?
  • princesspea234
    princesspea234 Posts: 182 Member
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    I have tried pilates, abs 300, ab workout videos. Hardly anything makes my abs sore, but my back WILL get sore. What's up with this? Is it a bad form thing? A weak back? Also...Is there a way to work my abs? They are one of two areas that REALLY bothers me.

    Define "bothers" you? Are you talking strength or look?

    Look... The top has definition, but the bottom is not flat at all and has no definition.... definite jean hangover...over the top and on the sides.

    I used to not gain weight in my belly at all... always hips and thighs, but the last three years...I feel that the fat on my abs have increased a lot....slightly above the belly button and especially below. I've never had a six pack...always a two pack, but my abs have been flat for most of my life.

    I have increased cardio overall to reduce fat all over, but I would still like to target the muscles in my abs for some definition. Clothes and swimsuits are just not cute at this point.
  • Jenism1
    Jenism1 Posts: 149 Member
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    Have you tried doing planks? They seem to work for me. I do side planks as well and drop my hip to the floor 10 times. That really gets the obliques. I also like lying on my back and lifting both legs up straight up and down. Just be careful if your back hurts. May want to put your hands beneath the small of your back to support it.

    Good luck!
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    You can't really "target" abs though, as far as definition goes. Everyone has a 6 pack, it just depends if it's visible or not Those who's are visible created it by lowering overall BF%. You can do 10,000 crunches a day, but it's not going to make the fat leave your belly. Your body will remove it from wherever it wants to first.

    I'd recommend compound movements/lifts and looking into lifting routines. Upping your cardio can help, but so can investing in a good lifting routine (if you haven't..can't tell by info here) Very few individuals with "6 packs" actually do an ab routine. I might do it once or twice a month.....

    It's all about eating right, lowering BF%, and being patient.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,679 Member
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    If your back hurts doing abs, then you're doing them wrong, or you have a back issue. Get a pro to assess how you train your abs.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    Also, yeah, if your back is getting sore then it's probably a form thing. Don't do that. Your abs not getting sore is fine, anything else getting sore instead is not.

    Try overall core-strengthening work - most people don't realize their abs are actually quite strong, but they have weak backs from sitting around in chairs all day. When you do focus on your abs, actually focus on keeping them tight throughout the exercise, and *not* engaging your back muscles. It should probably feel a lot harder than you're used to.

    But everything else everyone said about the "ab look" being about low BF% and not actually muscles. Everyone has a six-pack, it's just how much of a cooler you're keeping it in...
  • Cannon_G
    Cannon_G Posts: 77 Member
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    I have tried pilates, abs 300, ab workout videos. Hardly anything makes my abs sore, but my back WILL get sore. What's up with this? Is it a bad form thing? A weak back? Also...Is there a way to work my abs? They are one of two areas that REALLY bothers me.

    In a core group fitness class on Monday the instructor told us that it's much more difficult to make your abs sore than other parts of your body. You can still make your abs sore though.
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
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    If your back hurts doing abs, then you're doing them wrong, or you have a back issue. Get a pro to assess how you train your abs.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    yes, please.

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