Ab exercise help!

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2014JourneyofKimbini
2014JourneyofKimbini Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What exercises for the abs have worked for you that don't require you to be on your back? I was looking to see what ones that are good that you can do standing up. Thanks.

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  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    any compound lift done standing up. Squats, deadlifts, standing overhead press, etc.

    Hannging leg raises, pull/chin ups if you have a bar from which to hang.

    Planks if you don't mind being prone but face down. No idea what your reason is for wanting to avoid lying down, so I can only offer these.
  • softballislife7
    softballislife7 Posts: 36 Member
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    planks, kneeling side bends, mountain climbers, criss cross jumping jacks, russian twists, backwards six inches, in-and-outs
  • Primeval_Princess
    Primeval_Princess Posts: 52
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    any compound lift done standing up. Squats, deadlifts, standing overhead press, etc.

    Hannging leg raises, pull/chin ups if you have a bar from which to hang.

    Planks if you don't mind being prone but face down. No idea what your reason is for wanting to avoid lying down, so I can only offer these.


    this
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    An 'ab roller' or better a barbell/dumbbell with some weights on so it will roll takes the plank to another level (I still can't go prone from standing).

    Also, consider dumbell side-bends, remembering your muscles work in other directions too.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    Abdominal isolation work in bellydance is awesome for the abs. The bellyrolls definitely use them (of course), but also chest isolation work and many hip moves come from the abs. My bad back has gotten good enough to do traditional ab work, but before then I took up belly dance specifically to work my abs without bothering my neck like crunches, etc used to. (Edit: a good beginner, non-choreo DVD is Suhaila's Pilates. She has a bit of floor abs, but skip to right after that and the whole rest of the DVD helps a lot!)

    Now I do some of the advanced stuff that involves a lot of back bending (also in yoga). Coming up from those poses really works the abs, too. I can wear a neck brace for my neck, and not having to use my arms for support actually helps my condition not flare, so backbends sound like a bad idea but work really nicely :) For me! YMMV, of course.
  • 2014JourneyofKimbini
    2014JourneyofKimbini Posts: 19 Member
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    I want avoid laying down because I have back pain. It's easier if I can do abdominal exercises vertically.At least until I'm a little lighter.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    any compound lift done standing up. Squats, deadlifts, standing overhead press, etc.

    Hannging leg raises, pull/chin ups if you have a bar from which to hang.

    Planks if you don't mind being prone but face down. No idea what your reason is for wanting to avoid lying down, so I can only offer these.

    This is pretty much verbatim what I came here to say.
  • BranDiesel_27
    BranDiesel_27 Posts: 46
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    IF you got something you can hang from like a chin up bar or a power tower, try hanging knee raises, hanging straight leg raises.
  • BranDiesel_27
    BranDiesel_27 Posts: 46
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    alot of people get back pain from ab work on floor becuase the back muscles are under developed. try Bridging exercises, supermans, and hyperextensions.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    I want avoid laying down because I have back pain. It's easier if I can do abdominal exercises vertically.At least until I'm a little lighter.

    You may want to concentrate on strengthening your back.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I want avoid laying down because I have back pain. It's easier if I can do abdominal exercises vertically.At least until I'm a little lighter.

    You may want to concentrate on strengthening your back.

    yup yup-
    if doing something makes something else hurts- you need to identify that- not work around it necessarily.

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