If not crunches/ETC...Then what?

Happymom83
Happymom83 Posts: 405 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I do lots of ab "exercises'...different variations of crunches,leg lifts,etc....My husband's physical therapist said that is the worst thing you could do for your abs???? She said it will actually make your "pooch" stick out more??:huh: Is this true? If yes...Then what in the world should I be doing instead?:ohwell: I just started lifting...I walk a lot...But I need to "tone" up my stomach..I just dont want to have "extra skin"...or at least as little as possible...4 kids will do that to you..lol:embarassed: :laugh:

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    heavy squats, deadlifts, other compound lifts were you keep your core engaged. Planks are good too.

    That said, I do very little direct ab work 5 mins 2 times/week, my core gets hit during my heavy lifting so just supplement it here and there

    Ab work will not "tone" up your stomach. We all have 6 packs, the difference is that it is under a layer of fat, or it is not. So losing fat will get you abs, not doing ab work.
  • elbaldwin0525
    elbaldwin0525 Posts: 159 Member
    Try the "vaccum" core exercise....it works the transverse abdominals which are the muscle that help pull your abs and organs in. just youtube how to do it.
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
    I personally think that's a total bs. sorry, i've never heard that ab work is bad for you- in moderation of course.

    ETA: I agree with prev. poster, that you need to lose the layer of fat on top of your abs- and crunches alone will do nothing -
  • BootCampCrazy
    BootCampCrazy Posts: 53 Member
    My trainer said the most effective way to work your core/abs is planks. He said it's really the only thing I need to do. I'm not so sure on crunches making your abs stick out more tho....interesting.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    So I do lots of ab "exercises'...different variations of crunches,leg lifts,etc....My husband's physical therapist said that is the worst thing you could do for your abs???? She said it will actually make your "pooch" stick out more??:huh: Is this true? If yes...Then what in the world should I be doing instead?:ohwell: I just started lifting...I walk a lot...But I need to "tone" up my stomach..I just dont want to have "extra skin"...or at least as little as possible...4 kids will do that to you..lol:embarassed: :laugh:

    It's true if your abs have a separation, yes. It can make it much worse. And without a separation, they pretty much do nothing anyway. I do compound lifts and planks. That's it.

    The extra skin is dependent, to an extent, on how much you have to lose and how fast you lose it. But mainly, it's a genetic thing. If your mom has a lot of stretchmarks, it's in your genes. You can learn to love it as a badge of honor for carrying four awesome kids, or start a savings fund for a tummy tuck. Either way, best of luck!
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Ok, I don't know if there's an science behind this, but the people on FitnessBlender say that you have to tighten your abs "in" as if you're sucking your belly button in, or the muscles will grow "out." I'm not sure I really believe that, but it's a way to encourage people to keep their abdominal engaged throughout an entire ab exercise.

    I do know that you can't spot treat. Ab exercises will strengthen the muscles you're working just like any other exercise that engages muscles with strengthen them. However, you can do 1000 crunches a day, but you won't get a flat stomach until you lose the fat covering these muscles. That's where a good diet and cardio and/or lifting come in.

    Crunches also won't get rid of extra skin left behind by pregnancy. The whole area will shrink once the fat is gone, but many moms keep that little pouch. Some women manage to go right back to normal, and I know one mother like this. My sister, on the other hand, has quite a bit of loose skin and, even though she's only 115 lbs (at 5'3"), her belly isn't flat and most likely never will be. You can feel her abdominal muscles are strong and "defined" beneath this extra skin and little bit of fat, but only a tummy tuck would allow them to be seen.

    I do a core routine about twice a week, but I also lift three times per week and my core is being engaged during those exercises. I'm also in the middle of the 30 day plank challenge. I'm up to 60 seconds, working my way up to 5 minutes. :)
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    heavy squats, deadlifts, other compound lifts were you keep your core engaged. Planks are good too.

    That said, I do very little direct ab work 5 mins 2 times/week, my core gets hit during my heavy lifting so just supplement it here and there

    Ab work will not "tone" up your stomach. We all have 6 packs, the difference is that it is under a layer of fat, or it is not. So losing fat will get you abs, not doing ab work.

    This. That is all.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    heavy squats, deadlifts, other compound lifts were you keep your core engaged. Planks are good too.

    That said, I do very little direct ab work 5 mins 2 times/week, my core gets hit during my heavy lifting so just supplement it here and there

    Ab work will not "tone" up your stomach. We all have 6 packs, the difference is that it is under a layer of fat, or it is not. So losing fat will get you abs, not doing ab work.

    /thread
  • KNarrainen
    KNarrainen Posts: 135 Member
    The reason it might be true, is because specific ab exercises will develop your ab muscles, but not do much for the layer of fit sitting on top of them.

    I think what they are suggesting is if you have a bit of a tummy already, and then develop your abs underneath, it will push the tummy further out, not totally sure if this would be the case, you'd have to have very well developed abs for that to be the case.

    Ab exercises are so that when you've lost the fat you get the best of what is revealed beneath.
    Essentially everyone has a six pack of sorts, you just can't see it on most people.
    Overall fitness and toning will eventually (if you watch you food intake) reveal them.
  • momesgoal165
    momesgoal165 Posts: 9 Member
    I ditto the question - i just hit the "middle age spread" .... well it just reached my abdomen with a big bang! and not only did it get big but hangs down some... does anyone have good exercises to target this..
  • Orion782
    Orion782 Posts: 391
    This is only true to a certain point. Body weight exercises such as leg lifts, scissor kicks, and even your standard plank and crunches will help those muscles in tone, but will only make them "pop" to a finite amount. Definitely not enough to "add to your pooch" or whatever. You talk about loose skin/fat...you have to reduce overall body fat to hit that, and unfortunately the lower abdominal area is the last to go for many of us.

    Bottom line is that you can do a billion situps and it won't get you "ripped" or even "bikini ready" if you still have fat covering them. Crunches and ab exercises are generally terrible for fat burning, so you do the math...
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
    You can do planks for your abs instead - there are many variations that will give you a challenging progression. Also do squats, deadlifts, push-ups, etc that will condition your whole body, build muscle and burn energy. There is unfortunately no exercise that will get rid of loose skin, but it should gradually tighten up.
  • TFaustino67
    TFaustino67 Posts: 551 Member
    abs_zpse0462921.jpg
  • Orion782
    Orion782 Posts: 391
    I ditto the question - i just hit the "middle age spread" .... well it just reached my abdomen with a big bang! and not only did it get big but hangs down some... does anyone have good exercises to target this..

    Cannot spot/target reduce when it comes to fat. You can tone the muscles underneath, but it won't reduce the "hang" you speak of without a vast overall reduction of body fat.
  • momesgoal165
    momesgoal165 Posts: 9 Member
    thank you.
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    Abs are made in the kitchen :-p
  • a_stronger_me13
    a_stronger_me13 Posts: 812 Member
    I do compound lifts and I can almost guarantee that I will not have a 6 pack when I get to a low enough BF%. That's a broad generalization that is very misleading. I will most likely have to bulk, do some direct ab work and then cut to have a true "set of abs".

    It's a muscle, just like everything else. If it's not there or well developed, dieting down will do nothing. A friend made a comment today that rings true, abs are REVEALED in the kitchen, not MADE in the kitchen.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    I ditto the question - i just hit the "middle age spread" .... well it just reached my abdomen with a big bang! and not only did it get big but hangs down some... does anyone have good exercises to target this..

    There are none. You can't "target' where you lose fat from.
  • Platform_Heels
    Platform_Heels Posts: 388 Member
    Your abs support your back so strong core = strong back so in that sense it's not an unnecessary exercise.

    I personally do isolation ab work. I always have. I will do crunches, planks, hanging leg raises, weighted side bends and twists, decline crunches, reverse crunches, leg lifts etc. I do isolation ab work every other day and I do different exercises each time.

    But that is just my preference.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    Planks!!
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    OMG where to begin. There are so many other things you can do that don't require crunching. Keep reading, you will find some. I can't list it now. Boss coming back any second.
  • jenniferreed02
    jenniferreed02 Posts: 7
    I have heard from a Pilates instructor that pregnancy creates a gap between your abs and doing crunches and other work before your abs have fully healed (which is different for everyone) after birth can really damage your abs and make the gap look so much worse. It gives you what they call "mommy tummy". Planks are great though and can't do this.

    I agree with others that actual ab work is not that necessary because it will be engaged during other strength training. Abs do not come from crunches, you have to be very lean to begin with to see the muscles under the fat/skin. My ab work comes from doing insanity workouts and trying to focus the exercises into my core. But I have a layer of fat I need to shed to really see those bad boys. No kids yet, though!
  • Happymom83
    Happymom83 Posts: 405 Member
    I do understand about not being able to "spot reduce"...lol:laugh:

    I just am trying to lose the layer of fat, at the same time "toning" even more what's underneath that layer of fat:wink: So we can meet at a happy middle:tongue: Well...I'll add the plank again..and continue lifting! I love doing squats so...more squats( with weights) it is!:drinker:
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    Ok, I don't know if there's an science behind this, but the people on FitnessBlender say that you have to tighten your abs "in" as if you're sucking your belly button in, or the muscles will grow "out." I'm not sure I really believe that, but it's a way to encourage people to keep their abdominal engaged throughout an entire ab exercise.

    I do know that you can't spot treat. Ab exercises will strengthen the muscles you're working just like any other exercise that engages muscles with strengthen them. However, you can do 1000 crunches a day, but you won't get a flat stomach until you lose the fat covering these muscles. That's where a good diet and cardio and/or lifting come in.

    Crunches also won't get rid of extra skin left behind by pregnancy. The whole area will shrink once the fat is gone, but many moms keep that little pouch. Some women manage to go right back to normal, and I know one mother like this. My sister, on the other hand, has quite a bit of loose skin and, even though she's only 115 lbs (at 5'3"), her belly isn't flat and most likely never will be. You can feel her abdominal muscles are strong and "defined" beneath this extra skin and little bit of fat, but only a tummy tuck would allow them to be seen.

    I do a core routine about twice a week, but I also lift three times per week and my core is being engaged during those exercises. I'm also in the middle of the 30 day plank challenge. I'm up to 60 seconds, working my way up to 5 minutes. :)

    There is also keeping the core engaged in everything you do. I've always kept my core engaged but recently I realized that I use it when I'm not thinking. I had to lift a folded shopping cart from the opposite side of a fence, I didn't use my legs and had to use upper body. When I lifted it, I felt my entire core engage. It just tightened (front side and back) as I lifted the cart and let go when I was done. It was so cool to see how my body thinks for itself sometimes.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    The wheel and russian twists are my favorite ab exercises. But lots of other things that aren't specifically ab exercise work the abs - pushups, squats, Zumba, boxing (punching), burpees, mtn climbers ...
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I ditto the question - i just hit the "middle age spread" .... well it just reached my abdomen with a big bang! and not only did it get big but hangs down some... does anyone have good exercises to target this..

    I am 52. Zumba and Turbo Fire both really helped with this. Cardio with a lot of twisting (and punching for TF).
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I do very little in the way of direct ab work...and yeah...crunches and sit-ups are just about the worse things you could do...they're really hard on the spine and really don't engage the core that well. I highly recommend compound lifting movements...squats and dead-lifts in particular really engage the entire core (not just the abs); I also do planks. When I do happen to do some direct ab work I usually do hanging leg lifts...sometimes I'll throw in some wood choppers too or Russian twists, etc.

    Beyond that I would recommend keeping you abs engaged with pretty much anything you do...basically keep them flexed most of the time...that's a damned good ab workout.
  • Happymom83
    Happymom83 Posts: 405 Member
    Thanx everyone:) I also have been doing deadlifts. I'll continue with that. I have a punching bag set up..I need to start using it again....fun way to get rid of all your daily stresses/etc:laugh:

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