How many crunches does it take to feel the pain??

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lal73
lal73 Posts: 116
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello...

I generally excesize about 5 days a week, between Wii Active and Jillian Michaels 30 day shred.....No matter how many crunches or ab work outs i do, i NEVER feel the pain the next day...I know that its NO PAIN NO GAIN....so what am i doing wrong? I feel the other excersizes everywhere else, my legs, arms, back...but never my abs.....I do everything right, i know the difference between a wrong and right way to do crunches, and im pretty sure im doing it right...

Why do you think this is?

Linda

Replies

  • ultimategar
    ultimategar Posts: 96 Member
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    I doubt you're doing anything wrong, abs recover pretty quickly, but if you want to I'm sure you can bring the pain ;)
    Lots of plank stuff (google for suggestions); front, one arm one leg, side with leg raises etc, 5 second holds for 3 sets should help.
  • AlwaysWanderer
    AlwaysWanderer Posts: 641 Member
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    It depends how many crunches you can do at the time... if more that 50(in one go), then you doing it wrong :-)
    If you normally do about 25, 3 series or more, then it just means that the muscles triggered by crunches are in top form. Try some different abs exercises. here are some examples:
    raised leg crunches - raise your legs at a straight angle, with knees bent at straight angle, and then do crunches (dont raise your shoulders more than 5 in of the floor though)
    exercise ball is great for abs,
    lie flat on your back and raise your legs not more that 10 inches from the ground (lower is better), keep for 10 sec, repeat 3x10 times.
    Thats just few, there is loads more, just google it.
    I never get pain in my abs, and I know I do it right (have been shown by personal trainer, and even after an hour long session with him it didnt hurt at all)
    Good luck!
  • Tomastomat
    Tomastomat Posts: 3
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    dont know anything bout the jillian michaels program or what you do on wii active...

    but its worth remembering your abs are quite a large muscle which can take alot of punishment without to much problems, although you should stick to the "48 hour rest" rule (ie rest your abs for 48 hours before giving them another workout).

    http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt.html#anchor172895

    There are some more exercises you can try on that link if crunches isnt doing it for you, alternetivley look around a bit on youtube for some clips that might help you out. dragonflags is a personal favourite.

    you might need to add a bit of weight, either try doing crunches on a incline or put some weights on your chest whilst doing the exercise.

    You are not able to go to a local gym?
  • stephqj
    stephqj Posts: 20
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    Two one-minute sets of Russian twists with a 10 lb medicine ball don't give me ab pain the next day. Walking five miles and making sure I get a good, tight core the whole time does. Pain just means muscle tear and lactic acid. Your body could be really adept at handling both.
  • atsteele
    atsteele Posts: 1,358 Member
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    Try doing more than one type of abdominal exercise. For example, do twenty crunches, then do twenty bicycles, twenty leg lifts, twenty jack knives, and then planks (bringing knees to elbows). Then start over. There's more challenging ways to exercise your abs if these aren't enough, eg, hanging leg raises. Your stomach muscles should be sore the next day but not painful.
  • facerme
    facerme Posts: 27
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    Try doing more than one type of abdominal exercise. For example, do twenty crunches, then do twenty bicycles, twenty leg lifts, twenty jack knives, and then planks (bringing knees to elbows). Then start over. There's more challenging ways to exercise your abs if these aren't enough, eg, hanging leg raises. Your stomach muscles should be sore the next day but not painful.

    HELL YEA !!!! I LOVE THIS TYPE OF SET.....GETTING MY AB PUSH ON TONIGHT BOOM !
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
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    It's hard for me to not do an ab work out everyday, I like the 'tight' feeling I have afterward. I almost never have any soreness unless I take 3 or more days off, then I really feel it. I guess it takes longer for the soreness to kick in for some people.
  • atsteele
    atsteele Posts: 1,358 Member
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    re super setting abs; Another glutton for punishment, I see. hehe Actually it's nothing that I dreamed up myself. I gleaned it from a fellow that's in the military. And he found it in a fitness magazine.

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