Ab exercise tips for weaklings please

performfully
performfully Posts: 126 Member
edited November 9 in Fitness and Exercise
I have lost 40 lbs and have 20 left, and have just started light strength training (mostly easy peasy DVDS). My schedule (doing Turbo Jam) has a 20 minute ab routine but I have a lot of trouble doing the floor exercises. I'm too weak to do more than a few crunches and can't do anything that requires sitting up past that point. Plus I am really straining my neck and not feeling benefit when I try to push through cause my form is so pathetic haha.
Anything to help me build up a little bit? I read planks, is that my only option? How would that go about, once a day, 3x?
TIA! :D

Replies

  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Squats and/or deads would be better bang for your buck. I'm not a big fan of iso exercises for the abs if you are eating at a deficit which you are.
  • Samby_v1
    Samby_v1 Posts: 202 Member
    Kettlebells are great for building your core. No crunches required!
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Crunches & situps are overrated and not very functional. Plus, 20 minutes of abs is overkill. I would seek a better strength program. I don't know the video market well, but maybe go with P90X? NROL4W is another popular program, but it's a book.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    If you are straining your neck, you are doing them wrong. When doing crunches, you shouldn't be using your arms to pull yourself up at all. You don't need to go any higher than your standard crunch, which you can also do placing your arms across your chest to keep you from using them. If you want to do ab work, but not get on the floor, you can always hang from a pull up bar and try to lift your legs up as high as you can. As with anything, the more you work at it, the better you will get.

    All resistance work will engage your abs and if done right will strengthen your core without the need for regular ab work. Regular push ups and pull ups will work your abs as good or better than most regular ab work will. Plus they will work other muscles that will give you a better toned look, as well.
  • crashchamp
    crashchamp Posts: 147 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Squats and/or deads would be better bang for your buck. I'm not a big fan of iso exercises for the abs if you are eating at a deficit which you are.

    ^This +1 Squats/Deads
  • performfully
    performfully Posts: 126 Member
    Thanks for the replies! Deads as in deadlifting? Lifting isn't quite my thing yet...someday ha. I also can't do a push up or pull up. Which is slightly why I'm put off from lifting. I wanted to start 5x5 but can't invest in any equipment yet.

    Cherimoose I'm not doing any kind of strength training. It's just part of my program which is 80% cardio and a bit of legs and that one ab workout, which 10 minutes of it is standing ab work and is ridiculously easy.

    I am also not using my arms to pull up at all, maybe it would have helped if I specified I was extremely weak all over. I'm just having trouble finding a starting point for anything at all because I was on bed rest for a long time and basically lost all muscle (I couldn't even walk up steps a year and a half ago).

    I'm not even looking to get abs, just replace the part I can't complete of my program.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    edited January 2015
    For bodyweight work, I'd consider leg raises a lot better ab workout than crunches. And you don't have to start out with full leg raises. For example, you can start with knee tucks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgC4_c41QHQ progress to flat knee raises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeiGDD-ABE0 flat bent leg raises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NIWN_oRjAU flat frog raises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYlBsExw-9Y then your standard flat straight leg raise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO5ndqiIqkQ BTW, these are all progressions from "Convict Conditioning", to give credit where credit is due...
  • quickcrx702
    quickcrx702 Posts: 46 Member
    +1 for the leg raises. After a while you can work up to the hanging leg raises, then weighted hanging leg raises. Just get some ankle weights, 5lbs or 10lbs is more than enough for a while. Trust me, your stomach will feel like Sigourney Weaver's when the alien was popping out, and you won't hurt your back, neck, or anything else.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    I'd also suggest planks... They too strengthen your core.. Start with front planks, resting on your forearms, try side planks, and as you get better and better... Add in variations to the planks. It also helps strengthen the muscles you'd engage for a pushup.

    :smile:

    The nice thing about them is that you can do three sets of 20s each and be done in record time!

    Also... They helped a lot when I was suffering back and hip pain.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Crunches get a bad rap, in my opinion. Done correctly, they are a great aid to strengthening your abs. The key is to work on using your abs to lift, not your neck or arms. Using good form for less reps over time will give the best success. If you use the correct form, the right muscles will strengthen and you will be able to increase your repititions and your range of motion.
  • performfully
    performfully Posts: 126 Member
    hill8570 wrote: »
    For bodyweight work, I'd consider leg raises a lot better ab workout than crunches. And you don't have to start out with full leg raises. For example, you can start with knee tucks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgC4_c41QHQ progress to flat knee raises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeiGDD-ABE0 flat bent leg raises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NIWN_oRjAU flat frog raises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYlBsExw-9Y then your standard flat straight leg raise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO5ndqiIqkQ BTW, these are all progressions from "Convict Conditioning", to give credit where credit is due...

    Thank you, very helpful!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    performfully wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies! Deads as in deadlifting? Lifting isn't quite my thing yet...someday ha. I also can't do a push up or pull up. Which is slightly why I'm put off from lifting. I wanted to start 5x5 but can't invest in any equipment yet.

    Cherimoose I'm not doing any kind of strength training. It's just part of my program which is 80% cardio and a bit of legs and that one ab workout, which 10 minutes of it is standing ab work and is ridiculously easy.

    I am also not using my arms to pull up at all, maybe it would have helped if I specified I was extremely weak all over. I'm just having trouble finding a starting point for anything at all because I was on bed rest for a long time and basically lost all muscle (I couldn't even walk up steps a year and a half ago).

    I'm not even looking to get abs, just replace the part I can't complete of my program.



    sounds like you need to start doing said push up pull up things- you can start with wall push ups- and wall planks

    easy- no strain.

    move down to a desk/counter- then a chair.

    if you have stairs- obviously that's a win- just keep training on a level till it's "easy" or you can achomplish more than XX reps- or time holding- then move down a stair.

    You need to be doing strength training. Period.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    +1 for hill's comment. Laying flat on your back will give you full support, keep you from straining anything you shouldn't, and give your core muscles a full workout.

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