Abs... should they hurt??

nicolerah
nicolerah Posts: 440 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
ok.. so typically from past routines in my life I know that when you do ab exercises, your ab muscles tend to hurt. I've been doing very minimal amounts of ab-work in my cardio workout, as well as a couple reps of standing crunches with weights and so far, it seems I have a bit of control of my stomach muscles but I have not felt any burn in my tummy at all!!

Does this mean that I need to do more or is it possible that I have so much fat on my tummy that the exercises are not yet "reaching" the muscles.. I know that last possibility sounds kinda stupid but hey, that's what we're here for right.... to share information!

Replies

  • godroxmysox
    godroxmysox Posts: 1,491 Member
    bump
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    muscles move your body, not fat. If you don't feel anything any more, it means your muscles have become accustomed to the workout. There will be a point where you can progress without feeling any muscle pain at all. So yes, you should do more.
  • Peridotite
    Peridotite Posts: 66
    I would like to know the answer to this too! I can't remember the last time I felt that wonderful ab pain after working them. Does it mean that I'm not doing them right or that I need to put more effort into the exercise? I feel it when I am doing the exercise but not the day after like I used to :sad:
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I shouldn't hurt, but when you are working a muscle, it should feel some fatigue (usually that "burning" feeling) by the end.
    I would add some extra ab exercise. One really good one is the plank position. It's like a pushup position only with elbows/forearms on floor instead of hands. And hold ... just hold it. Make sure you are tightening your abs (and you will also naturally tighten glutes too). You don't want to feel a whole lot in your back - it should be really straight. When you first start out you'll probably only be able to hold for 15-20 seconds. Then rest for 30-45 seconds and repeat. It works EVERY core muscle and you'll get that burn without spending a whole ton of time!
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    It took me months of regular abs exercises to start feeling them working. I think they were so pathetic at the beginning they weren't doing a lot.
  • starzman2003
    starzman2003 Posts: 20
    They should be a little sore, but if they hurt the next day it's possible they are slightly strained. You are working those ab muscles though even through the fat. In fact your abs are typically the most worked muscle group throughout the day. I'm a guy, so sadly It's the last place I'm losing weight, but it is going away slowly! Hang in there!
  • Buckeyt
    Buckeyt Posts: 473 Member
    Regardless of how much body fat you have, if you properly engage any muscle it will be worked. Most ab routines tend to be high rep so maybe focus on that. Also I occasionally press my abs with my fingers to feel them being engaged so try that to make shure you're working them.
  • ShaeDetermined
    ShaeDetermined Posts: 1,525 Member
    Muscle soreness is not an indicator of a good workout, i.e. sore muscles the day after does not mean you had an effective workout or productive workout.

    Pain/soreness comes from making the muscle do something it isn't used to doing. (the pain that you feel is the results of muscle micro tears)

    As your body gradually got more accustomed to what you’re doing, you will experience less and less muscle soreness over time until it reached the point where you are barely sore or even not sore at all anymore after a workout.

    Your workouts aren’t any more or less effective, your body just got a lot better at adapting to and recovering from the stress exercise is placing on it.

    (btw, this is also a big part of why there are so many workouts out there that focus on "muscle confusion" - to keep the body guessing and not let it get too used to any one exercise)
  • kaytedawg05
    kaytedawg05 Posts: 209
    when in doubt, do more :-) try different workouts. anything called a core workout will bust those ABS.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Try adding a resistance. Hold a weight plate to your chest or a dumbbell or medicine ball over your head, keeping your arms close to your ears. Or for reverse crunches, hold a medicine ball behind your knees.

    Also YouTube myotatic crunches. I tried them with a weight and could barely move the next day!
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