Core excercises - Pain but no Impact

snoz2015
snoz2015 Posts: 15 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi...

Question for the gurus here.... I'm faithfully doing various core excercise - from planks to Total Ab Machines, Russian Twists and so on. I push hard and it hurts..... But I never, ever feel a burn afterwards. If I work equally hard on other muscles then a day or so later I will be feeling it - and I understand that's a good sign, because it is the muscles fixing and hopefully growing - but beyond the immediate pain I never feel anything in my abs. Am I not pushing hard enough, or is this the norm? Unfortunately, I'm carrying belly fat and so I can't see any impact visually.

Thanks!

Replies

  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    don't confuse soreness/pain with effectiveness.

    aaaaaaand as long as you have a high level of belly fat, it don't matter how many total ab machine crunches you do, you ain't gonna see no abs till you lose fat via your diet to uncover them
  • snoz2015
    snoz2015 Posts: 15 Member
    Sorry, I know that - I realise that Calories get rid of the fat. But I'm hoping that when that's gone, there will be something to see. I feel that the other excercise is worth doing because I feel it is having an impact - even an invisible one. This feels pointless. My question, I guess - Should your body react to Ab workouts in the same way it does other muscles, with pain after 24 hours?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    snoz2015 wrote: »
    Should your body react to Ab workouts in the same way it does other muscles, with pain after 24 hours?

    asked and answered
  • snoz2015
    snoz2015 Posts: 15 Member
    ok. ty.
  • MsAmandaNJ
    MsAmandaNJ Posts: 1,248 Member
    I tend to "feel" it during the exercise, not much after, unless I do something new. I too have a belly, so you can't really see what I've done, but I can feel the new strength in my core. It took a longer time than I expected. The first time I sat up from laying down without using my hands was one of the most exhilarating moments in my life. Keep working on it :-)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I don't do much if any direct ab work. If you do heavy compound lifts they will be getting worked if you engage your core as you should.

    Why are you doing so much direct core work?
  • snoz2015
    snoz2015 Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks, Ms Amanda - Impressive leg lifting, btw! Hi Erick - The guides I've read said I should be doing it, and I've pushed harder due to lack of impact!
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    I do very little core work but every now and then I get on a roll and do planks regularly. I DO feel it in my ab area, but I don't feel muscle soreness afterwards like I do when I work say my calves or back. I think each muscle group responds differently and it varies person to person. Just keep making progress.
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Muscle pain and soreness is not a direct indicator of how hard the muscle has been worked although I tend to feel pain if I work the muscle in a different manner than usual or overwork it causing more tears and rips than normal. You just might have a pretty strong core. It takes some extreme work for me to fee anything in my core at this point although the muscle will get fatigued during the exercise. Like Erick, I don't do a lot of direct ab work nowadays as I hit them pretty good during my routines and cardio. Working your ab muscles is good if you're trying to build volume. You're not going to see a lot of the results of your hard work until you get to some pretty low body fat for your gender.
  • snoz2015
    snoz2015 Posts: 15 Member
    thanks all. Great support as always.
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,138 Member
    I only feel it in my abs if I take an extended break from working out and then jump back into it. Then my abs will feel it the next day, when I try to get up from bed or engage my core. Once I get them going from any kind of exercise, I don't get that "ow it hurts when I move" sensation any longer.
  • IzzyBooNZ1
    IzzyBooNZ1 Posts: 1,289 Member
    I have just heard about RKC or hardstyle planks

    just grabbed these off google.... I will try today !

    http://behench.com/2013/02/05/think-you-have-a-strong-core-the-rkc-plank-for-maximum-whole-body-tension/

    http://rdellatraining.com/how-to-do-the-rkc-or-hardstyle-plank
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    First time doing superman pose I felt it for 2 days afterwards.
  • snoz2015
    snoz2015 Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks all!

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