Good ab exercises?

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I have 5 kiddos ages 8-1 so I do have diaStis recti but I don't want to avoid my stomach area. Was doing planks got up to 4 minutes then was told to NOT do exercises where you are pushing stomach out, sit upS, planks... now not sure what to do.
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  • MemoGamal2017
    MemoGamal2017 Posts: 1 Member
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    Always i am afraid to work out for stomach due to that reason
  • gregbrown24
    gregbrown24 Posts: 27 Member
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    I love doing hanging leg raise and knee raises.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Always i am afraid to work out for stomach due to that reason

    You gave birth to five kids?
  • mmmpork
    mmmpork Posts: 133 Member
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    You shouldn't be pushing your stomach out when doing planks and situps. If you do have a medical condition, then consider working with a Physical Therapist. Once you've made progress in PT and have gotten the ok, you might check out pilates, reformer is best but mat will still work. I started doing Pilates after I finishing PT from a back injury and it's been really amazing. You learn a lot about your body and how it feels to move "correctly" (and therefore avoid injury).
  • Lolalikeslolagets
    Lolalikeslolagets Posts: 142 Member
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    I noticed a huge difference once I started lifting.. Overhead squats or overhead walking lunges, movements like that.. hanging leg raises..
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    I would definitely look into getting a PT. Last thing you want to do is make the issue worse by doing the wrong combination of moves.
  • jada8023
    jada8023 Posts: 5 Member
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    @emilk2016 can you please tell me what the overhead squats and overhead walking lunges are?
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    jada8023 wrote: »
    @emilk2016 can you please tell me what the overhead squats and overhead walking lunges are?

    It's literally squats and walking lunges, holding the bar at full extension above your head, often in a snatch (wide) grip.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    Squats, planks, hanging leg raises. There' s nothing wrong with planking so dunno who told the OP that. Oh, and if you're pushing your stomach out during a plank, you're doing it wrong. ;)
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    Yeah, planking is only bad if your technique is bad, pushing your tummy out is poor technique.

    Do you do other strength exercises, like the above squats and lunges even without weight? You engage your core to stabilise during those movements (and really, you can engage your core in upper body strength too, you just have to think about more) so it's being worked during those movement. Personally I don't do a lot of core isolation work, particularly crunch variations that involve leg drops because I have a clunky hip that makes it uncomfortable. But it's fine due to everything else I do.
  • Famof72015
    Famof72015 Posts: 393 Member
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    I engaged my core all the time even when not working out, so of course I engage it while doing planks someone had told me that planks and sit ups naturally your stomach is pushed out when doing those, so to avoid. Thanks for all the tips!!
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    Famof72015 wrote: »
    I engaged my core all the time even when not working out, so of course I engage it while doing planks someone had told me that planks and sit ups naturally your stomach is pushed out when doing those, so to avoid. Thanks for all the tips!!

    Yea nope. ;) If you want better abs, you need planks. Just my opinion. The person doing them and giving you that advice might be referring to loose skin in the abdomen area hanging when doing planks. I have some of that and it isn't pretty lol, but it certainly has nothing to do with my ab muscles. Planks + side planks daily here. I never could get any decent definition in my abdomen before them, now after almost six months doing planks daily I'm starting to see results. If you do nothing else, do planks.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    psuLemon wrote: »
    Yea nope ;), lol. You don't need planks.. you need core engagement. You can do that without planks.

    Agreed. I like planks because they engage more of your core at the same time. But there are many other options.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    psuLemon wrote: »
    Famof72015 wrote: »
    I engaged my core all the time even when not working out, so of course I engage it while doing planks someone had told me that planks and sit ups naturally your stomach is pushed out when doing those, so to avoid. Thanks for all the tips!!

    Yea nope. ;) If you want better abs, you need planks. Just my opinion. The person doing them and giving you that advice might be referring to loose skin in the abdomen area hanging when doing planks. I have some of that and it isn't pretty lol, but it certainly has nothing to do with my ab muscles. Planks + side planks daily here. I never could get any decent definition in my abdomen before them, now after almost six months doing planks daily I'm starting to see results. If you do nothing else, do planks.

    Yea nope ;), lol. You don't need planks.. you need core engagement. You can do that without planks.

    I have also heard planks (pretty much anything where your belly faces the floor) can make diastasis recti worse.. as well as crunches and sit-ups.. but I am no expert, I would definitely talk to your doctor or PT for recommendations!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Famof72015 wrote: »
    I engaged my core all the time even when not working out, so of course I engage it while doing planks someone had told me that planks and sit ups naturally your stomach is pushed out when doing those, so to avoid. Thanks for all the tips!!

    Yea nope. ;) If you want better abs, you need planks. Just my opinion. The person doing them and giving you that advice might be referring to loose skin in the abdomen area hanging when doing planks. I have some of that and it isn't pretty lol, but it certainly has nothing to do with my ab muscles. Planks + side planks daily here. I never could get any decent definition in my abdomen before them, now after almost six months doing planks daily I'm starting to see results. If you do nothing else, do planks.

    Yea nope ;), lol. You don't need planks.. you need core engagement. You can do that without planks.

    I have also heard planks (pretty much anything where your belly faces the floor) can make diastasis recti worse.. as well as crunches and sit-ups.. but I am no expert, I would definitely talk to your doctor or PT for recommendations!

    They only time you will see me in plank position is when I am doing pushups. Just not worth my time.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    psuLemon wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Famof72015 wrote: »
    I engaged my core all the time even when not working out, so of course I engage it while doing planks someone had told me that planks and sit ups naturally your stomach is pushed out when doing those, so to avoid. Thanks for all the tips!!

    Yea nope. ;) If you want better abs, you need planks. Just my opinion. The person doing them and giving you that advice might be referring to loose skin in the abdomen area hanging when doing planks. I have some of that and it isn't pretty lol, but it certainly has nothing to do with my ab muscles. Planks + side planks daily here. I never could get any decent definition in my abdomen before them, now after almost six months doing planks daily I'm starting to see results. If you do nothing else, do planks.

    Yea nope ;), lol. You don't need planks.. you need core engagement. You can do that without planks.

    I have also heard planks (pretty much anything where your belly faces the floor) can make diastasis recti worse.. as well as crunches and sit-ups.. but I am no expert, I would definitely talk to your doctor or PT for recommendations!

    They only time you will see me in plank position is when I am doing pushups. Just not worth my time.

    If I am doing a plank it is usually an RKC plank because glutes ;)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    If you have diastase recti it would be best for you to discuss it with your dr and get a referral to a specializing pt. Some exercises can hinder not help abdominal recover.

    I am not sure of the veracity of this link, but it may be a starting point talking with a dr or pt.

    http://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/12-weeks-of-workouts-to-rebuild-after-diastasis-recti

    Cheers, h.
  • Fittreelol
    Fittreelol Posts: 2,535 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Famof72015 wrote: »
    I engaged my core all the time even when not working out, so of course I engage it while doing planks someone had told me that planks and sit ups naturally your stomach is pushed out when doing those, so to avoid. Thanks for all the tips!!

    Yea nope. ;) If you want better abs, you need planks. Just my opinion. The person doing them and giving you that advice might be referring to loose skin in the abdomen area hanging when doing planks. I have some of that and it isn't pretty lol, but it certainly has nothing to do with my ab muscles. Planks + side planks daily here. I never could get any decent definition in my abdomen before them, now after almost six months doing planks daily I'm starting to see results. If you do nothing else, do planks.

    Yea nope ;), lol. You don't need planks.. you need core engagement. You can do that without planks.

    I have also heard planks (pretty much anything where your belly faces the floor) can make diastasis recti worse.. as well as crunches and sit-ups.. but I am no expert, I would definitely talk to your doctor or PT for recommendations!

    Yes many traditional ab exercises can definitely make diastasis recti worse. I'm adding to the "talk to a PT or your Dr." crowd.