Building Abs

If you want to avoid being on your back you can try bear crawls, walk outs, up/down planks, side plank, plank dips, plank rotations, russian twists (weighted/unweighted, legs raised or down), mountain climbers. You could challenge your obliques by bending to one side and lifting a weight in that hand. There's a whole lot of yoga moves that work your core, pilates probably too.

Theoldguy1 wrote: »

ab wheel roll outs.

I'm so crap at these, it's unreal

If you are talking about building ab strength vs developing visible abs, what you really need to focus on is CORE strength (of which the abs are only a part).

There are all kinds of exercises that can help develop CORE strength, none of which involves doing ab specific exercises, many of which have already been mentioned above, including but not limited to squats (weighted or not), deadlifts, farmer's walk carries, planks, hanging or seated leg/knee raises among others.

Even just wearing aweighted cest or backvack while walking and/or hiking will increase your core strength because your core needs to be "activated" in order to stabilize that weight

What you don't need to do to increase your core strength are situps or crunches, which create a risk of lower back injury that is unnecessary given the many other less ridsy alternative exercises available.

If you can get to an aerial yoga or other anti-gravity class you get a lot of core work while in suspension. Also it’s a lot more fun than floor work 😂

Vacuums also standing crunches.
Tension band side pulls while concentrating on your abs.

jacqQ2017 wrote: »

Theoldguy1 wrote: »

ab wheel roll outs.

I'm so crap at these, it's unreal

Then they are the perfect thing to practice at and get better Good luck.

If your back and hips are hurting, it sounds more like an issue with execution of exercise when doing them.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Dogmom1978 wrote: »

VeryKatie wrote: »

mom23mangos wrote: »

MikePfirrman wrote: »

I bought a Stealth Plank board. You put your cell phone in it and play games while you plank. It's fun to gamify planks.

I’m cheap. I made my own for about $5. The app is free. 🤗

How did you make it? I'd be interested! Crunches hurt my neck too much (I'm aware that probably means I'm doing something wrong but no idea how to fix it) so planking is more comfortable but borrrring.

Where are your hands during these crunches? Often if people speak of neck pain they are putting their hands behind their neck and causing neck strain.

I do crunches on a decline bench with my hands folded in front of me. I keep my back straight and pull up from my abs rather than lifting my head, neck or back. It targets my abs and results in 0 injuries so far.

By my sides or reaching for my knees. I dont put them on my head or neck. Closest would be crossed over my chest. I feel like my abs are so weak my back and neck are trying to compensate...

leekatelynne0659 wrote: »

Hi there! I have always struggled with ab exercises as I hardly have any core strength and floor workouts hurt my back and hip pretty badly. Outside of floor work and crunches, what else can I do to build ab muscles without feeling pain in my back or hip?

For me, bent over rows made a huge difference when my core was much weaker.

mom23mangos wrote: »

MikePfirrman wrote: »

@mom23mangos -- everyone should give you an inspiring click for that one. That is very ingenious of you. Where do you put your phone at for the app? I could see just gluing a few wood pieces for the phone holder.

I just lay the phone on the wood. I have a leather case so it doesn't really slip. I have debating about making one and gluing some foam on it and cutting out a rectangle for the phone. I also cut some PVC pipe to see if that makes an easier column than making a square, but haven't tried it yet.

I also made my own Swedish ladder which is great for ab work as well as stretching.

This is why it pays to be handy.

VeryKatie wrote: »

Dogmom1978 wrote: »

VeryKatie wrote: »

mom23mangos wrote: »

MikePfirrman wrote: »

I bought a Stealth Plank board. You put your cell phone in it and play games while you plank. It's fun to gamify planks.

I’m cheap. I made my own for about $5. The app is free. 🤗

How did you make it? I'd be interested! Crunches hurt my neck too much (I'm aware that probably means I'm doing something wrong but no idea how to fix it) so planking is more comfortable but borrrring.

Where are your hands during these crunches? Often if people speak of neck pain they are putting their hands behind their neck and causing neck strain.

I do crunches on a decline bench with my hands folded in front of me. I keep my back straight and pull up from my abs rather than lifting my head, neck or back. It targets my abs and results in 0 injuries so far.

By my sides or reaching for my knees. I dont put them on my head or neck. Closest would be crossed over my chest. I feel like my abs are so weak my back and neck are trying to compensate...

For me, I found that doing some of the abs-specific exercises (like sit ups, crunches) required a certain minimum of core strength before being able to do them with decent form. A routine of the basic simple compound lifts (no isolated abs exercises) got me to that point. The one that seemed to do the most, as I mentioned above, was the bent over barbell rows. Previous to that, my core was weak enough that holding myself in that position without weight (as in when washing my face under the bathtub faucet) was a bit difficult.