Stomach Exercises!

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Right!!

I used to have a really good stomach. Conditioned muscles, hardly any fat. But after working and eating in restaurants for a few years - it went down hill!!
I have been losing a steady weight for 2 months now, and my one goal is to sort my stomach out!! So - exercises that won't bore me please??!!! I have bought Jillian Michael's 'Six Week Six Pack' so hopefully that will help

I have strong stomach muscles - but whenever I start crunches or bicycles - I always seem to pull on and hurt my neck - so need to get out of the habit.

Any advice?

Tiffani x

Replies

  • DS67ATX
    DS67ATX Posts: 289
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    I try to do 300 to 500 crunches a day .I start with 100 straight then do sets of 25 to 50 depending on how I feel.I always put my hands on my stomach to avoid pulling my head.Works for me,good luck to you.
  • Nopedotjpeg
    Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,806 Member
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    You can't really spot reduce. I do like Planks though.
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
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    Why isn't this question sticky'd?

    1. Abs start in the kitchen
    2. isolating and working a small muscle like your abs is the slowest way to lower bf%
    3. do multi-muscle lifts: squat, dead-lift, bench, pull up, etc.
  • TiffaniBarrett
    TiffaniBarrett Posts: 369 Member
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    Sticky'd??

    I want to lower BF in general, but I would like to work on my abs so I can look good in a bikini at summer!! lol!!

    I'll try and keep you all updated :-)

    Any more advice would be great :D xx
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
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    Sticky'd??

    Your ab question is asked like 3 times a day, everyday, there should just be a sticky at the top so that it doesn't come up so much.
    I want to lower BF in general, but I would like to work on my abs so I can look good in a bikini at summer!! lol!!

    I'll try and keep you all updated :-)

    Any more advice would be great :D xx

    Lift, seriously lift like a man, you will have such a better summer body than any other girls. Strong is the new skinny. You won't get huge because you can't. You only have 1/10th testosterone of a man, and even then most men can't get huge unless they've been lifting for years.
  • ster81
    ster81 Posts: 249
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    Sticky'd??

    Your ab question is asked like 3 times a day, everyday, there should just be a sticky at the top so that it doesn't come up so much.
    I want to lower BF in general, but I would like to work on my abs so I can look good in a bikini at summer!! lol!!

    I'll try and keep you all updated :-)

    Any more advice would be great :D xx

    Lift, seriously lift like a man, you will have such a better summer body than any other girls. Strong is the new skinny. You won't get huge because you can't. You only have 1/10th testosterone of a man, and even then most men can't get huge unless they've been lifting for years.
    this /\ and eat at a deficit..
  • TiffaniBarrett
    TiffaniBarrett Posts: 369 Member
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    Lift, seriously lift like a man, you will have such a better summer body than any other girls. Strong is the new skinny. You won't get huge because you can't. You only have 1/10th testosterone of a man, and even then most men can't get huge unless they've been lifting for years.

    Right - sounds like a plan! Do you think getting a man gym buddy who lifts would be good call? Just worried they will think I'm being ridiculous!! I have my one-2-one at my new gym next Thurs so will go through my goals with them. I do 4 or 5 cardio/boxing classes a week so that does my weight loss - just need some weights to condition?

    Tiffani x
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Lowering your overall body fat % is the ONLY way to get a six pack. Doesn't matter how many crunches you do, or any other stomach exercises. Visible six pack is all about diet, and low body fat.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Lift, seriously lift like a man, you will have such a better summer body than any other girls. Strong is the new skinny. You won't get huge because you can't. You only have 1/10th testosterone of a man, and even then most men can't get huge unless they've been lifting for years.

    Right - sounds like a plan! Do you think getting a man gym buddy who lifts would be good call? Just worried they will think I'm being ridiculous!! I have my one-2-one at my new gym next Thurs so will go through my goals with them. I do 4 or 5 cardio/boxing classes a week so that does my weight loss - just need some weights to condition?

    Tiffani x
    Find the book, "New Rules of Lifting For Women." It will answer a lot of your questions. And nothing wrong with finding yourself a male gym buddy, just make sure they have real knowledge first, avoid the "brofessors." My wife and I lift together most days.
  • TiffaniBarrett
    TiffaniBarrett Posts: 369 Member
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    Lowering your overall body fat % is the ONLY way to get a six pack. Doesn't matter how many crunches you do, or any other stomach exercises. Visible six pack is all about diet, and low body fat.

    Okay - how do I lower my body fat?
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
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    Right - sounds like a plan! Do you think getting a man gym buddy who lifts would be good call? Just worried they will think I'm being ridiculous!! I have my one-2-one at my new gym next Thurs so will go through my goals with them. I do 4 or 5 cardio/boxing classes a week so that does my weight loss - just need some weights to condition?

    Tiffani x

    If that man knows proper form then sure, you want someone who knows how to do the exercise correctly. There is the girl duo who comes in some times and do Olympic style lifts like the Clean and Jerk. They both have spot on form, strong, and look great. Then there are these two young men late teens who try to Clean and Jerk and they look like clowns with their lack of mobility.

    Cardio can help you drop the fat, but that is all appearance wise. Look at how the Olsen twins got super skinny and looked like crap. Sure they were light but they looked weak and unhealthy

    Lifting will burn calories but also gives you muscle, like Jillian Micheal.

    Figure out what works best with your scheduled. I am pretty hard core about lifting so i am lifting 5 times a week and doing cardio 2 -3 times. Again what works best for me may not be the best for you, listen to how your body responds.
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
    Options
    Lowering your overall body fat % is the ONLY way to get a six pack. Doesn't matter how many crunches you do, or any other stomach exercises. Visible six pack is all about diet, and low body fat.

    Okay - how do I lower my body fat?

    Eat 500 calories less than what your body burns each day to stay at your weight. Basicly plug your info into MFP and go from there. You may have to tweek your intake but that will come with time.
  • TiffaniBarrett
    TiffaniBarrett Posts: 369 Member
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    [/quote]
    Find the book, "New Rules of Lifting For Women." It will answer a lot of your questions. And nothing wrong with finding yourself a male gym buddy, just make sure they have real knowledge first, avoid the "brofessors." My wife and I lift together most days.

    [/quote]
    Eat 500 calories less than what your body burns each day to stay at your weight. Basicly plug your info into MFP and go from there. You may have to tweek your intake but that will come with time.
    [/quote]

    I just bought the book from Ebay :D hopefully it will help!


    I think I've entered everything properly - what figure am I looking for? It says I should eat 1200 a day atm! x
  • Otter1971
    Otter1971 Posts: 3 Member
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    Amen !! you don't need to do any Abdominal isolation exercises.. Squats, Deadlift, powercleans, frontsquats, overhead squats, clean and press, kettlebell work.. all will rip your abs and body with proper nutrition..
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
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    I think I've entered everything properly - what figure am I looking for? It says I should eat 1200 a day atm! x

    Now log your food for the next week, eat more if you aren't eating enough. When you don't eat enough your body will destroy your muscles to make up for the lack of calories. When you eat too much your body says "hey we have all this extra energy, lets save it in the form of fat in case we need it later."