OT: For those that work out

273 Views 17 Replies 13 Participants Last post by ukyo, Nov 2, 2001

akira410

Discussion Starter · Nov 2, 2001

Hey guys,

I've been getting back into working out after about a 6 or 7 month break. Ugh. I need some advice on an area that I have always had trouble targeting -- my lower abs. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Some exercise that I could do at home would be nice. I won't have a chance to get a gym membership until next month. My apartment complex has a fitness center, but it's fairly lame. There is not very much equipment to select from and NO free weights. =(.

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

Blk_Gto

· #2 · Nov 2, 2001

Mail order one of those ab roller things.

I'm not joking. They really work. Don't do leg lifts w/ weight on your ankles. I heard that's bad for your back.

akira410

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 2, 2001

Yeah, I have a bad back from a car accident a few years ago. I'm always extra careful when it comes to the back.

Elmo

· #4 · Nov 2, 2001

Blk is right. Sorta.

To really hit the lower abs well, you have to be SURE your obliques are strong enough to handle the pressure of your body.

In order to flex and stretch the Lower abs to their max, you have to cause an arch in your body. This will put ALOT of stress on your lower back.

Rob, I'd suggest working on your lower back first. This can be done a number of way, but simple toe touches all night long (I'm not kidding; it's low impact, but the endurance factor it gives your lower back is astonishing if you do this for 2 hours while watching tv, once a week)

Once your back is strengthend, however you choose to do it, you can use ankle weights, (which I hate) or, if you have either an ab bench (decline angle) or, and incline decline weight bench which you can hook your ankles under something, then just lay back, with your body declined towards the floor.

Lift up, stop just short of vertical, and lower to horizontal. This is not all the way down though, remember, the bench is on a downward angle. Stopping short like that at horizontal, will put the necessary stress on your lower abs that you're looking for.

This move is akin to a move that is usually done on something called a Roman Bench, but few people have access to one of those, unless you're part of a health club with a well rounded gear selection in their weight room. The ab board, or decline weight bench with ankle attachments work just fine.

If you can do more than 20 on your first run out, I'll shake your hand, and buy you a fruit drink (or whatever the trend is at health clubs now. I don't go, I have a smith machine in my room at home) This move is HARD. Even after repeated training, 35-40 still makes my abs sore two days later.

Good luck dude.

Elton

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Toxic13

· #5 · Nov 2, 2001

i'm no expert when it comes to fitness and what not, but i do lift and i consider myself to be in very good shape. on that note i think that elmo hit it right on the head with the toe touches. although i've personally always had good abs i still find that simple things like toe touches (for good toning) and leg lifts helped out the most.

shovel

· #6 · Nov 2, 2001

Alot of your lower ab fat is from drinking.

Actually most of it is water weight. You have to RUN to burn that off. Its real easy to get a 4pack, but when i want a 6 pack i have to hit the track. Cut back on your sodium intake too.

Elmo

· #7 · Nov 2, 2001

shovel said:
Alot of your lower ab fat is from drinking. Actually most of it is water weight. You have to RUN to burn that off. Its real easy to get a 4pack, but when i want a 6 pack i have to hit the track. Cut back on your sodium intake too.

heheh

Bear in mind, each person's biorhythmics, and biomechanics are different. Case in point: I don't have to run to get a six.

I have one now, and all I have to do is my normal workout. Leg lifts off the end of a bed (ass on the edge, legs rigid, and straight out off the bed, lower to slightly below horizontal, and then raise to vertical, slowly lower, repeat) the Decline situps I spoke of earlier, and an occassional (once or twice a month) rapid crunch-a-thon for 60 seconds flat (as many as can be feasibly done, even if I am near passing out.

)

Oh rob, and one more thing. You'll find a WONDERFUL side benefit of getting good control of your obliques and your lower abs will be your newfound control in the sack with the chickies. They absolutely DIG it.

E

akira410

Discussion Starter · #8 · Nov 2, 2001

haha :-D

Yeah, a four pack is easy for me to get. I used to talk about my 4pack and my mini-keg

I had a 6pack WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYY back in the day, but it just sorta came natural then.

I keep a low sodium diet. I've never actually even like food high in sodium, so I avoid it except in very small amounts.

I eat generally low fat foods (but not zero fat. We gotta have a little ;-). I make sure to eat the 'good fats' too.)

Until recently, I had been doing well. My diet has gone to hell now that I'm in Alabama. I'm settled in to the point now, though, that I have enough groceries to cook whatever I want, etc, and can eat healthier. Time to get myself back in shape, again.

kalla

· #9 · Nov 2, 2001

akira410 said:
I eat generally low fat foods (but not zero fat. We gotta have a little ;-). I make sure to eat the 'good fats' too

Yeah, except if the food is in the form of onion rings

god those onion rings kicked ass !!!

I didn't have any dinner tonight. Wasn't hungry .. guess why ??

akira410

Discussion Starter · #10 · Nov 2, 2001

I wasn't hungry either. Those onion rings did kick butt. See what I mean? My diet has gone to hell.

Rich ate the 20oz hamburger, though. That was a little too much for me to try.

unclesam099

· #11 · Nov 2, 2001

if you want to strengthen your lower back and have it be low impact, get on a rowing machine

i'm on the crew team here at purdue university and rowing is great for your legs, lower back, abs (kinda), and shoulders/upper back/arms. on the machine, keep your back straight. reach out over your knees and explode with your legs. rotate your hips, pulling with your lower back so that you're leaning slightly back (60-75 degree angle or so from the floor), and then pull with your arms/shoulders/upper back. pause and put your arms out, then rotate your back, and then break your knees to pull yourself back forward to the catch (ready position). repeat for 6000 meters and tell me how long it takes you

my best time so far is a 22:44 for the 6000m. good luck

then i can tell you what we do for crew in the way of ab workouts.

i swear that i will have a 6 pack and get rid of this keg soon

and my shoulders are like 8 sizes bigger now.... wait that doesn't make sense

JLAUDIO3KGT

· #12 · Nov 2, 2001

Abs = Diet and Cardio!!!!!!

You can do all the situps etc.... all you want, but you'll still have that layer(s) of fat covering your hard work from situps etc....
Getting in shape is a whole different lifestlye, and you'll have to sacrafice and make changes. First place you put fat, is the last place you'll burn it from. For us men, its the abs! Do your cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Go for time, not distance. Train in intervals. If you do, or when you train abs. "Supersetting" works best. Reverse crunches on an incline supersetted with v, or knee ups are a great combo. But like i said, abs = diet and cardio!

truwarrior22

· #13 · Nov 2, 2001

Build mass then burn off the fat.

Don't work the ABS to much. There's muscle there, just gotta keep them tight and lose the fat. Suspended leg raises work the lower abs good. I only do 30 situps every other day and I have a decent almost good looking 6 pack stomach. I eat a ton though and drink lots of beer every friday and saturday. Just work the middle then the sides then the lower abs. Switch up your work outs to keep it nonboring.

I heard that stair machine burns calories like no other.

Ajabs

· #14 · Nov 2, 2001

Hey Akira everyone posted some good tips but I didn't see this one. Leg raises (many variations) are the key to a lower ab program but if you want to strengthen your lower back first, try this: (do a little warm up and stretches beforehand) Lay on your stomach with arms clasped behind your head (like doing crunches) and legs extended on the floor. slowly raise your head, neck and shoulders while also raising your legs. It's like doing a crunch on your stomach and it will definitely make a difference in your lower back strength. If you want, at first you can start with just lifting your upper body off the floor and then bring the legs in later but I am pretty sure you'll be fine doing both. Good luck and take some before and after pictures!

Priscoj

· #15 · Nov 2, 2001

Diet Diet Diet

akira410

Discussion Starter · #16 · Nov 2, 2001

Yah, I know the diet part.

I stuck to my Diet in Cali. I'm good at that sort of thing.

I typically do this style diet:

Eat well throughout the week, and then on the weekend sI can be a little bad. This keep sme honest the rest of the week

. It worked out well for me. Lost weight, then gained muscle, etc. It was turning out quite nicely.

I got sick with the Alabama Death Flu (my friend from AL moved to Cali and took out half of our software development staff hehe). I was sick for a couple weeks. (mostly really weak). After that much time off the gym, I was slowed down. I finally built back up to where I was previously. Then, about 6 months ago, things started getting rocky at my old job. Same situation all over again -- stopped focusing on gym and started focusing on looking for a new job

.

I could probably stand to lose about 5 lbs.. mostly in my mini keg.

gootch

· #17 · Nov 2, 2001

Drink beer.

Ok, it doesn't help you with the workout, but it sure sounds good.

ukyo

· #18 · Nov 2, 2001

Elmo said:
- Woodpecker living in the firewall (Turbo Solenoid)

Elton

LOL!!! I'm sorry, I really have nothing to add to this post (but I too just got back in to working out to a small degree and I miss my abs. ) I just thought that Woodpecker living in the firewall comment was awesome! I have the same condition with my car. I thought it was the rear turbo going out, but I crawled up in the engine bay with the car running and found out it was the solenoid.

I'll go back and read the rest of the thread now, because <font size="4"><b>I MISS MY ABS, TOO!!!</b></font>

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