Working that Core/Abdominals
Wednesday August 25, 2010
Thx to all of you for your kind words & "hugs" yesterday!!!
I know we all wish for that six pack abs.. heck 4 pack would be nice!!! As a woman & getting close to 53, well, I am thrilled just to have a 4 pack!!! Actually, I never had a six pack except when I was contest ready. My bod just does not do that with every day clean eating. We all don't have the ability to get that 6 pack even with clean eating so don't get down on yourself!!! Do the best you can & for me, I am fine with what I get with my clean eating. I ain't gonna eat contest ready every day!!! 
So saying that, I am offering up a great exercise BUT REMEMBER THAT TO SEE THOSE ABS, YOU HAVE TO EAT CLEAN!!!! If may not be worth it to you to eat super super clean just to see the 4 or 6 pack BUT you can still have a beautiful & flatter stomach by eating healthy foods.
You may have all heard of the Captains Chair. In this link, knee raises, they call it a Roman Chair. I like the video & how it shows the move so keeping it here. Here is another video showing straight leg raises. Be sure to NOT crunch your shoulders up near your ears when you do these moves. Relax all the shoulder area down! Really concentrate on the move & isolating the abs. Do NOT use the momentum of your legs to help you. It took me a long time to get this right!!!
The reason I brought this up again is that I tried the Captains Chair straight leg raise this past week with a small stability ball (45cm) in between my ankles/calves. You know, all those posts you read about the lying leg lifts with the stability ball. I use the 55cm ball when I do my stability ball crunches BUT since I am so short, using the 45cm ball in between my legs for the lying leg raises, v-ups off the bench & now the hanging leg raise with the stability ball, the smallest one works best for me. That stability ball there really makes me CONCENTRATE!!!!!!!!!!! Here is a link to help you pick the right size stability ball.
I really loved this move! Makes me concentrate even more on the move & correct execution of the move!!!
For those at home, use anything you have.. like a ball your kids play with or buy one of those inexpensive ones at the store. You don't have to have a stability ball to get the feel of it. You can always try this hanging off the bars at your local playground OR if you have a STURDY chin up bar at home. Check out this link from an older post on this move.
Want a couple more links for core moves and pictures of them?? Here ya are!!!
The Best and Worst Ab Exercises
The Runners Six Pack
OK, the pic above.. I just like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did write a post from June 2009 you might want to read with that picture, Abs, Core, What to Do!!!??? Take a peek.
Another thing - I will be reviewing an ab roller of sorts coming up here in the next month or so. It is not the ab wheel, which I think is great, but a piece of equipment that mimics that. Very excited to see how it works vs. the ab wheel. More on that in a month or so!!!
What is your fav core move? I mix it up a lot & do all kinds of things including the ever beloved variations of the plank. I do things that work my complete core/abs - upper, lower, obliques, back... you get the drill.
Do you do any of the previous core work & if yes, what do you think. If no, why not??? I used to stay away from the Captains Chair because it never felt like I was working my abs but once I got the mind/muscle link in there, all was good! I can't do a ton in a row but form is more important!!!
Thx to all of you for your kind words & "hugs" yesterday!!!
I know we all wish for that six pack abs.. heck 4 pack would be nice!!! As a woman & getting close to 53, well, I am thrilled just to have a 4 pack!!! Actually, I never had a six pack except when I was contest ready. My bod just does not do that with every day clean eating. We all don't have the ability to get that 6 pack even with clean eating so don't get down on yourself!!! Do the best you can & for me, I am fine with what I get with my clean eating. I ain't gonna eat contest ready every day!!! So saying that, I am offering up a great exercise BUT REMEMBER THAT TO SEE THOSE ABS, YOU HAVE TO EAT CLEAN!!!! If may not be worth it to you to eat super super clean just to see the 4 or 6 pack BUT you can still have a beautiful & flatter stomach by eating healthy foods.
You may have all heard of the Captains Chair. In this link, knee raises, they call it a Roman Chair. I like the video & how it shows the move so keeping it here. Here is another video showing straight leg raises. Be sure to NOT crunch your shoulders up near your ears when you do these moves. Relax all the shoulder area down! Really concentrate on the move & isolating the abs. Do NOT use the momentum of your legs to help you. It took me a long time to get this right!!!
The reason I brought this up again is that I tried the Captains Chair straight leg raise this past week with a small stability ball (45cm) in between my ankles/calves. You know, all those posts you read about the lying leg lifts with the stability ball. I use the 55cm ball when I do my stability ball crunches BUT since I am so short, using the 45cm ball in between my legs for the lying leg raises, v-ups off the bench & now the hanging leg raise with the stability ball, the smallest one works best for me. That stability ball there really makes me CONCENTRATE!!!!!!!!!!! Here is a link to help you pick the right size stability ball.
I really loved this move! Makes me concentrate even more on the move & correct execution of the move!!!
For those at home, use anything you have.. like a ball your kids play with or buy one of those inexpensive ones at the store. You don't have to have a stability ball to get the feel of it. You can always try this hanging off the bars at your local playground OR if you have a STURDY chin up bar at home. Check out this link from an older post on this move.
Want a couple more links for core moves and pictures of them?? Here ya are!!!
The Best and Worst Ab Exercises
The Runners Six Pack
OK, the pic above.. I just like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did write a post from June 2009 you might want to read with that picture, Abs, Core, What to Do!!!??? Take a peek.
Another thing - I will be reviewing an ab roller of sorts coming up here in the next month or so. It is not the ab wheel, which I think is great, but a piece of equipment that mimics that. Very excited to see how it works vs. the ab wheel. More on that in a month or so!!!
What is your fav core move? I mix it up a lot & do all kinds of things including the ever beloved variations of the plank. I do things that work my complete core/abs - upper, lower, obliques, back... you get the drill.
Do you do any of the previous core work & if yes, what do you think. If no, why not??? I used to stay away from the Captains Chair because it never felt like I was working my abs but once I got the mind/muscle link in there, all was good! I can't do a ton in a row but form is more important!!!
Posted by truth2beingfit at 8/24/2010 9:00 PM 
Categories: Fitness, Core, Workouts, Exercise
Tags: stability ball captains chair abdominals Exercise core workout workouts mind muscle link swiss ball
Categories: Fitness, Core, Workouts, Exercise
Tags: stability ball captains chair abdominals Exercise core workout workouts mind muscle link swiss ball
A couple thoughts: It's important for people to remember that in the course of strength training, the abs get worked quite a bit (statically) anyway. That is, when you are pushing, pulling, pressing, lifting, your abs are flexed continually and get worked even though you are doing exercises specific to other body part(s).
Within the "core" don't forget the low back. Whenever people speak about core stuff it, always has to do with abs -- we have infomercials to thank for that.
In truth the low-back hand high glutes are important component of the core too.
And the San Diego State study that named bicycle crunches (I cal them twisting crunches) the best all-around ab exercise? I quote that study almost every day of my life!!!! True true true
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Yup, the core gets worked just by exercising for sure. Some say they never do ab work because of this but I have always done it & for me it seems to work to do what I do.. for me.... I certainly get it worked too in my workouts as like you, I am a form crazy person.. get that form right!
Like you said, Roy, and I also mentioned in my closing comments that I work the back too which many don't realize is part of the whole core equation. I did a post way back when on this.. will try to find it & the link.
Thx as always for your insight!!!
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I do the roman chair and leg lifts.
I really like decline crunches and oblique crunches.
I'm one of the "lucky" ones who it's easier for to get the 4 pk. I still have that pooch unless I don't drink anything.
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Hmm, I never thought of doing captain's chair with the ball. I may try that today if the gym isn't crowded.
Not a fan of the photo. Too much bulk.
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I was surprised that the plank did not show up higher on the list in the link. I had always heard it was right up there with bicycles for effectiveness. I used to take a BOSU class for strength training and loved that. We did pure ab work too, but it was nice to get the core work bonus while doing the other moves.
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Today I have a 1-pack ab. Let me get to 2-pack before considering 6.
The Basic Abdominal Crunch is my core 'core' exercise at the moment. But this past weekend I graduated to real sit ups, what a relief I can do those again.
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Hey, thanks to Jody, I've got a use for THAT chair, Roy
I do those leg lifts every day but I do them while holding myself in the air with straight arms on the edge of a bench.
Really, my best core exercise is karate kicks, I think.
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Abs is my least fav is the gym. I don't know why?? I do try to get them done 3x per week but sometimes I just do a yoga class....
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Great post Jody! You should post a sample ab workout
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Love the Roman Chair knee raises. It's apart of my ab routine. Will definitely have to try it out with the ball...Thanks!!
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I think these exercises are great! I do a variation with a bench.
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