Abs

[Rolls Royce]

whats the best way to work the abs?.... do any of those cheesy infomercial products work better than plain old crunches? i was thinking about getting one of those devices thats basically a wheel with a couple of handles to grad of hold of, and you kneel down on the floor and roll all the way forward and then bring yourself back. does anyone know if that is a good product?

 

[NitroCBR]

I have one of those, if I were you I wouldn't waste my money on it. Just stick to crunches, vary the positions , up the intensity and have strict form.

 

[diamonddiceclay]

the best thing for abs is a good diet-those infomercial products are not necessary

 

[gymtime]

It's not that a product like that is worthless, it's not. It will work your abs and whatever other muscles. When you use it for the first couple days it's likely that it you will feel like it's really doing amazing things to your abs and other muscles in your torso. Why? Because this little roller thing is a miracle? No. It's because you're doing a movement you're not used to, using muscles you don't normally work. So it's no better than any other ab excercise.

As far as really being able to see your abs? That's all diet.

 

[PinK233]

I agree with gymtime as far as diet being the best...gotta get rid of that fat to see your abs! But in order to work the actual muscles I recommend the exercise ball...you can do alot of different exercises on this and it's great if you have a bad back.

 

[Stryc-9]

Yes!! Pink is on the money!! Those "swiss" exercise balls are great for doing crunches, etc., - adds a whole other emphasis as far as stabilizing the girdle goes.....

The only other "equipment" I ever use to train abs is maybe a bar to hang from ----> to do hanging knee or leg raises....those really burn the lower abs....

...and actually, I received a pair of "Ab-Origionals" (sling-like things you hang from a bar and slide your arms into) as a gift - and I was surpised because they're quite useful....they're pretty good for doing leg raises, etc., because your arms don't get as tired....

But the best exercises for abs IMO, are those that you do lying on the floor without equipment....my latest favorite are "side bridges" for the obliques where you just support yourself with one arm and hold for as long as you can (i don't think that's a very good description of the exercise though - sorry!!)

...and of course as others have mentioned....you have to eat clean and do your cardio - or forget about the visible sixpack!!

 

[Balls of Steel]

whats the best way to work the abs?.... do any of those cheesy infomercial products work better than plain old crunches? i was thinking about getting one of those devices thats basically a wheel with a couple of handles to grad of hold of, and you kneel down on the floor and roll all the way forward and then bring yourself back. does anyone know if that is a good product?

I would save your money. My little brother does those exercises with his skateboard. Most infomercial stuff is BS IMO. I would do train abs with resistance (weighted crunches etc.) Like any movement, make sure your form is good.

 

[DanielBishop]

Man, I'm sick of people saying "diet is the only way to get abs"....
.... yes, it's important. Even essential. But it's not the only part.

Abdominals, like any other muscle group, require a combination of training and diet. I'm sick of people saying "Abs need diet and genetics. You don't need to train them."

One of my best friends back home, is the leanest person I've ever seen. His bodyfat is naturally probably under 5% and always has been. He has a super-charged metabolism. But, even with his extremely low bodyfat levels, he doesn't have a six-pack....

.... that's because the ab muscles aren't developed and therefore they don't stick out to the point of visibility.

1) Train the abs, make them bigger so they can be seen
2) Get rid of the fat obscuring them

I recommend hanging leg-raises, done like "half-up" reps.... in other words, the starting position is where your thighs are parallel to the ground, and you bring them up as high as you can, and then back down to parallel.... I believe this works the abs a lot better than leg raise movements where you go the whole way, as 60% of the ROM is mainly working illio-psoas and other hip flexor groups.

 

[TrailDog]

Dieting does not develop muscles! Excercise develops muscles!

If you want six-pack abs, you need to excercise your abdomenal muscles.

The cheapest way is to do floor exercise using your body weight. Various positions isolates, targets, and works different groups of muscles in the abdomenal region.

Crunches work mostly upper and mid abs. Leg raises, and bicycle crunches work mid and lower abs. Side crunches work the obliques, and to some extent, your mid abs.

It may take a few weeks of doing these excercies to strengthen your midsection and back muscles to the point that it becomes easier (less strain) for you to hold certain body positions to better isolate different muscle groups. The the more you do them, the better you are at doing them.

The excercise wheel ($12.99 at my local sporting shop) is a helluva bargain compared to the many more expensive, and much larger and complicated pieces of equipment.

I own one and I use it regularly. Each repitition requires more energy output than a sit-up, and far more than a cruch. You are supporting more weight and there's a greater range of motion.

You need to consciously flex and tighten your ab muscles throughout the entire range of motion, and rely mostly on your ab muscles to bring your body back to the crouched position (less with your shoulder and arms.. they are just for support). This really gives you a good workout.

The wheel works mostly your mid and upper abs, and your lower back. You also benefit from a sholder workout. When you strengthen the upper and mid abs you feel that your upper body is more connected to your lower body than before. It increases atheletic ability and lower body coordination.

When using the wheel has become a fairy excercise for you, try doing it from your toes!

Some people like to talk trash who's never even used the wheel. They may be very physcally fit. But I think very few, if any of them can use the wheel from their toes.

 

[ffknight84]

it works, just rotate it with other exercises for results