Building killer abs!

PJ68 · 06-04-2009, 07:18 PM

Ladies and gents! I need your favorite killer abercise, Please. I'm doing abs, trying to build a six pack, but I'm doing an hour of some of the best moves I know. The abs are coming along, but I'm at apoint where my abs no longer hurt afterwards. So I need to step things up. Most are floor moves. I do the big ball crunches with a 12 lb medicine ball for weight. But tonight, no pain. No tension, no feeling that I did a thing. I have all my moves on my site, and can copy and paste to tell you what I do. I need something more, and no idea what. I can't go longer... good lord, I already do abs for an HOUR! I need something that's more intense, so maybe I can even shorten my ab time?

Honey86 · 06-04-2009, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJ68

Ladies and gents! I need your favorite killer abercise, Please. I'm doing abs, trying to build a six pack, but I'm doing an hour of some of the best moves I know. The abs are coming along, but I'm at apoint where my abs no longer hurt afterwards. So I need to step things up. Most are floor moves. I do the big ball crunches with a 12 lb medicine ball for weight. But tonight, no pain. No tension, no feeling that I did a thing. I have all my moves on my site, and can copy and paste to tell you what I do. I need something more, and no idea what. I can't go longer... good lord, I already do abs for an HOUR! I need something that's more intense, so maybe I can even shorten my ab time?

I've heard that the faster you do your exercises the more muscle that builds because you're overloading the muscle. Don't rest in between sets if possible, so even doing the same moves may produce some tension.

TheBlasterMan · 06-04-2009, 08:23 PM

abs is nearly all about body fat. I see people literally spend all day and do sit ups hoping to get some definition........ In most cases youl be better off spending allot of that time running or perfecting your diet.

just my 2 cents.

Jessica29 · 06-04-2009, 08:37 PM

diet!!

SlimKid · 06-04-2009, 08:37 PM

Here is what I did to get some crazy burns in my abs. Might not work for everyone but it has for me.

Lay on a flat bench, grab the bench to hold yourself down and lift your legs up to about a 45 degree angle and bring them back down slowly but DO NOT touch your legs back onto the bench until you cant do anymore.

Go until you cant go anymore, rest. Repeat this 3 times.

For upper abs use a decline bench and place your hands behind your head just doing regular decline crunches, but dont move your arms. Keep them as far back as possible to add resistance.

Do the same as with the lower abs, 3 sets of burnout reps.

cadre · 06-04-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBlasterMan

abs is nearly all about body fat. I see people literally spend all day and do sit ups hoping to get some definition........ In most cases youl be better off spending allot of that time running or perfecting your diet.

just my 2 cents.

While this is mostly true, if you don't have the muscle mass there it can be harder to get definition. More mass = definition at higher body fat %s

I would suggest doing exercises with more resistance. While body weight is good resistance, you'll need more weight eventually (sounds like what you're having trouble with).

I really like cable crunches, also try jackknife situps with a weight. I just started adding those two exercises because I was experiencing the same problem.

PJ68 · 06-04-2009, 10:06 PM

Thanks! I love those suggestions! I'm going try to go tomorrow and get my bodyfat % figured by a pro. We'll see where I am. Also, I just think my abs have grown used to the same-old/same-old. Time to change it up! Hard to get a cleaner diet than I have already, believe me. I NEED to BUILD the muscle. I'm really liking the incline and burn'em up till you can do no more idea! THAT will WORK!!!
Thanks EVERYBODY, but any more suggestions are always welcome!

PremierGirl · 06-05-2009, 06:47 AM

An hour is really long to be dedicated to abs... you're overtraining them..... how often do you do them....

also if you're really looking for the soreness(which when it's not there does not mean the workout was ineffective) I agree with the no rest thing, wow does that burn

deawalsh · 06-05-2009, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJ68

Ladies and gents! I need your favorite killer abercise, Please. I'm doing abs, trying to build a six pack, but I'm doing an hour of some of the best moves I know. The abs are coming along, but I'm at apoint where my abs no longer hurt afterwards. So I need to step things up. Most are floor moves. I do the big ball crunches with a 12 lb medicine ball for weight. But tonight, no pain. No tension, no feeling that I did a thing. I have all my moves on my site, and can copy and paste to tell you what I do. I need something more, and no idea what. I can't go longer... good lord, I already do abs for an HOUR! I need something that's more intense, so maybe I can even shorten my ab time?

you do not need to train abs for hours!!....i hit them once, sometimes twice a week for about 20 minutes (4 exercises with 3-4 sets of 20 reps) and thats it!...when i work all my other muscle though, i contract them during my sets at the same times!

the secret for abs is clean eating,consitency, discipline....and TIME!!!

do not give up, and keep working hard! it'll pay off!

PJ68 · 06-05-2009, 10:44 AM

Thanks. I am seeing changes, and I agree, an hour is alot of time. That's why I want something different. in looking for new exercises to try. Found quite a few, and I will try them today. I only do my abs twice a week. But the hour is getting old, and I'm about to have a major schedule change, so my time in the gym will be more precious. And I will TRY to be patient... NOT my strong suit!

BTW, You both look incredible!

Jrzimmer · 06-05-2009, 11:08 AM

All the above advice plus I added weight to mine and that really helps. I'll throw in 3 sets of 15 for situps with weight at random and that helps change things up.

xaltair · 06-05-2009, 11:11 AM

Get your body fat % down, forget about 1 full hour of abs since you'll probably get tired way before that and your back or other muscles will take over. Instead of focusing 1hr for abs alone, do abs throughout the day for less periods of time. You can train abs while you train any other body part by just flexing them, doing running/bycycling then flex your abs for 10 seconds then let go and then do it again, try to do it for around 10 mins at a time.

Even sittin down in a car or at the office you can flex your abs, hold it for a few seconds then let go, doing arm or back exercises is the same thing. The abs are your core for keeping your core stabilized, every time you do anything from walking to running to standing up they're being worked out. So, i say do it often and you'll notice differences after a couple of weeks.

swindled · 06-05-2009, 02:20 PM

- Sets of three core bridges (both sides and fronts) until fail.
- Ab Wheel
- Kayak Rotation (I think other people call them plate twists...)
- Tick Tocks..Im not sure what other people call them...you hang from the chin up bar and "tick tock" your legs back and forth while holding your body parallell to the ground, but your legs perpindicular to the ground...(if someone else can rename this, that would help..we call them tick tocks in kayaking, but when I google it that definitely isnt the right exercise name

)

PJ68 · 06-05-2009, 03:07 PM

Slimkid, did the lying down one, til the abs died. AWESOME suggestion!

I'm eating about as clean as I can already. Trying to get the bodyfat ratio as far down as possible. I need to go get myself measured, but I'D LIKE TO GET MY VACATION BODY regrouped from all the damage VACATION did to it.

Give me a bit. I don't have that much % now. I'm seriously just needing to gain muscle. Remember, I am 41! ;-) I think PATIENCE is my problem....

Thank you all so much for your help!!!

eyelashes · 06-05-2009, 03:17 PM

Lots of good advice already given above.

Devote more time to lowering bf%, and less time working abs.

Work up to weighted ab exercises if you're not already. Pay close attention to maintaining tension. Work through the pain, and really minimize rest between sets.
Doing this should make it almost impossible to work them for longer than 15-20 minutes, about 2-3x a week.

Good luck.

SlimKid · 06-05-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJ68

Slimkid, did the lying down one, til the abs died. AWESOME suggestion!

I'm eating about as clean as I can already. Trying to get the bodyfat ratio as far down as possible. I need to go get myself measured, but I'D LIKE TO GET MY VACATION BODY regrouped from all the damage VACATION did to it.

Give me a bit. I don't have that much % now. I'm seriously just needing to gain muscle. Remember, I am 41! ;-) I think PATIENCE is my problem....

Thank you all so much for your help!!!

41! You have the body of someone in their mid 20s! You should be proud! Keep on working on that bodyfat% and you will be lean and have that vacation body before you know it