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Post by justregularguy on Apr 3, 2019 14:51:05 GMT
I really don't like ab workouts where you squeeze out everything till the last rep. Ehh, hate it! So I made some kind of imaginary barrier which is my living room. Whenever I pass that barrier I do 5 casual reps of knee raises on the dip bar. This way I easily rack up ~100 reps each day. Next week I will do 10 reps each time I cross the "barrier". Then 20 reps. After that I will switch to leg raises 5, 10, 20 reps. I think you know where this is heading to. By the time I can do a casual 30 second L-sit hold, my goal will be reached. Gotta get there first though! This is a simple 10 week plan because simple = fun! Week #1 = 5 reps knee raises Week #2 = 10 reps " Week #3 = 20 reps " Week #4 = 5 reps leg raises Week #5 = 10 reps " Week #6 = 20 reps " Week #7 = 5 seconds L-sit hold Week #8 = 10 seconds " Week #9 = 20 seconds " Week #10 = 30 seconds " Week #11 = Shredded ! If you are too weak or tired to blast out let's say 20 knee raises rep after rep, then take some seconds/minutes rest in between reps, but DO the reps! You gotta do the number of reps each time. You know what would be really fun? If some of you guys join me! Do your own version or follow my "plan" and by the time it's summer we will all be shredded! Btw, if you don't have a dip bar, you can do knee/leg raises and L-sit holds on two chairs instead or you do them on a pullup bar. I prefer those exercises over situps and crunches because they are more challenging and feel healthier for the lower back. Anyways, how do you guys train your abs? What exercises do you do? What are your personal records in those exercises? EDIT: This was supposed to be a sixpack plan. I did a 20 seconds L-sit hold in week #3 and changed my priorities. My goal now is doing the V-sit
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Post by Bruce Tackett on Apr 3, 2019 17:56:57 GMT
For the last 15 years, or so, I've been using a Bullworker for abs. I stand the bully on end atop a stool and place both hands on the top end, and standing in front of the bully at arms' length, I push straight down. For obliques, I stand sideways to the bully at arm's length and push down with one arm. I repeat using my other side. I conclude the ab routine with a stomach vacuum.
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Michael
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Post by Michael on Apr 3, 2019 20:31:47 GMT
JRG, You look pretty thin already. Doesn't look like it would take much for You to build Your Abs. I worked up to holding an L-Sit on the floor in the past. Some advice from Whiffet and doing Get Ups with a kettlebell was what helped me to be able to do it. I do the Stuart McGill's Big 3 everyday as a warm-up: www.elitefts.com/training-logs/the-mcgill-big-three/ Some days I do 3 reps some day 5 reps with 10-second holds. Most of my midsection work is stuff like Get Ups with a hip bridge, waiter, rack, and suitcase carries. If I do any specific midsection work it's Janda Sit Ups, frog crunches, or some other exercises I got from Nick Nillson. If I do this stuff I don't do many sets, it's not needed for myself. I use to love wheel rollouts but they tear my back up.
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Post by justregularguy on Apr 3, 2019 22:06:39 GMT
JRG, You look pretty thin already. Doesn't look like it would take much for You to build Your Abs. I worked up to holding an L-Sit on the floor in the past. Some advice from Whiffet and doing Get Ups with a kettlebell was what helped me to be able to do it. I do the Stuart McGill's Big 3 everyday as a warm-up: www.elitefts.com/training-logs/the-mcgill-big-three/ Some days I do 3 reps some day 5 reps with 10-second holds. Most of my midsection work is stuff like Get Ups with a hip bridge, waiter, rack, and suitcase carries. If I do any specific midsection work it's Janda Sit Ups, frog crunches, or some other exercises I got from Nick Nillson. If I do this stuff I don't do many sets, it's not needed for myself. I use to love wheel rollouts but they tear my back up. I already have something that you could consider a sixpack, the 6 sections are visible.. but it's more of a skinny guy sixpack like some little kids have, not a real sixpack. I'm aiming for that Whiffet sixpack. I always was interested in the ab wheel but I think I have my hands full with the exercises I'm doing now. Gotta master those first before I jump to something more challenging. For some reason my back doesn't like ab exercises I do with my back on the ground, it hurts my lumbar spine. My biggest goal is the dragon flag exercise Bruce Lee used to do. But that's more of a lifetime goal. Do you know exercises to train the lower back to keep everything balanced? All I know is this superman exercise where you lift both arms and legs off the ground at the same time. I'm not sure if it's enough, what do you think?
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Post by justregularguy on Apr 3, 2019 22:12:01 GMT
For the last 15 years, or so, I've been using a Bullworker for abs. I stand the bully on end atop a stool and place both hands on the top end, and standing in front of the bully at arms' length, I push straight down. For obliques, I stand sideways to the bully at arm's length and push down with one arm. I repeat using my other side. I conclude the ab routine with a stomach vacuum. I've heard a lot about the stomach vacuum, famous bodybuilders do it, Bruce,Lee did it.. but what's the actual use of it?
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Mr Average
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Kegal Grand Master, 8th Dan BlackBelt in Origami, World Champion Couch Potato
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Post by Mr Average on Apr 3, 2019 22:19:33 GMT
Well there is an easy way to achieve a 6-pack,it has been proven effective for years. It does not involve diet or exercise, just look at one of my customers
Yes once you become a Grand Master of photoshop or gimp anything is possible. Still don't believe me well just look at what I did for Bruce once
My methods are also used by fitness magazines etc.....
BTW I do have at least a 6-pack, but I choose to protect it with a layer of body fat.
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Post by gruntbrain on Apr 3, 2019 22:53:40 GMT
Use an adjustable suspension device to perform "rollouts" ( better than the the Ab Wheel ones)
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Post by Bruce Tackett on Apr 3, 2019 23:18:17 GMT
I've heard a lot about the stomach vacuum, famous bodybuilders do it, Bruce,Lee did it.. but what's the actual use of it? It helps to build your ab muscles, as you're using those muscles to draw your abs in, and if you consistently draw your abs in over a long period of time, they'll eventually stay in. Not all the way in, of course, but further in than if you never did the stomach vacuum at all. There are some good Youtube videos on this.
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Dave Reslo
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Not quite severely obese
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Post by Dave Reslo on Apr 4, 2019 1:02:47 GMT
I used to do something very similar, every time I went down the stairs I'd stop and do a set of leg raises, I think I was doing around five but worked up to usually around 10. I can't remember why I stopped, maybe my elbows were bothering me or maybe I just had a cold or something.
As for lower back pain from ab work, maybe you aren't tucking your hips under properly? So for example of you are lying down doing flutter kicks or something (which I get you don't want to do, but just as an example) your hips should be tucked so your lower back is pretty smooth along the ground.
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Michael
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He cuts down trees. He wears high heels, suspendies, and a bra?!
Winner of Twatformetrics Spartan Challenge
Posts: 5,288
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Post by Michael on Apr 4, 2019 1:09:52 GMT
JRG, You look pretty thin already. Doesn't look like it would take much for You to build Your Abs. I worked up to holding an L-Sit on the floor in the past. Some advice from Whiffet and doing Get Ups with a kettlebell was what helped me to be able to do it. I do the Stuart McGill's Big 3 everyday as a warm-up: www.elitefts.com/training-logs/the-mcgill-big-three/ Some days I do 3 reps some day 5 reps with 10-second holds. Most of my midsection work is stuff like Get Ups with a hip bridge, waiter, rack, and suitcase carries. If I do any specific midsection work it's Janda Sit Ups, frog crunches, or some other exercises I got from Nick Nillson. If I do this stuff I don't do many sets, it's not needed for myself. I use to love wheel rollouts but they tear my back up. I already have something that you could consider a sixpack, the 6 sections are visible.. but it's more of a skinny guy sixpack like some little kids have, not a real sixpack. I'm aiming for that Whiffet sixpack. I always was interested in the ab wheel but I think I have my hands full with the exercises I'm doing now. Gotta master those first before I jump to something more challenging. For some reason my back doesn't like ab exercises I do with my back on the ground, it hurts my lumbar spine. My biggest goal is the dragon flag exercise Bruce Lee used to do. But that's more of a lifetime goal. Do you know exercises to train the lower back to keep everything balanced? All I know is this superman exercise where you lift both arms and legs off the ground at the same time. I'm not sure if it's enough, what do you think? Honestly, a clean diet would be Your best bet. I don't want to speak for Whiffet but from his workout log he doesn't do much for his midsection: sierraexercise.proboards.com/thread/537/whiffets-log More doesn't always mean better. In my opinion, the quality is better. If You have a skinny guy sixpack I would enjoy it now. You probably can eat just about whatever You want right now. Some people stay eating like this when they get older and then wish they had that skinny guy sixpack back. I have a past history on lower back challenges. But ever since I started doing what I posted in the link above (The Big 3) haven't had a problem and my back feels strong as heck. I also add one set of 10 hip bridges with Bruce's shorter bands around my thighs. Here is the Janda Sit up I was talking about before. I use Bruce's bands for this. The only difference that I do is arms straight down by my sides or crossed behind my head. I concentrate on a hard contraction. For myself, 3-5 sets of 5 reps are all that's needed if the contraction is hard enough. But this is if I feel like doing specific midsection work. You find what works for You no matter what someone else tells You.
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Michael
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He cuts down trees. He wears high heels, suspendies, and a bra?!
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Posts: 5,288
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Post by Michael on Apr 4, 2019 1:12:17 GMT
Use an adjustable suspension device to perform "rollouts" ( better than the the Ab Wheel ones) Thanks for the reminder of these. I actually never had a problem with these. The level is easy to adjust for each person.
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Mr Average
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Kegal Grand Master, 8th Dan BlackBelt in Origami, World Champion Couch Potato
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Post by Mr Average on Apr 4, 2019 1:21:48 GMT
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Post by mr potatohead on Apr 4, 2019 6:17:26 GMT
....... For some reason my back doesn't like ab exercises I do with my back on the ground, it hurts my lumbar spine. ....... Do you know exercises to train the lower back to keep everything balanced? ........ Hip thrust variations / holds / surges?
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Post by jrmeatplow on Apr 4, 2019 10:03:16 GMT
Use an adjustable suspension device to perform "rollouts" ( better than the the Ab Wheel ones) I like my Power Wheel, but I found that Bruce's iso strap seems to work better for my abs. I'd also do the Pike ups with my feet in it if it wasn't such a pain in the ass to get my feet in there.
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Michael
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He cuts down trees. He wears high heels, suspendies, and a bra?!
Winner of Twatformetrics Spartan Challenge
Posts: 5,288
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Post by Michael on Apr 4, 2019 10:52:56 GMT
Henry, do You do these straight legs, bent-legged, feet under something, or feet free? Just Curious. This would kill my back. Anything that works the hip flexors like that always causes a problem with my back. My hats off to You for being able to do stuff like this.
JRG,
Something else I would recommend, if You had access, is either Two Hand Kettlebell Swings or Trap Bar Deadlifts. But I think You said weights and calisthenics don't work well with You.
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