Hi all,

 Can anyone recommend some good exercises for the abs, I struggle with crunches because of a slight back niggle. I use the ab weight machine at the gym but that only seems to train the upper abs. Also should I stick to the usual 3 - 4 sets of 10 reps as with other body areas, or should I do more reps and less weight on the abs? you see people doing 100's of sit ups etc!!!

It's hard work, but when i started doing crunches on the ball my low back problem cleared up.

Crunches and exercises on the ball are so much better than on the mat - and you don't need to do hundreds - start with 3 x 10 crunches and build up to 3 x 20 - once you can do that comfortably, ask a trainer for some new ideas.

I've found that doing ab exercises on swiss balls is much better for your back than crunching on the floor. If you can get a nice comfortable, padded mat, some floor exercises are very useful

hi a book called the abs diet should be all you need

 a trainer told me that there's no real difference between upper and lower abs - any good exercise works the whole muscle.

doing different exercises will stress different ab muscles so to simply assume that all ab exercises will work the whole muscle equally is incorrect. exercises like crunches will stress the upper abs and hanging knee or leg raises will stress the lower abs more. add a turn when you reach the top of a crunch to work the obliques and i cant think of many better ab exercises than the bicycle manouvre

My trainer says that bicylces are the very best abs exercise there is - i hate him and them!

Hi

I'm a Personal Trainer and I can give you some advice on the exercises that best suit my clients and get the best results.

Different exercises will hit different parts of your abdominals for example a Swiss Ball Crunch willl mainly hit Upper abs. A good exercise to establish core strength. Here are some examples that I have split into the different areas of the abdominals.

Note of Caution: These all assume that your free of any niggles and your technique is good. If you're unsure of how to perform these then I would suggest typing a search into any of the engines and having a look or asking an instructor in yoru gym to show you.

Your abs should be treated no differently than any other muscle so no need to do 100's of reps. 3 sets of 15-20 reps will suffice and dont work the same muscle group on consecutive days, its needs to rest as this is when it develops and strengthens.

Also if your aim is to get a flat, toned stomach then bear in mind you need to burn off any excess body fat that may be hiding them so get some cardio and resistance training into your routines as well as keeping a VERY close eye on your nutritional habits!

Upper Abs

• Stability Ball Crunch (as mentioned above)

Lower Abs

• Bicycles
• Reverse Crunch
• Stability Ball Jacknife (for the more advanced of you!)

Obliques

• Cable / Medicine Ball Woodchop
• Side Plank
• Medicine Ball Twist (Standing or sitting)

Total Core

• The Plank
• Superman
• Sledgehammer

Good luck!

Dave
www.calon-pt.co.uk
dave@youtube/calon71