Tip of the Week: Learning to contract your abdominals
 

Here are two quick tips that should help you to train your abdominals much more effectively!

1. Maintain a posterior pelvic tilt during all your ab training. This means having the front of your hips face upwards. Your lower back should be touching the ground while doing any lying down abdominal work. In doing so we shift the weight from our hip flexors to our abs. I see this done wrong so many times in the gym no wonder why no one ever feels their abs contract.

2. To quote Old Schools ab training article located here :
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The abdominal muscles primarily work within a 0 to 45° range of motion (ROM). When the plane of motion exceeds 45°, the hip flexor and psoas muscles carry out a majority of the action.


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I find the reason why people preform so many crunches is because they never really feel their abs working. With these 2 tips in mind i sure hope you do! [img]/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Tip of the Week: Learning to contract your abdominals
 

I also want to mention that the first time i learned about the posterior tilt i could not do one lying leg raise without my hips comming up so don't be surprised if you can't get 1 full rep yet, keep working at it!

Re: Tip of the Week: Learning to contract your abdominals
 

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I find the reason why people preform so many crunches is because they never really feel their abs working. With these 2 tips in mind i sure hope you do! [img]/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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I've always wondered how people can do so many crunches at a time.

I do 15 and the burn is setting in, after 25 the pain is searing.

I usually don't do more than 25 with out switching things a bit, like throwing in a side twist.

thanks for the tips!!

Re: Tip of the Week: Learning to contract your abdominals
 

I am currently doing pilates in school and don't know if i ever want to go back to high rep work...after 8 reps of anything in pilates you are dieing!

Quality over Quantity!

Re: Tip of the Week: Learning to contract your abdominals
 

Thats cool you are doing pilates! I feel like I really need to improve my core strengh, and I'd like to take a pilates class but my gym doesn't offer one right now. Do you think it's helpful?

Re: Tip of the Week: Learning to contract your abdominals
 

If core strength and overall stabilization is your goal they are great! Very functional stuff too!

Re: Tip of the Week: Learning to contract your abdominals
 

good tips i'll start right away

Re: Tip of the Week: Learning to contract your abdominals
 

I gotta save these Mac, every tip is awesome. And an added bonus, they make me feel alot smarter lol