Fustration!!!!! With Ab Exercise

T

TheGraduate

0
Guys.... My spirits are down......I am all stressed out...

I am totally new to working out.... I never really did any exercise besides running, I am a BIG runner... i recently really got into wanting abs... summer is coming and i want a 6 pack.... and I'm willing to work my butt off to get it...

Okay... Let me just jump to the problem....

I have searched the internet for information on an effective abdominal workout and although i have found many differnet exercises, BASIC CRUNCHES seem to be the first step...

I can't do one.... but not because i am weak... see.... Everytime i attempt to do one I feel one of three ways...

1) I feel as if it is too easy and i am not doing it correctly.
2) I feel as if The exercise is too hard and i can't even do one (I don't really feel this way with the basic crunches, I feel this way when i do the one where my legs are bent 90 degrees)
3) I feel as if my back is being worked out rather than my abs, (and i have a hard time changing this)

It is so fustrating because every day it comes time to work out (Mon, Tue, Fri) I never really get a good workout because i get fustrated...

I wish i just knew how to do my exercises and didn't have to always question myself as to wether or not it is working.... I would know if it is working right? I would feel fatigue in my abdominal area.... well i don't.

Can anyone help me? I'm all stressed out and fustrated... :confused:
 
May I recommend you have a couple of sessions with a personal trainer? There are hundreds of ab exercises and a good trainer can get you on a program that is appropriate for you. You can find a good one in your neighborhood at the American Couincil of Exercise website (). Also, keep in mind that for your abs to show, you have to maintain proper weight. Someone could have rock hard abs and have a layer of fat on top. Hope this helps!


Paul
Fit For You Wellness Exercise Videos
 
Hey TheGraduate...

For starters, Don't get discouraged by it... If working out was easy, everyone would be doing it... You might want to ask around the people you know in person how they do it and ask them to show you... Plus people do variations of crunches... it is whatever works for you... For instance, if I just use my body weight, I don't start "feeling" it until I hit 50+ crunches... So instead of wasting my time, I just hold a weighted bar behind my head to add resistance...

But below I'll give you a couple of links that have a good range of exercises and one even has little video clips... But to do a basic crunch here is what one source says...

Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, or resting on a bench with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. If you are resting your feet on a bench, place them three to four inches apart and point your toes inward so they touch. Place your hands lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in. Don't lock your fingers behind your head! Push the small of your back down in the floor to isolate your ab muscles. Begin to roll your shoulders off the floor. Continue to push down as hard as you can with your lower back. Your SHOULDERS should come up off the floor only about four inches, and your lower back should remain on the floor. Focus on slow, controlled movement - don't cheat yourself by using momentum!

But make sure you get the technique down before you go "ab-happy", because if you don't do it correctly, you will only waste your time...

Hope that helps a little bit...
DeX

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm
http://www.2-fit.com/video/index.html
http://www.netfit.co.uk/netfit.htm

p.s. - Once you get the "feeling" of doing crunches, remember, just doing 100+ of them a day is not going to bring your abs out...
 
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