Seperated abdominals: please elaborate!

J

junemom

Cathlete
Hi Cathy,

You mentioned in a previous post that you have been dealing with seperated abdominals following your pregnancies. Can you elaborate on how you brought them back "together"? I have had 2 preganacies, the first a twin pregnancy, and my abdominals are also, clearly, seperated (I see a ridge between them bulging up when i do, say, a crunch...particularly obvious in a plank as well)

My twins are now 12 so I would love some tips/specific exercises that you found helpful with this, and also any cautions you may be aware of in terms of what one should not do.

Many thanks,

Christine

P.S. Just got my hardcores Tuesday: have done Imax 3 and Gym style back/bi's so far-WOW!! Imax 3 was amazing, and I very much appreciate your commentary during the gym style workout, lots of good info! Can't wait to get into the other workouts...
 
I agree wholeheartedly with the statement about enjoying all of Cathe's commentary during the weight workouts. Knowing which part of the muscle you are working with each exercise is extremely helpful. Knowledge is power and I appreciate Cathe for sharing hers with us.

I would love for Cathe to talk more about how she got so ABtastic for these workouts. Specifically...how many times per week and for how long she worked them. For example, should I just do a Cathe ab segment every other day or should I work them extra hard, but only twice a week? I just need the general recipe and I can cook up the rest.

I've had two children as well and my abs could use some work. They are currently flat, but I'm hoping to get those muscles totally popping by summer.
 
Hi Christine! Hang on, I have a lot to say about this topic:).

I am hoping I can give anybody who feels as confused as I do about this topic some insight since I have not seemed to find anything concrete out yet.

I have researched separated abdominal intensly for the last 2 years and am surprised at how few doctors really address this as a concern or understand how it affects daily life. The general answer that I got was that if it really bothers you, you can have it surgically sewn together but with no guarentees that it will not separate again. The surgery is supposedly extensive and a long recovery process. I have been advised by all of my doctors not to have it done unless it causes me pain. They feel (and I agree whole heartedly) that because of my line of work, I am noticing this separation more and understanding its limitations as it pertains to my abilities to do certain exercises. They said the average non-exercising person, could be fully separated and not even know they are. I found that an interesting statement since after my second pregnancy I noticed a large bulge that I did not have after my first pregnancy and immediately had it checked out. I thought it was a hernia, but when they found out it wasn't, I underwent test after test, making sure there was no other issue. With all medical issues in the clear, it was simply diagnosed as separated abdominals. This condition is thought by some to be fixable with certain exercises while others find this to be completely untrue. I tried the exercises for two years in hopes of closing the gap but I am still clearly separated. You can find these exercises in some pregnancy books.

Basically they all said (gynecologist, surgeon, and other specialists I have been to) that it is a separation and that, depending on the degree of separation, muscles may or may not go back together. The linea alba, the long vertical sheath that holds the abs together is basically torn all the way or partially. This tear shows up as a bulge somewhere between the navel and rib cage area.

My findings as it pertains to my specific situation:
The bulge seems to be exaggerated after meals, during crunches, during planks, after a large glass of any kind of liquid, and during my menstrual/ovulation times.

It also causes me slight lower back pain, difficulty keeping good posture by the end of the day, and nearly impossible to get a solid abdominal contraction. This inhibits my ability to do certain exercises the way I once could (ie: v-sits). Its as if there is a diconnect at one portion of the contraction.

I still am determined to find out what I can to fi this non-surgically. I did get the clearance from the doctor that I cannot split them further at this point (unless I suffered from a serious blow to the area)and that I could train as hard as I am able.

With that, I gave it my all for the hardcore. I was pleased with the results but still had to deal with all of the issues I mentioned above.

Please understand that I'm not here to whine and complain but I just want to give somebody who may have this condition a little info that I had trouble finding. If anybody else has anything to share PLEASE DO...I am eager to hear anything about this condition :)
 
Hi Angela! I worked my core twice a week for about 40 minutes a session. I did all kinds of exercises that focused on all areas of the core. I generally always started working the lower ab and then moved up to the mid ab and then to upper abs. Coremax will reflect some of the exercises. Some others that I did were partner exercises with a med ball toss (for lowers and obliques). Another I did for lower abs was putting a 10 pound ankle weight on and bringing my knees in and out while sitting on the edge of a bench (for lowers). Another was hip lifts on a decline bench while wearing the 10 pound weight (for lowers). I also did horizonal pull ups for intercostal and serratus developement. Many of these exercises are very hard on the hip flexors and lower back and I would not recommend them unless you are extremely conditioned and strong in these areas.

Hope this helps! Take Care and thanks for those special compliments:)
 
Thanks! Cathy.

What you desrcibed is exactly what I've had for years and I have always suspected that I have a separated abdominals....however, no doctors have brought that up, nor have I asked.

No pain, but I have this bulge which does become more prominent with the things you mentioned. It pops out(or I can see the area)in certain fitness tops. I always thought it was a bulge of fat, because it feels softer and different from the rest of the area around it.

I don't notice a single bulge on you, Cathy.:)

Namita
 
Does everyone who has this notice a difference in the abs do to fluids? Because I don't notice that on me. But I don't have a pan cake flat stomach (I don't concave) after a c-section but when standing up it's flat and doesn't hang over my underware and it rounds down a little right before the groin. It is noticably not fit like my upper abs when I do planks but if I stand up the pucker that extreme is gone. This could be that I just don't have as fit of abs like you, but wonder if this maybe what you are speaking of.
 
Cathe, thanks for this information.

I had surgery for fibroid tumors in 1994. This is before the laser option was available. So, the surgery was literally like having a C-section. My recovery was as if I had a baby and I was on light duty for 3 months after that. In fact it was at least 4 months after this surgery that I could walk fast on a treadmill!!! And I was literally pushing myself. But when you have abdominal surgery it does take a while for you to get back up to speed, it is a slow recovery process.

I had the same problem of the abdominal seperation. My physician told me pretty much as you, that the area would either come back together, stay apart or it can be surgically fixed.

Over the years, I worked had on this area and have watched it shrink, but being a woman "it is never good enough". I have come to the conclusion to be satisfied and thankful that I am in good physical shape.

I do express that diet, diet, diet along with regular exercise is key to this area, at least for me.

I am not a "doctor person", I can not stand getting a shot (even at 43), so as long as I am physically fit, the surgical option is not an option for me. Anytime you have surgery it is a major deal, especially in the area of the abdominal/stomach region because the recovery time is not quick, it is pretty slow.

Linda
 
Cathe, a success story re: separated abs

Cathe, I have a story for you. It's long but I hope it will encourage you.

One of my closest friends who is quite petite like you had diastasis recti after her second pregnancy (he's now 17 ;-)) and I want you to know that she DID successfully close the gap in her abdominal wall almost all the way, with specific exercises (which I'm sure you're doing already, knowing how thoroughly you've researched this and generally do all things :)). I have known her since her son was a toddler. When we first met she was just about where you are in terms of abdominal recovery, although I can say for a fact that her abs looked nothing like your amazing core in the new series, kiddo! We used to walk in our neighborhood (still do) and she'd be really down about it, and we'd talk about the pros and cons of surgery to fix it. The bottom line is that she just kept working at it, all the while saying that she'd hold out the surgery as a final option, and the condition gradually improved. She has kept up a really disciplined abs exercising routine all these years since then.

The interesting finale to the story is this: A couple of years ago around her 50th birthday, my pal decided (after all this!) to have a tummy tuck. It was a purely cosmetic move and was motivated by her frustration with a change in the shape and structure of her midsection that came along with menopause. She felt thicker all over and had developed a "spare tire" that no amount of exercise and dieting seemed to get rid of. Being that she's as short as you are, this was especially physically uncomfortable for her. She was advised by her doctor that a tummy tuck was the solution. So after all those years of staving off surgery she had the tummy tuck, and they planned of course to correct her remaining abdominal separation during the surgery. Her doctor told her afterwards that she had almost NO separation left to repair, and that she owed that to the continued exercising. I will also tell you that her recovery was no picnic (she couldn't stand upright or climb stairs for several days), but it wasn't the nightmare everyone had predicted. We were walking the neighborhood again within a couple of weeks of her surgery. And again, that was because her abs were in great shape beforehand.

Reading your post I could almost feel your frustration, and I am SO sorry that you've had to go through such a long, stressful ordeal. Being such a goal-oriented person as you are, I imagine that it's especially tough for you to feel that you've not yet identified a solution to the problem. But I'm confident that you'll make a complete recovery, and I hope it's really soon!

And p.s. -- I know you feel limitations, but let me tell you, any compromises that you feel in your form or intensity are COMPLETELY invisible to my untrained eyes at all! You still kick my fanny with every workout, and Core Max is fantastic and your form is phenomenal! My new life's goal (it'll take that long to achieve ;-)) is to do corkscrews like you. My abs aren't separated, and I would SO trade mine for yours any old day! :)

Sending you hugs and waves of warm fuzzy affectionate thoughts!!!!! :)


http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/sport/sport-smiley-003.gif Kathy S. http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/sport/sport-smiley-001.gif
[font color=green]2005 Worked Out With Cathe Days 25/48/365
 
Cathe, thanks so much for your reply. It is heartening to hear that although there is no "cure", I can still work my abs and at least not be concerned about making it worse, hoping of course that my condition is similar to yours. I certainly have exactly the same symptoms, particularly the lower back pain, and a bit of sway back that does worsen when I'm tired. As I mentioned, I have had this for 12+ years, and it does seem to have narrowed over the years but it's still there.

And, I am in full agreement with Namita: there is no sign of the seperation in any of your DVD's! Your abs look really great, very strong and defined. And, a note for Julie L: the bulge that I have that clued me in to abdominal seperation is a vertical bulge (it goes up and down) from just under my diaphram area down to just above my navel, only showing up when I do crunches and really showing when I do planks. It is literally a gap in the muscles. This is different from the OTHER bulge, the c-section/I'm-over-40 bulge that I keep telling myself is just loose skin (!)

Thanks again, Cathe, for your response. On to Coremax!!

Christine
 
RE: Cathe, a success story re: separated abs

Hi Kathy,

Any chance you could post some specific exercises your friend did?

with thanks,

Christine
 
RE: Cathe, a success story re: separated abs

Just a P.S. to Cathe, and others with this issue: I wholheartedly agree with not having surgery to correct, and having a good deal of self-acceptance. This is, after all, just a tummy bulge, and I am very thankful for my otherwise great health, fitness, and especially the three little ones that gave me my "gap".

CM
 
RE: Cathe, a success story re: separated abs

The vertical bulge went away after a few years but I can still feel by my belly button some separation. My feeling is thru exercising (moderate amount) and time passing my upper abs closed in which eliminated the bulge and made the separation smaller. I hope this helps.

Debbie D
 
RE: Cathe, a success story re: separated abs

Hi, ladies,
I had a 3 inch vertical tear in the linea alba below the navel and a 1 inch vertical tear above the navel. I was working every exercise I knew how, but I was not seeing great results. During this process, I was in an accident that caused me to need surgery anyway. I consulted with 3 very experienced plastic surgeons. Based on what they told me, the linea alba tear cannot be repaired with exercise, but the appearance of the tear can be greatly improved with core exercises. This would depend on the severity of the tear how far apart the two sides of the linea alba are sitting from each other. My lower linea alba was separated a good two and half inches from side to side. The bulge is caused by one's internal organs and fluid poking through the bulge. For those who are athletic and well trained with very little internal fat, this should be less severe than those who are also dealing with fat that has settled not only under the skin, but under the muscle as well. Since I was having surgery anyway to repair a hearniated scar, I opted to have the separation repaired as well on the lower portion, but I did not want them to "untether" my navel in order to close the top section. My results are greatly improved from exercising with Cathe and from repairing what could be more easily repaired.
Thank you, Cathe! You look great and I'm so inspired!
 
RE: separated abs

Hi All -

I took a prenatal/postnatal exercise course not too long ago and learned about this condition. I never realized that I had it until we were tested in class. To do this, you layed on your exercise ball as if you were getting ready for a crunch. Then lift up to crunch just a few inches and feel your abd above and below your belly button. If you can fit the tip of one finger in, that's not too bad. Two or more, You should try and support your abd during abd exercises. This can be done by crisscrossing your arms across your abd and holding each side, by wearing supportive tights or by using some sort of support belt. I tie a cloth belt around my waist for all abd work. Supposedly the seperation can widen if abd work more is done without support for those with greater than a 2 finger-tip width seperation. I have seen a definate decrease in this seperation since I've been doing this. Now I just have to work on the fat layer above it!!

Has anyone else heard this info??
Best of luck to you all!
Cathy:)
 
RE: separated abs

Here's a link with a very brief education on the exercises. Basically, you are trying to squeeze both sides back together during your ab workout. There are also garments, almost like corsets, that can assist with this during your ab work. According to my dr. it's hard to tell exactly how extensive the condition is without surgery, so your best bet would be to give it 100% effort through exercise. It would certainly be a shame to go through the risk of surgery only to find out that you could have fixed it with exercise.
http://www.strollerstrides.com/articles_body_2.html
My 3rd pregnancy did the most damage on my split, but of course, she's a joy beyond compare!
 
RE: separated abs

I had this problem and had it fixed surgically. Noone ever mentioned to me that there was an alternative. In fact they said it was crucial to get it done because my internal organs had no protection and I'd be very damaged from an accidental hit (I was playing ball at the time.) Mine was quite severe though - when they operated they found they were seperated 4-6" apart above my belly button! Pre-op you could clearly see the two walls of muscle below my belly button when I crunched and sink your fingers knuckle deep in the hole between.

The operation was a big deal and the end result isn't that pretty. A long smiley scar, limited feeling in my skin on my abdomen - sometimes itches that seem a mile away, and the belly button they made me is hideous. I look great with clothes on though! If you can fix it with exercise do it.

Trish
 
Cathe, you're an inspiration to me

Hi Cathe,

I wanted you to know that you’ve always been an inspiration to me and even more so now that I know that you are dealing with a challenging health condition too. I was diagnosed with Lupus about 9-10 years ago. It’s an auto-immune condition that can affect any joint or organ, but for me it mainly affects my joints and causes extreme fatigue at times...similar to fibromylgia or rheumatoid arthritis. Anyway, at the time that I was diagnosed I was bed-ridden for nearly a week and in a lot of pain (every joint in my body was flared up). I had always had a dream of running a marathon but had stopped running because of extreme joint pain. I’ve always been in good shape and have been a big fan of your workouts from the time your first Step N Motion Vol 1-3 tapes came out. With each new workout series that you introduced I have seen you AND myself get into better and better condition! I do have limitations and challenges because of my condition, but by believing in myself and using your awesome workouts I have been able to push my fitness level beyond what I ever thought possible and still improving (at 42!). About 5 years ago I started racewalking because I decided it would be easier on my joints and then racewalked my first marathon in 2001. Shortly after that I also started doing triathlons and was able to slowly start running again. It hasn’t been easy and I’ve had setbacks with my joints but since that time I have ran a total of 7 marathons (with a PR of 4:30) and currently training for my 8th! I’ve also completed 20+ triathlons including 4 half ironmans and finished my first full Ironman triathlon in Sept of last year. People with my condition are not supposed to be able to do the things I am doing! I have to share with you how my doctor reacted when I told her I did an Ironman. When I told her I had finished an Ironman she looked shocked and said ‘You did WHAT?!’ After a moment of silence she asked me the distances and I told her it was 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles bike, and 26.2 miles running (all right after the other in the same day). She looked even more shocked and her mouth dropped open. She then asked me again how far the distances were, it was like she couldn’t believe what she heard the first time, haha!! After I told her again she sat there in a stunned silence. Then she got this cute little grin on her face and said 'I just can’t believe you girl'!!! (hee hee) I have a lot of friends, co-workers, etc. tell me that I inspire them. Cathe, I wanted to let you know that YOU are my inspiration! It meant a lot to me when I came to your studio for one of your classes and met you (you were pregnant with your first son at the time). I’ll always remember your amazing kindness and hospitality in the way that you took time after class to talk with me. THANK YOU!!

Cheryl
 
Hi Cathe!

First of all - thanks so much for the Hardcore Series and all the the work you and the gang put into it for all of us. I think you are just incredible. I've been working out with your workout tapes since 1998 starting with Step Works. I had no idea in the world how much harder it was than anything I had previously done. After six weeks I got the steps all down and I was completely hooked. Over the years I've bought everything you have available on video and am now slowly but surely replacing them with DVD's. I also have all the new DVD's, of course. Anyway you've been quite an inspiration to me over the years,and at age 50 I'm in better shape than I've ever been in my life and I have you to thank for it. Now apparently I have something else to thank you for. You've given a name to this malady I've suffered with for 20 years. I never knew what I had was separated abdominals but I'm sure from the description of what you have that that's what I have also. Right after the birth of my third child in Feb of 1985 I noticed that same type of bulge about 3 inches above the navel. I believe my doctor said something about it being a "muscle mass" or something. I wasnt' that concerned about it - he certainly didn't seem to be so I just lived with it. There are times when it's uncomfortable i.e. after big meals etc. I really believed it was a hernia because I actually did have a hernia in the groin area which was operated on back in 1979. This just seemed so similar to that. Anyhow Cathe (and everyone else who wrote in on this topic)thanks for the information and for giving this condition a name! I appreciate it so much. I'll be working hard on the core exercises too along with the rest of the series. Thanks again!!:) :)

Sharon
 
Anyone knows exactly what causes it? Is it possible that it may be caused or worsened by certain excercises? There seem to be no explanation as of WHY it happens. I suppose it is not preventable or predictable. ;(
 
Great thread. I always learn something new in these forums. I hope Cathe and everybody that has to deal with this problem can find a solution. God bless.
 
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