Core Work Advice
- Thread starter melagras
- Start date
DirtDiva
Cathlete
I work my core with dvd's 3 times a week. I tack them on to the end of my *inside* workouts, and they last about 15 to 20 minutes. STS Abs and Core Max are my favorites. When I'm riding off road that is my other core workout, same with kickboxing. So I would say it would total up to 6 times a week. I don't believe you can overwork your core area. I mean if they are sore, you are going to naturally lay off, but its not something you can't work everyday.
Kat2002
Cathlete
I was going to post up a similar question. Currently I am only doing 1x/wk Pilates reformer sessions as my only specific core work. What would you all say is the minimum amount of core work that should be done to have a balanced fitness routine and to have a strong core for other exercises?
melagras, I'm thinking that you would likely want to incorporate a lot of plank exercises in order to help with your form for push-ups. Not exciting work but since it is the start position for push-ups, it should help to hold that position. Maybe time how long you can hold the plank and try to go longer with each session. Not an expert but I think that's how I'd approach the push-up goal.. I hope someone can chime in on what would specifically help for pull-ups..
I'm certain I read something on the forums recently about abs and DOMS that agrees with what DirtDiva said about it being hard to overwork the core...the basis of the post was something like: it is hard to exhaust the core muscles since by nature they are designed to hold you up all day long, so the muscle fibers are the type which fatigue very slowly.
melagras, I'm thinking that you would likely want to incorporate a lot of plank exercises in order to help with your form for push-ups. Not exciting work but since it is the start position for push-ups, it should help to hold that position. Maybe time how long you can hold the plank and try to go longer with each session. Not an expert but I think that's how I'd approach the push-up goal.. I hope someone can chime in on what would specifically help for pull-ups..
I'm certain I read something on the forums recently about abs and DOMS that agrees with what DirtDiva said about it being hard to overwork the core...the basis of the post was something like: it is hard to exhaust the core muscles since by nature they are designed to hold you up all day long, so the muscle fibers are the type which fatigue very slowly.
Fit_mommy
Cathlete
I work my core/abs all the time, 4-5x per week directly and then indirectly at various times with my kickboxing work outs. I agree that you can not work it too much. The only thing I try to be wary of is not hitting it 2 days in a row with heavy weights. Beyond that, it's no holds barred. I've been doing this for a while now and have seen fabulous visible change/results in my mid section because of it as well as much increased strength and endurance! 
You mentioned push ups and I never thought about it before but my push up ability is sooo much better then it used to be and I'll bet it's atleast due in part to my stronger core!
You mentioned push ups and I never thought about it before but my push up ability is sooo much better then it used to be and I'll bet it's atleast due in part to my stronger core!
melagras
Cathlete
Thanks, guys! Years ago, I used The Firm's 5 minute abs dvd every day and my abs were completely flat. Thanks to perimenopause and being on an anti-depressant for a couple of years, I gained 20 pounds. It all seemed to go right to my midsection. I looked like I was pregnant. It is gradually coming off thanks to Cathe.
DirtDiva
Cathlete
Me too! I used to despise pushups, almost as much as burpee's or whatever those drop to the ground and jump up things are called. I learned to love pushups doing Gym Styles, STS Meso 1 and Illaria. I forgot about all the pushups I do and I think they are excellent for the core.
JeanneMarie
Cathlete
I think it depends on the look you're going for.
If you like the blocky, built up mid section that some of the fitness models end up with, then I would say you need to work your abs every day.
If you desire a smaller, curvier look... more of an indent between your hips and upper body ... cut back on the ab work.
This is how it works for me at least. I recently proved this to myself while healing from a broken wrist. For at least 3 weeks I couldn't do any ab work because I was casted almost to my shoulder. During those 3 weeks, I lost an inch in my waist. I kept the definition, but lost that bulkiness that had palgued me for a long time. I hadn't realized that the reason I was looking that way was because I worked my abs so much. The blockier my mid section got, the harder I worked... thinking that's what I needed to do to trim it down.
Everybody is different, but for me it was quite a shock to realize that I like the way I look better with less ab work! I went from every day doing ab work, to about 3 days a week.
If you like the blocky, built up mid section that some of the fitness models end up with, then I would say you need to work your abs every day.
If you desire a smaller, curvier look... more of an indent between your hips and upper body ... cut back on the ab work.
This is how it works for me at least. I recently proved this to myself while healing from a broken wrist. For at least 3 weeks I couldn't do any ab work because I was casted almost to my shoulder. During those 3 weeks, I lost an inch in my waist. I kept the definition, but lost that bulkiness that had palgued me for a long time. I hadn't realized that the reason I was looking that way was because I worked my abs so much. The blockier my mid section got, the harder I worked... thinking that's what I needed to do to trim it down.
Everybody is different, but for me it was quite a shock to realize that I like the way I look better with less ab work! I went from every day doing ab work, to about 3 days a week.
Fit_mommy
Cathlete
I've always had a thick waist. No matter how thin I was. It's just the way I'm built-not a true ruler but in no way am I what you would call curvey. I have definition but I'm not bulky and my belly is flat. The fact that I never had much of a "waist" could be why this style of training didn't effect me in the same way as the previous poster.
I used to work my abs 3x a week or less cause I never saw any real results from it that motivated me so I would blow it off. I did this for years and my abs were never where I wanted them to be.
When I started working them more often I finally started to see results. They began to flatten w/o weight loss and I also gained some viewable definition despite needing to lose some fat in that area.
Now that I've lost 10# thanks to WW, I've lost atleast an inch in my waistline and the results are even more obvious and I love them!!!!
For me, lots of ab work has done the trick. But, like the previous poster said, everyone is different. You need to play around with it and see what works for you.
I used to work my abs 3x a week or less cause I never saw any real results from it that motivated me so I would blow it off. I did this for years and my abs were never where I wanted them to be.
When I started working them more often I finally started to see results. They began to flatten w/o weight loss and I also gained some viewable definition despite needing to lose some fat in that area.
Now that I've lost 10# thanks to WW, I've lost atleast an inch in my waistline and the results are even more obvious and I love them!!!!
For me, lots of ab work has done the trick. But, like the previous poster said, everyone is different. You need to play around with it and see what works for you.