Core Work Vs Traditional Ab Work

W

willowe

Cathlete
Hi All,

I am thoroughly enjoying all of Cathe's new workouts, and especially think she has excelled herself with the ab work (LOVE the stabilty ball work in PUB!!). I love core work, planks, etc and find that these work my abdominals in a way that traditional ab work just doesn't come close to. In fact, I have now stopped doing traditional crunches altogether and just do core work. My abs are in better shape now than they have ever been, despite having had a baby 6 weeks ago. I really credit this type of abdominal work for whipping them back into shape so fast!

Has anyone else dropped traditional ab work in favour of core/plank work, and if so, what sort of results have you seen?

Kaz. :)
 
Hi Kaz,

I definitely prefer plank work because I find it hard to feel my abs, 3 pregnancies later. I know they are there somewhere LOL ! I definitely know they are there after planking though because they ache like hell. I also swear by Pilates type ab work too.

Will e-mail you later ;-)

BYE !

Anna
 
Hi Kaz! Yes I definitely have seen much more muscle definition after doing plank work/stability ball/medicine ball ab work instead of the traditional. So far having too much fun to go back to the traditional but I certainly would do both just for variety. Kathy
 
Yes! I totally agree with you! No matter what rotation I am on, I will always sub in the ab work from the IS series from now on. I just love it and I can really feel it the next day. The results are fantasic too!!

Danielle :7
 
I always did just the traditional ab work and my abs were flat from doing that - but since getting and doing the core/plank exercises for 8 weeks now, well, I don't think I wil ever go back to the traditional ab work I use to do.

I have had ten children - and my abs are not only flat - they are definitely more defined than they ever have been before - close to how Cathe's are - even the skin on my stomach has tightened up. I absolutely love this core work it is like a miracle drug!

Cheryl
 
Wow, ten children that is awesome. I have six children, however I do not have flat abs. How many times a week do you work your abs and for how long?:)
 
No, I won't be giving up traditional abs work. Both types work for me and they work differently.

Traditional crunches, oblique work and lower abs raises gave me a flatter, more toned and muscled stomach with a six pack. Incredible.

The newer style ab work is really working the obliques and the whole midsection is shaing up nicely.

But I cannot credit planks alone with doing all the work to achieve this for me. Indeed, I don't "see": the evidence of what the planks are supposed to be doing for me, but I do them anyway because overall core strength is not to be sniffed at.

So, I'm sticking with my blend of traditional, planks and the I-Series obliques work. Each to their own.... ;-)

Clare
 
I know this is going to be a stupid question, but what is core work compare to crunches, is that just using the balance ball, how is core work done? THanks:)
 
I have to agree with Clare. I think the planks are a whole different animal, and it's leaving something out to do just one or the other. I am doing a combination of both, and not having much fun with either, but they must be donex(
Dawn
 
It is planks (keeping your body stiff and straight as a board, as if you are about to do a push-up but you never lower) and there are a thousand variations of planks. Planks facing the ceiling, side planks.

Then there are full sit-ups where your whole spine leaves the floor, not just your sternum. Also, there are some using the big stablity ball and some using weights and medicine balls. All the variety is fun (to me).

No, I can't do them all yet.

If you view some of Cathe's clips off the home page or buy a few new Cathe videos you will see more visual descriptions.
 
Hi there Kaz,

I've found the same thing with the plank work- much better ab definition. I haven't entirely abandoned traditional crunches though. It always feels so good to go back to older Cathe tapes once in a while and breeze through those ab sections because you're that much stronger. Ah, results, I love it!

Keep up the hard work,

Jen
 
Just because I said I would give up the traditional ab work doesn't mean I won't do any crunches - for if you have done all of Cathe's new tapes which features her core work which is by the way another way of saying ab work , she does have some traditional crunches in them.

I have only done Cathe's new core work for 8 weeks and I have done "traditional" ab work for over 20 years and I can attest that I have never seen the results I have seen from this new ab work from any of the ab work I have done before considering I have had 10 children and my abs look like they do in this few 8 weeks I am very impressed.

I can now do 40 pikes on the stability ball - I remember when I first got these tapes I couldn't do even one of them. I have also built up alot more strength in this area because I can remember thinking gee when I get the DVD's I will be able to do the BC ab work all at the same time, then I thought who could ever do all this in 10 minutes without dying - I can do that now along with ME abs too.

Like Cathe says you cannot isolate just one section of the abs, because you work them as a whole, but you can work a little more in that particular area. That's what she says in ME anyways.

Oh yeah, I can wear the lower hip pants and half tops and my abs look great - I swear the skim seems to be in better shape meaning it isn't as loose - you know after your skin has stretched out ten times it has a hard time going back to where it was. I love this work - I thought my abs looked good before - but now they just look much better .

Cheryl
 
QUESTION

For those of you who have seen results from core work, do you do it in combo with traditional abs or all core work? I only do abs 1-2xs a week and core work 1x a week so I think I should up the core work.

I know body fat has a lot to do with seeing results so did all of you have flat abs to begin with?

Thanks
 
Hi Cheryl! Wow 40 pikes! I'm very impressed. My wrists hurt sooo bad after doing 20 I can't muster up any more strength. How do your wrists tolerate it? Need your help! Thanks, Kathy:7
 
kathy,

The pikes don't bother my wrists at all, but I must say that when I do the pikes after doing PUB my arms seem to tire more easily.

What gets to me more than anything when I do the pikes - like I said I do 40 pikes while Cathe does the stability ball, that's about how many I can get in- but anyways, I feel like I get quite winded by the time I get to 24 - by the time I get to 40 - I falloff the ball and pant for about a minute to get my breath.

I will stick to doing 40 and will not try to up that - it is definitely a tough thing to do - I get better each time I do it meaning better form and staying up longer and bringing it down slower.

Maybe you are putting too much pressure on your writst - but don't know how that would be - I did see in the Fitness magazine some moves on the ball where they were on their elbows - but not doing pikes - I don't think you could do that on your elbows.

Cheryl
 
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