Most Hardest/Grueling Ab Workout? (poll)

[LoveMyLab]

Hi Folks,

Asking the educated crowd what is the most "Intense, Grueling, Sweat Inducing, Agonizing" Ab workout you would recommend!

Really curious... would like to purchase a new abs tape. Which one for you is the most brutal?

Laura

 

[jgoycoolea]

I don't have any ab specific tapes. But in the spirit of response, have you ever tried putting a few of Cathe's routines back-to back?

I'd pick S&H abs (after bi's and tri's) for sure because I LOVE oblique work. I'd also thow in the abs after CTX shoulders because they seem sort of tough to me with all of those partial reps and holds. Maybe something else that starts with lower abs--like those after CTX LL. And of course, you should throw in some planks.

That said, I've always been fond of doing reverse curls on a step (with my head towards the high end) holding a 5 pound dumbbell between my knees. They may thicken the abs, but I'll never know. Got this layer of fat there.

Jeanne

 

[lis1]

I like "Lethal Abs". It has 3 sections - basic abs, back, and advanced abs. The sections are about 10 mins, I think. The advanced part is tough. The whole tape is good though.

I also like "Firm Parts: 5 day abs" for a faster ab workout.

 

[K60]

I got Gilad's Quick Fit Abs from the swap and did it last night. I liked that a lot. It had some different moves on it than I've done before and he has a very "boot camp" manner about him, which I like. I added a few planks on my own at the end and thought it was really great. I'm going to use this as my ab workout for awhile now. It was about 12-15 minutes long and includes the Superman exercise.

 

[Beets]

I have a new found respect for Pilates when it comes to ab work. I confess that I have not been really consistent with my Pilates core training but I do incorporate it into my client's workouts (I do it with them so I guess I am pretty consistent--I just don't do my home videos as consistently). Anyway, nothing flattens your abs like properly done Pilates movements. It is a different way of working the abs than doing endless variations of crunches and is also fabulous for helping people with lower back pain. I recommend Living Arts Beginning Pilates Mat work with Ana Caban to start with. There is also a book called "The Pilates Body" by Brooke Siler that is an excellent resource.

 

[SammyB]

Beets,

How often do you think Pilates should be done to see the results you speak of? I agree that Pilates do wonderful, different things for the abs, but I don't do a Pilates video more than once a week. How often are you (and others) doing them?

Thanks!
Ginger

 

[SusanR]

I love core stabilizaton training for the abs. As a matter of fact that is all I do. I don't do regular crunches anymore.

I just read an article that said, "The secret to having a flat belly is to strengthen the deeper transverse abdominus muscles, which wrap around your middle like a girdle. One great way to do this is with Pilates exercises."

I also read somewhere that if you are doing these types of exercises to not do regular crunches. That it will defeat the purpose.

 

[ldeangelo]

has any one seen or tried the winsor pilates series? i saw it advertised on an infomercial. i keep hearing more and more about pilates for the abs and it sounds like a refreshing alternative which seem to be getting positive results. so has anyone tried the winsor pilates tapes?

 

[Beets]

Hi Ginger,
Regarding frequency of Pilates, I think that if you did 2-3 Pilates workouts per week you would get great results. Like I said in my original post, I have not been faithful to my video but I do incorporate a lot of Pilates abs moves into my client sessions so I am doing these moves a few times per week. I still do crunches, etc but just not as much as I used to since the Pilates moves are so much more intense!

 

[SammyB]

Great--I'll try doing the moves more often. I think the reason I don't do it more often is that the videos I have are long. I need to just do a few moves or parts of the videos and it won't seem like such a time-consuming thing.