Too much ab work?

Jennifit

Jennifit

Cathlete
I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this: Bulging of the abs or looking like you are bloated after a few days of hard ab work?

I swear, but my stomach looks like I am almost pregnant (I'm not!?) after a few hard days of abs. You can see the muscles, but it almost hurts to "suck in." Has anyone had this issue???? It is so wierd - it started happening after I added weight work to my ab rountines...Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Any imput is good imput!! Thank you!

jenni
 
I haven't noticed it on me, but I have noticed that some people who use weights with abs (anything more than about 2# maybe?) can sometimes get that bulging look.

Since you probably haven't been doing the weighted ab work long enough to make bulging abs, and you say this happens after a few hard days of abs, I think what may be happening is that the muscle is being overworked (especially if you use weights) and more water/fluid is being retained in the area to help with healing (your body is interpreting this as an injury of some sort).

You might want to back off on the weighted ab work, and focus a bit on stabilization moves (like planks and other core work), which seem to strengthen the abs without adding bulk.
 
>I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this: Bulging
>of the abs or looking like you are bloated after a few days of
>hard ab work?

Jenni -

I have to be honest - this sometimes happens to me when I change up my ab routine. For example, I had been doing pyramids during the summer/fall and then switched to push/pull & supersets when the VHS's came out. No problems. But when I switched to slow & heavy two weeks ago and ended up with more planks (which I can normally do no problems) and more 'traditional' abs, the more I experience a 'bloating' sensation and difficulty pulling or holding my abs 'in'. Now, let's say I switch to, oh, Power Hour the week of the 19th for 8 weeks. I'll have some problems then but not much... but then if I jump into an intensity series rotation, I'll have achiness, tenderness and a bloated feeling. (This also happened this past summer when I came off of a round of Power Hour for the 12 weeks of the pyramids...)

The only thing I have ever been able to 'blame' this on is the fact that I have adhesion in my abdomen due in part (but not 100%) to advanced stage IV endometriosis. (the tendency for your body/organs to produce adhesions is somewhat genetic.) I have always figured I had 'upset' the balance and that was the way the abdominal cavity got back at me.

Not sure this helps but am curious to see others' input!
 
try this ...

For years I had “bulging ab” syndrome. Not nice. I was lean yet still my abs looked “sticky out” and I didn’t know what I was doing wrong? Too much ab training? Too little? Incorrect technique??? As it turns out, it was incorrect technique. I was not flattening out my abs before crunching up. Explanation. As you begin your crunch (but before you lift your head and shoulders off the floor) suck in your navel into the spine. Really hollow out. Suck in as for as you can go, really flattening the abs. Then crunch up in the usually manner. It took me a long time to get used to this technique but once I started using it on a daily manner, my abs flattened out within 4 days…try it…see what you think…but remember, really really suck in…
 
RE: try this ...

THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!!

I have not been sucking my abs in when I come, only exhaling. I am definately going to follow the techniques you gave me and take days off in between. Thank you!!!

jenni
 
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