Thoughts on AB training.

[SwampGator]

I like Chelle worry about getting a thick waist line. Mine is naturally thick anyway, so thickening it up is not an option! ;)

[mthegodfather]

Originally posted by IronmanJoe@Apr 5 2004, 11:39 PM
How did you become paralized?

Car wreck coming home from work i fell asleep behind the wheel and ran a red light. Got hit by a truck in the drivers door as i went thru the intersection.

ok...i am curious godfather, to know how you became paralyzed and to what extent....
i am truly thinking PILATES EQUIPMENT can help you as it is designed for REHAB and there are incredible things that can be done with your body despite your limitations...i am wondering how you were injured, and what state you live in, and if insurance might cover some "rehab" on Pilates equipment (all the laws vary from state to state)....
anyway...give us some details...

[chelle belle]

OOXRSIZER, I've thought this very thing when I've surfed through pilates sites. Some of the equipment certainly does look like it would be used in rehab.

I work abs every workout....it's a smaller muscle group and recovers fast. Plus it's part of your base muscles....strong abs means stronger lifts. If you have weak abs, your squats, and deads and such will suffer from it. Doing abs often wil not make them grow like you think or give you that thick look. Yes they will grow "some" but not at all like you think. I recommend at least every other workout to keep them conditioned. I myself use the decline bench with a 45 pound plate on my chest and do 25 reps, toss the plate to the floor and rep out another 10-15 reps. I do that for 3-4 sets and than on to leg lifts for 3 sets of 25. My abs are nice and hard...now if you're wanting to see your abs or have that 6 pack look, ya better look at your diet cause it doesn't matter how many sit-ups you do that won't make it happen.


Chelle....I hope you're not adding me into the bunch that refers everything to a sexual manner.....I might say how purdy ya look at times, but I try to maintian a gentleman status.... :P

[mthegodfather]

I am considered a t-7 paraplegic which mean i have no feeling below my belly button.I have tried doing crunches and such but the problem is i have no lower ab muscles at all. I can do a partial crunch but that is about it.I have talked to other paraplegic BB and most of them either have lower injurys.Most of them use diet to keep abs lean but they still dont have alot definition in there abs.

ok, i am NO DOC and technically no rehab therapist -- just a lot of years dealing with "specialty" situations in the world of health and fitness...
so.......its NOT that you dont have ab muscle, its just you arent able to engage them due to the nervous system situation.........
i understand t-7, and the whys... i dont know how, how long ago, etc....
i am a FIRM believer that the nervous system needs to be continued to be stimulated, even when they have declared paralysis to be permanent, etc etc...

if you can do half crunches and engage your brain to "imagine" certain things, there is always the possibility you can engage some muscle fibers.......

i am the ultimate optimist (what do you have to lose??)

age?? age at injury?? prognosis?? what state do you live in? near what big city??
any details you care to share, who knows...maybe i can help?!?!?! ya never know!

in the meantime...keep crunching and when you do just THINK about drawing your belly button in towards your spine...as if it were being stitched with a needle and thread.............

ok, whoops...i just scrolled back and saw HOW you got injured...how long ago was it??

and yes, chelle...though i only teach mat work (and love it!) i have a dear friend who owns a fully equiped Pilates studio out in fresno, cal and he does incredible stuff with people...the machines are awesome and there is no end to what one can do on there!!!!

[Swellin]

Tex, you hit the nail on the head...diet is the only thing that will make those suckers show (well, I guess spot injecting gh will help too...might give that a try next time around).

I have started working abs to help my lifts. I like this article, and plan to give it 6 weeks of testing. I read an article by DC, and he said that calves and abs seem to respond better to more frequent workouts, but he tried to keep them at twice a week (I think that was DC anyway).