June Abs Challenge, Anyone?

[Katinka]

So, I was looking through pinterest, and this "June Abs Challenge" keeps popping up. Except it kind of sucks (200 situps by the last day? Not interested). So, two questions:

 

1. Does anyone know of a better "Abs Challenge"?

2. Who wants to join me?

[I-Jo]

nope- sorry I don't do situps.

 

come up with a reasonable substitute- and I'd be interested- but all in all really- 200 situps can be done in about 3-4 minutes- I wouldn't worry about it. 

[Frost of the Gloaming]

200 per day or 200 for the month?

 

200/30 = 6.6667 per day 

 

200 per day is just a good core work out

 

I-Jo hanging knee/leg raises

[marionette]

200 situps in a go sounds like a recipe for lower back problems (for me at least).

 

How about something with pikes, planks and weighted sit ups to press? and appropriate variants.

[Katinka]

200/day at the end. It's not the quantity that scares me - it's that I never really "feel" situps. When I do a plank, or leg raises, or pushups, I can feel my core engaging and burning. Situps mostly tire me out from a cardio perspective long before I feel any sort of burn.

 

But maybe I should try them? I'm just skeptical because I found it on pinterest, and 200 reps of anything seems like maybe you could be doing something more efficiently.

[I-Jo]

is it like 1 + 1

2+ 1

3+1

 

like the burpee challenge??

 

if we make an official substitution for hanging leg raises- I could probably get on board with that. Situps just suck LOL

[Waldo]

But abs are made in the kitchen.

if we make an official substitution for hanging leg raises- I could probably get on board with that. Situps just suck LOL

If you have tight hip flexors, high rep hanging leg raises is about the last thing you'd want to do.

[I-Jo]

shuuuush you.  who needs logic when working out- that's just rubbish!!!! take that logic else where. 

 

.  I can just- you know- roll them out!!!

[castelluzzo99]

I have used the P90X Ab Ripper X exercises in the past. I never got to show off my abs, though, because I still had that stubborn layer of fat over them from the previous pregnancy, and now I've got even more from the latest pregnancy. But before I got pregnant the last time, I could do almost every move in the program (over 300 moves--very few of them are anything like sit-ups). I can do about 2/3 of the reps now, or at least, I could two weeks ago when I checked. The whole workout takes 15 minutes if you do all the reps (25 for most of them). I suppose I could do even better now, what with all the pushups and whatnot I'm working on.

 

Somewhere I heard that deadlifts are a great ab workout. But I don't have a barbell set.

 

In the P90X book that details all the exercises in the program, in the intro to Ab Ripper X, it says, "The muscles of your midsection are a crutial power source--it's where you transmit force between your upper and lower body. No athlete, regardless of the sport, can succeed without a solid core foundation. The resulting washboard is merely a bonus!" This is true. If you are working out doing real exercises properly (as opposed to just focusing on one area or having bad form), you will strengthen your core, which will give you a six pack, even if it's covered up by layers of fat like mine is. Oh, sure, mine could be a lot stronger (and it will, someday), but hey, they're a lot stronger than they were the day after my baby was born 10 months ago!

 

Now I know it's almost 11 pm, but I'm tempted to burn off some of the calories I ate for a social this evening (some of them very bad calories that I NEVER eat at home) and seeing how many reps I can get for each of the exercises... I guess you could say that it's kind of my fitness test for my abs. When I can do all 25 reps for each move, all the way through without breaks, I'll know I've got a good strong core.

[jfreaksho]

Now I know it's almost 11 pm, but I'm tempted to burn off some of the calories I ate for a social this evening (some of them very bad calories that I NEVER eat at home) and seeing how many reps I can get for each of the exercises... I guess you could say that it's kind of my fitness test for my abs. When I can do all 25 reps for each move, all the way through without breaks, I'll know I've got a good strong core.

 

Trying to outrun your fork?  Exercise is not a punishment.  Indulgence should not lead to guilt.  Make a plan; make your choices.  Stick to them.

[castelluzzo99]

Not really. Sometimes the extra calories give me energy that I want to burn off. For the record, I went to bed instead, and I still lost inches that week. I didn't feel guilty, either. I still haven't done Ab Ripper X for a while. Not sure when I will. But I will, sometime.

[Katinka]

Ok, so I think I have a plan. I like the list of exercises for the ab ripper x program, however, I want something I can commit to 5 or 6 days a week in additon to my regular workouts, so I need something quicker. I've been enjoying tabata-style workouts recently (20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, 8 sets) so I'm going to incorporate that as well.

 

There are 13 exercises, plus I like planks, so that's 14 exercises over 7 days in a week. My goal is to hit each exercise once per week, with no more than 4 per day. If anyone wants to join me, let me know, and we can keep in touch throughout the next challenge! I'm in the Ranger forum, but I have a feeling that wanting a flatter stomach surpasses all labels, lol.

[NellyTheNox]

Hi Rebel. I'm just a newby, so need a little help here.

Can you be a little more specific about your plan?

[Katinka]

Hey Nelly!

 

Are you participating in the next six-week challenge? That's when I plan on doing this (it starts next Monday). Basically, I'm going to aim to do one "tabata set" of each of the exercises below each week throughout the challenge. In order to avoid doing the entire workout each Sunday because I was lazy all week, I'm going to limit myself to no more than 4 of these per day (that way I have to work on this at least 4 days per week to meet my goal).  

 

1. Ins and Outs

2. Bicycles

3. Crunchy Frog

4. Wide Leg Situp

5. Fifer Scissors

6. Hip Rock and Raise

7. Pulse Ups

8. V Ups

9. Right Oblique V-ups

10. Left Oblique V-ups

11. Leg Climbs

12. Mason Twist

13. Planks

14. mountain climbers

 

If you aren't familiar with the 6-week challenges yet, feel free to ask questions - they're a great way to set goals, get motivated,  and meet other people around here!

[marionette]

Hey Nelly!

 

Are you participating in the next six-week challenge? That's when I plan on doing this (it starts next Monday). Basically, I'm going to aim to do one "tabata set" of each of the exercises below each week throughout the challenge. In order to avoid doing the entire workout each Sunday because I was lazy all week, I'm going to limit myself to no more than 4 of these per day (that way I have to work on this at least 4 days per week to meet my goal).  

 

1. Ins and Outs

2. Bicycles

3. Crunchy Frog

4. Wide Leg Situp

5. Fifer Scissors

6. Hip Rock and Raise

7. Pulse Ups

8. V Ups

9. Right Oblique V-ups

10. Left Oblique V-ups

11. Leg Climbs

12. Mason Twist

13. Planks

14. mountain climbers

 

My abs hurt just looking at that...*takes notes*

[Frost of the Gloaming]

That looks like my core work out, I do 15 of each one; I recommend that if you are just starting out to start with low reps and build up because you will feel this

 

1 crunches

2 knee up crunches

3 hip lifts

4 oblique crunches

5 side plank dips

6 oblique leg extensions

7 supermans

8 bridged leg lifts

9 push ups

10 4 other side

11 5 other side

12 6 other side

13 heel touches

14 bicycle crunches

15 half up twists

[castelluzzo99]

Yeah, I did about 10 of each set of the ARX exercises about 2 months ago. I was up to 15-20 of each by about 2 weeks ago. I'll bet I could do at least 20 now, but I am not sure where to fit them into my routine. I don't have time after my regular strength day, which is 3 days a week.

 

And yeah, your whole core hurts after the first time you do these! Seriously! For me, though, it's kind of a test of core fitness for me.

[Katinka]

Yeah, I did about 10 of each set of the ARX exercises about 2 months ago. I was up to 15-20 of each by about 2 weeks ago. I'll bet I could do at least 20 now, but I am not sure where to fit them into my routine. I don't have time after my regular strength day, which is 3 days a week.

 

And yeah, your whole core hurts after the first time you do these! Seriously! For me, though, it's kind of a test of core fitness for me.

Fitting them all into my routine is what I'm trying to get around. I have a habit of not doing extra ab work (which is pretty much where I've seen the least progress, because I've put the least effort into it), so I'm trying to come up with a way that I can fit in something every day. Lately I've been trying to do 2 4-minute sets per day, so it's still less than 10 minutes.