abdominal strength

[dshale]

A little background. Years ago I had surgery and ever since I have never fully recovered and keep getting hernias in my abdominal area. Fast forward several surgeries (3 different hernias) later I have lost some weight and done some ab exercises, but I have noticed that I still don't have the strength to do some basic lower ab work. Does anyone know a good rehab style routine for the lower abs?

[Kirkor]

I've heard that planks can be very helpful: http://bretcontreras.com/2011/09/the-rkc-plank/

[rtalencar]

Flutter kicks/leg raises/alphabet (spelling out sentences and such with your feet)?

[dshale]

Flutter kicks/leg raises/alphabet (spelling out sentences and such with your feet)?

Leg raises are almost impossible for me. That is how bad it truly is.

[rtalencar]

The reason I suggested leg raises is because, assuming you're able to do them at all, it's relatively easy to ramp up. How long are you able to hold your legs out 6 inches off the ground? If you are able to do any, how many times are you able to do leg raises (feet together from 6 inches to 12 inches and back down to 6). I specify heights and such to make sure we're on the same page.

If you can't do any leg raises from 6 to 12, try from 0 to 12. Rest your ankles on the ground and then lift them as high as you can up to 12 inches. If you can't get to 12 work up to it. If you can only do 1, do the rep then rest, then do another rep, and another. Take your time and go VERY slow.

Also work on isometric once you're able to do a single rep fairly well. I feel the work more in my lower abs when my feet are at 6 inches than at 12. Bring your feet up and hold it as long as you can. Time yourself. Try to go a little bit longer each time. Again go slow, take plenty of time to rest in between, and listen to your body.

All of that being said, if your injury is such that you can't do any of these I'm probably not a good source of information. I'd suggest talking to your doctor and maybe going to PT or something.

Good luck!

[cianalas]

Planks definitely will help. And they're scalable to what you can do. Just start on your knees and hands, if that's too easy, drop to your elbows. Then work on toes and hands, then toes and elbows.

Maybe the Russian Twist (no weight, feet on floor) will help as well.

[dshale]

I have a surgical mesh and I can feel lots of pulling inside. Even fighting through the pain I am still lucky to do 20 leg raises before failure.

[rtalencar]

I have a surgical mesh and I can feel lots of pulling inside. Even fighting through the pain I am still lucky to do 20 leg raises before failure.

Well I'd definitely say talk to your doctor, in your situation what I would do is go for volume over time rather than intensity. If at 20 you're hitting failure, do 10 (or something that isn't as bad). Do that 20 times a day though.

[dshale]

Well I'd definitely say talk to your doctor, in your situation what I would do is go for volume over time rather than intensity. If at 20 you're hitting failure, do 10 (or something that isn't as bad). Do that 20 times a day though.

Doctors have been a waste of time and money on this. I've been given the "It happens" speech a few times in terms of weakness and chronic pain. I am over it and just want to get my life back. I have seen over the years several routines to rehab a shoulder, back, leg, etc. injury but never anything for this. I can see how volume over time thing might work. Thanks.

[azsf]

by 20 leg raises do you mean 20 floor to vertical raises? or the 6-12inches of the ground raises mentioned above? my recommendation is to focus on strength and progression, not endurance. 20 of anything is too much. so assuming you can do 20 of the 6-12 inches:

lets slow it right down, control the movement. start with heels on the ground, and then raise your legs as slowly as you can to 12 inches (or wherever your maximum height is), then lower to almost touching the ground but don't let your heels actually rest. remember to go slow and controlled. hold in this lowered position for 5-10 seconds (feet slightly off the floor). now raise them again. repeat 5 times. 3 - 5 sets. every day, try to increase the height you can raise your legs to.

after you finish the sets, do a plank for time. don't go to fatigue, but challenge yourself. try to increase this time by a few seconds every day.

if you can do 20 floor to vertical leg raises, then id say you have pretty strong abs and should start working on intermediate exercises like L-sits and levers.

[TurtIe]

Find some easy progressions and go slowly. Rehabilitation is about progressing without putting yourself in agony so back off from sharp pain or anything that doesn't feel like "good pain". I'd start with planks, bent leg raises, knee tucks and cat/cows:

Planks

Bent Leg Raises

Knee Tucks

Cat/Cows

I'd do a full dynamic warm up first, if you can get access to a foam roller I would and roll your hamstrings, quads and lower back.

Then, keeping what I said in mind about pain I'd go:

1. Planks [4 sets of 30 seconds]

2. Bent Leg Raises [3 sets of 12]

3. Knee Tucks [3 sets of 10]

4. Cat/Cows [4 sets of 15]

If you can plank for longer, certainly do that, with the other exercises, once you can complete them I would make them more difficult (straighten your legs for the bent leg raises, for example).

The key is to do it slowly and do it properly, if you get bad pain, ease off and work up to it. This program is merely advise based on the information I've read, no program over the internet can replace care from a professional who is able to observe you and your unique circumstances in person. Nevertheless I hope that helps =)

[lemongranita]

My physiotherapist took me right back to basics with core stuff, because I was using all back and no abs for things I should be using abs for. The first couple of weeks she had me just lying on my back, knees raised, small of the back resting on a pressure cuff and I had to engage the abs, then breathe in and out 10 times without the pressure changing. Then a week of lifting one knee at a time, still using the cuff, then onto the two legs together bent knee raises TurtleRunner mentioned.

Using my core properly was a revelation! For me it was about learning to use the right muscle and avoid back injury, but I'd think it would be a good place to start ab rehab too.

Oh, here's a video that (eventually) shows what I mean: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmgt71_core-torture-using-a-blood-pressure-cuff_school

dshale, if you can possibly see a sports physio, I'd recommend it. So much less fatalistic than doctors in my experience! They don't give you "it happens" or "rest it". They torture you better.