3 Ab Exercises NOT to Do

[Phil]

3 Ab Exercises NOT to Do
By Craig Ballantyne


Training Equipment

[roselanisk]

I'm a certified fitness trainer and I admit that I use these "forbidden" ab exercises on my clients. Not because I like them, but because bicycles and crunches are sometimes the ONLY ab exercises they can do! After they progress a bit, I move them on to something else. Any recommendations on using different ab exercises for them? Please keep in mind that I generally train very obese, or elderly, or just plain extreme out of shape clients. (I do use chair jack knives and some flutter kicks as well).

[bcuzitsme]

would basic planks work? start with an elevation that they can do and gradually move them down over time until they are using the ground.

[Phil]

You have to know peoples margins as well and many of your clients sounds like they have VERY smal margins so those moves, heck any move wil have some pay off, BUT I also think time could be better spent elsewhere if they are so out of shape. Ther core is going to get Plenty of work doing its job of preventing movemnt in the torso if you give them an external load to lift from the ground, put over ther head, on the shoulders for a squat or low step up etc. Just haivng them do exercsies standing on theri fet supporting theirselves and or a load relative to their ability. It is going to do wonders for the core and better yet wonders for the rest of their body at the same time. It's also degrading for an obese person to have to get on the floor and attemopt crunches and such. For the little pay back it has.

I would spend the time doing other things moving picking things up, puting things over head, play something like basketball where they simply have to shoot a ball over head, or toss things for distance. Carry things, make the training progresive and fun where they are making gains and moving through life like they live it as a whole body not a truck tryinh to be in flexion for tons of reps. Maybe tack on a set or two at the nd but my bet wil be their core wil be smoked from just doing regualr activity and doing its job, much as the rest of the body will.

[roselanisk]

Thanks guys! Great answers! Sometimes i really have tunnel vision and need someone else's ideas, esp. since I'm a new trainer. Case in point, I never thought of doing elevated planks, as regular ones they can't do.

Since most of my clients are so obese or out of shape, they can't do squats either secondary to trashed knees from their excessive weight. However, I do believe that carrying medicine balls will work great for their core, and protect their knees.

Thanks again!

[Patrick W]

start with planks on their knees.

if they can't do that, planks with hands on a wall.

bird dogs are a good place to start. if they have trouble with that, limit it to just quadraped hip extension or just quadraped arm flexion until they can put it together.

Dead bugs are also good.

When you say crunches and bicycles are "all they can do", I invite you to re-check their form and look for compensations of cervical spine movement rather than thoracic movement - as that should not be taking place but almost always is in the deconditioned.

Patrick

[roselanisk]

Thanks! Duly noted! I will try all of the above.