Workouts without standing up

[cjsmith]

OK, situps work PART of my abs. If I do enough situps I get that nice "I did something" twinge in a band just below my belly button. What works the sides? What works the upper area between my belt and my ribs?

Comments

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

The actions of the abdominal muscles:

Rectus Abdominus (the six-pack): flexes the spine, bringing the ribs closer to the pelvis. so, try this: on your back with feet flat on the floor. inhale, then while exhaling, try to make your ribs touch your pubic bone. don't try to sit up, and keep your arms crossed in front of you. see if you can lift yourself up just at the chest.

Internal and External Obliques: laterally flex the spine in the direction of their side, and rotate the spine (IO to the same side, and EO to the opposite side). so, try this: on your back with feet flat on the floor. inhale, and while exhaling, arms crossed in front, lift one side of your body and try to make it touch your knee. a diagonal sit-up, if that makes sense. when you do this sort of sit-up/crunch to the left, for instance, you are working the internal oblique on the left side and the external oblique on the right side.

Another good one is to lay on your side and lift your torso to the ceiling. that contracts the internal and external oblique on that side.

Finally, the obliques compress abdominal contents, to if you 'suck in your stomach' you'll be exercising them, too. try this: seated, inhale, then as you exhale, compress your abdomen in very slowly, holding it while you exhale. relax on the inhale, compress on the exhale.

If you exhale twice as slowly as you inhale while you are doing these exercises, you'll be really working those muscles.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

YOU are AWESOME. Thank you!

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I recommend a book, Women's Strength Training Anatomy (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FStrength-Training-Anatomy-Frederic-Delavier%2Fdp%2F0736048138%2Fsr%3D8-2%2Fqid%3D1164173686%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=broadwaybearsboo&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325) by Frederic Délaviér to my female clients. It's a great resource - it's fully illustrated and describes the exercises well.

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

and finally, work the muscles to exhaustion, as the abdominal muscles are exceedingly strong and can take quite a bit of work.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

*nod* That's good to know. Maybe, though, I should save that for days when I don't have to sit upright the following morning? ;-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm curious why there needs to be a female version; do women's muscles really go to different bones than men's? (I wouldn't be completely shocked. We're messed up in so many OTHER ways.)

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

I think the author just wanted to do a book with female illustrations - But also, women's bodies are somewhat different physically. I wouldn't say messed up in any way, just different.

[stormecho.livejournal.com]

I would think these above exercises work for men as well?

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

Yes, absolutely.