Between being sick and getting snowed in it has been REALLY hard to keep anything like a regular workout schedule. I’ve managed to sneak in at least 4 per week, but I feel like my whole mojo is off. I find I don’t work out as hard at home because I get distracted by all the stuff around the house, and I feel anxious to get back to work.
I’m on the hunt for an ab / core routine. Right now I’m doing three repetitions of the following circuit, performing each exercise for 20 seconds and then resting for 10 seconds before going on to the next one:
- crunches
- side crunches (one set left one set right)
- plank
- side plank (one set each side)
That takes 9 minutes, and then I do three sets of 10 “toe touches” where I hang from the pull up bar and try to touch my toes to the bar while keeping my legs straight. At this point I’m not getting my feet anywhere near the bar, and have to stop to rest in the middle of the third set.
Overall the routine is kinda weak. I could probably stand to add some russian twists and v-ups into the circuit, but the most frustrating thing about it is I’m not really quantifying the work I’m doing. My back routine uses weights, and I can track the number of reps and weight I use to see progress over time. With my core routine it’s just sort of “oh, well I did that. good for me.”
Here’s hoping next week brings better weather and a return to my normal routine.
I think we’re in the same rut. I’m sick again, after just having had a cold in January, ugh.
I’ve taken crunches completely out of my base routine because, like you said, it’s hard to measure progress, and because they tend to suck the life out a workout. Instead I’ve been asking myself, what do I want strong abs for? And then doing those exercises. So the toe touches are a good example, and pushups done correctly also work your abs. And handstand practice both works your abs (hollow body) and stretches your shoulders.
I think we’re in the same place with toe touches. I’ve just been doing knee-to-ear raises because I can’t get my toes anywhere near the bar. Last night the aerial coach was holding my feet against the bar and said, “ok, now hold them there” and let go. And down they went immediately. I wonder if there’s a secret way to work the upper 90 degrees. He said I have to “push” down with my arms, as if you’re pushing the bar to your toes. It’s a nice thought, but I can’t make it happen.
Here’s a killer ab exercise we had to do in handbalancing last week. It has a french-sounding name but I’ve forgotten it.
Do each of the following exercises for 10 seconds each, consecutively (no rest between):
* Hold a hollow body ( legs and shoulders off the floor)
* Crunches while holding a hollow body (crunch while legs are off the floor)
* Leg raises while holding a hollow body (leg raises with back off floor)
* Mini v-ups, no touching the floor in between
* Hold a mini v-up and rock forward and backwards
It’s a really intense way to spend 50 seconds. You’ll know you’re progressing when you can make it to the end of the last exercise without wanting to die.