The A2K (virtual) Weight Loss Club !!

George ~ I need to start strengthening my abs. The problem with back spasms is that they are usually caused because of an imbalance between the ab muscles and the back muscles. Weak abs cause the back to try to take over and over compensate for the imbalance. When I do back exercises, I tend not to do enough ab exercises to keep everything in balance. Ab workouts are not my favorite and I tend to ignore them. I know better, but that somehow doesn't doesn't translate to action. It's not just crunches, there are five different sets of ab muscles and they all need to be worked equally, something I rarely do. Shame on me.

Clary ~ Welcome back to this thread. It sounds like you're doing a great job!

J-B-

do you read alot?
If you do, while you are reading, just lay flat on your back and raise your legs off of the ground.
A few times every chapter and you dont have to worry about a schedule.. It works the front of your abs as well as your 'hip' area.
Simple, no schedule.. just anytime you are laying down, pick up both of your feet together, slowly, then put them down.

Well, I read alot and lay down alot, but I can't read while laying down. I have an astigmatism that for some reason causes the words on a page to swim when I"m laying down. I like the idea of leg lifts while laying down though, thanks!

or when sitting.
The slower you go, the more you work the muscles.
When you lower your legs, you work the back
when you raise them, you work your front.

just anytime you think about it.. do it.
Keep your legs together and , if you are laying down, raise with your thighs.
If you are sitting , raise with your knees.

A little at a time and you will feel a diffrence.
I did that after bean was born and got quite a bit of my pre-baby belly back.
not much >sigh< hehhee.. but it made a true diffrence.

J_B, I hate ab work.
Hate it.
So I slack off there too.

Any other suggestions from the faithful for abs?

Wow, shewolfnm, you must be psychic!

another tip, when walking, keep your abs tight.
The leg movement also effects the stomach muscles. Resistance keeps them strong as well.

ughhhggg. i can't move my calves. i can't raise my arms. my abs and lower back hurt too. we had Frau Klaudia for training yesterday again. Was supposed to be Johann who does this one hour routine and we're done. Apart from the usual - running, jumping, footwork, she did the stations again. Twenty stations. At each you work for a minute, then there's a minute of break. Ab crunches, lower back crunches, push ups with hands on a medicineball. jumping over a low bench, squats, you name it. was too tired to even cook. had an instant soup and dragged myself to bed. after a hot long steamy shower. we'll have her on friday, too. can't wait for the weekend.

when i had bean, i was worried because I had a c-section.
These are things my doctor told me . Things I could do with out turning on Chers' 9 minute ab torture tape.
It made a huge diffrence in about 7 weeks.

When you tighten your ab muscles, try to tighten the BOTTOM and not the top .
It is easy to keep the upper half of the abs tight because we use those muscles to breathe.
Try picturing a rubber band going across the top of your hips. When you tighten your abs, you should be tightening where that rubber band is.
THAT is where the 6pack muscles are.

except, one great thing happened. while doing combinations (footwork with punches ) she kept glancing at me, never said a word. always has comments at others, nothing for me. i was getting frustrated, pissed of even. then she winks at me, just as i'm ready to throw the gloves in the corner and walk off for good, and says 'sehr gutt'.
i could have gone for another two hours after that.

oops, sorry for jumping into your posts, wolf.

;-)

you didnt jump into anything.

i have one exciting thing to report: the flab on my upper arms - you know, The Flab, is mostly gone! amazing, i thought i'd never get rid of it again, ever! i love you, Frau Klaudia.

i have one exciting to report: the flab on my upper arms - you know, the Flab, is mostly gone! amazing, i thought i'd never get rid of it again, ever! i love you, Frau Klaudia.

Frau Klaudia sounds kinda scary to me.

> applause <
flab-b-gone

oh, she's a brute.

(Frau Klaudia, not shewolf ;-) )

i think i am getting flabbier. ugh. depression has set in. fatness has set in. but i have started getting up every morning and running again. when i don't make it in the morning, i run on the treadmill in the afternoon. we will see. bought two books today, sculpting bible for women and sculpting abs bible for women. again we will see.

Down one tenth of a pound this week. 212.0

Got up early this morning for the run at Central Park. 5:55am, race is at nine but I've got to get there early to pick up my number since I didn't do it Friday because the trains were so screwed up because of the fire at West Fourth and Saturday flew by and I went to bed early to be fully rested except looking out the window at 6:00am and viewing the spewing rain and looking at the 46 degrees with the gusty 12 mph winds did not make my heart sing.

get tough youuuuuu you that's what you are. I said and punched up the website to get the pickup information.

I read "Tags and numbers can be picked up race between 7am and 8:30" then it said "you can begin picking up your numbers Thursday October 27th........... 27th ??????

The race, it's only five miles, Frank, is next week. I went back to bed.

Joe(what a dolt)Nation