? about my ab routine

[Gettin_Fit]

I am a beginner in all this...so keep that in mind when looking at what I do for my abs.
Right now I am 5'6" 160lbs (female). My goal is 125-130 (I think) and to be really firm and fit.
The question I have is this ab workout that I am doing going to give me a "wide" waist. Naturally I have a small waist even when I am overweight, and I like that natural taper. I am just worried that some of the things I am doing is going to give me a thick waist instead.
I do all these without any add weight. Just my body weight for resistance.

Day 1:
10 basic crunches
10 sit-ups
10 roll-ups
10 jack-knives on each side
strech for 15-20 secs then repeat cycle 2 more times

Day 2:
10 cross-legged crunchs (kinda like sitting on the floor 'indian-style" then laying down)
10 elbow to opposite knee crunches
10 elbow to same side knee crunches
10 bicycle crunches (alternating legs-crossing elbow to opposite knee)
10 "clams"
strech for 15-20 secs then repeat cycle 2 more times

I do this everyday alternating routines. I read that its okay to work the abs daily since the have a quick recovery rate. Is this routine good or bad? I want to have a nice stomach - flat and hard with a narrow waist..will this eventually get me there?
Thanks for the help!

 

[gettinlarger]

For your goals, ab work is useless without proper diet.

 

[Gettin_Fit]

Right, I know. I am working on that now. I have been told that I am not eating enough right now, so I am currently working on adding more to my diet. right now my diet runs between 800-100 cals a day. trying to increase that to 1200-1500.
My question wasn't really about diet it was about the workout itself...Am I doing to much for my sides? Doing that workout am I going to get a "thick" waist or will it just tighten up?
Thanks again.

 

[Lastcall]

I really wouldn't wory about getting a wide waist with that ab work out. It looks fine.
Diet and cardio is also very important, instead of doing abs every day, do them every other day and use the extra time for more cardio.

 

[spatts]

Someone once told me I'd get a wide waist from all the core/ab work I do. It hasn't changed at all, and my ab work is in the hundreds of pounds range. I wouldn't worry about it.

If my waist gets thicker I'll just add a couple inches to my shoulders. Problem solved.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Ab work is ABsolutely unnecessary.

I dieted down to 6 pac abs... and I hadn't worked abs in years and years... but I had a perfect 6 pack.

Great abs are only a matter of diet. Nothing else.

I work abs now... but only for greater core support for heavy lifts.

 

[gettinlarger]

Ab work is ABsolutely unnecessary.

I dieted down to 6 pac abs... and I hadn't worked abs in years and years... but I had a perfect 6 pack.

Great abs are only a matter of diet. Nothing else.

I work abs now... but only for greater core support for heavy lifts.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Gettin_Fit]

I can definately the change I have made in my diet in the past month have already given me results. I see a little bit of difference but my husband says he can really see a difference especially in my stomach. He says its smaller and flater now that it was...granted I have a long way to go. I have had 4 kids so I feel like doing some kind of ab work is the only way I am going to get what I want. Maybe I am wrong there, but I guess it can't hurt to do it.
Thanks for all the advice. This place is great!!

 

[spatts]

It won't hurt, you'll just waste time. You can get to your goal much faster doing no ab work at all, and concentrating on your diet and weight training.

 

[Gettin_Fit]

That is definately something to think about. My problem is getting to the gym to do a "real" weight training workout. Right now I work out at home using hand weights (5lbs). I have been working out daily for nearly a month now and I can see (mostly feel) a difference in my arms, shoulders, and chest already. When I do a triceps kick back I can actually feel and see the muscle now. I know that I have sooo far to go, I am proud of the difference it has made already. Kinda makes it a little easier to stick with it too, because unlike aerobics or something you get to see results a bit faster.
I do alot of differnt squats and lunges for my legs too. I have 2 routines that I alternate days on (full body things) plus I started walking (brisk pace) 3-4 miles a day.
Obviously I am very new to all of this and no one I know is into weight training so I am just trying to figure things out on my own. Any thoughts or suggestions are MORE than welcome. Thanks a bunch!

 

[spatts]

Congrats on all your progress so far...you're right, it's about the best form or motivation.

What is your current training split like? What is your diet like, and where does your training fall into that (pre and post workout meals) ?

 

[Gettin_Fit]

Here's what my workouts look like:
Day1:
about 5 minutes of streching and warming up
Lower Body:
10 rear lunges each leg x 3
20 hip extensions each leg (basically I hold on to a chair and do this without added resistence yet. When this get too easy I am thinking I should use bands for more resistence)
20 Hip abductions each leg (same as above)
20 Hip adductors each leg (same as above)
10 laying pelvic thrusts x 3 each side
20 side leg lifts - each side
20 leg ups -each leg (?) on all fours and ush your foot up toward the ceiling type thing)

Upper Body:
10 push ups x 3 -15-20 sec strech between sets

10 laying butterflys x 3
10 dumbell bench presses with a twist x 3(when arms are fully extended I twist the weights so my palms are facing me)
10 pullovers x3
I do those three exercises in cycles..I do all 3 then strech and do it again
10 bent over rows (?) x 3...one arm at a time, same motion as starting a lawn mower
10 upright rows x 3
10 sitting rows x 3... sit in a chair, chest to knees, lift up
I do those 3 in a cycle, strech for a couple seconds then continue

Then abs.

Day 2: again 5 mins or so of streching and warming up
Lower Body:
10 Side lunges x 3
10 Plies x 3
5 forward lunges each leg x 3
10 regular squats x 3
I do one set of each then strech quads and do the following sets
Upper Body:
10 hammer curls x 3
10 shoulder presses x 3
10 dumbbell lateral raises x 3
10 tricep kick backs x 3
10 reverse curls x 3
10 barbell presses (?) x 3 - palms facing ears and lift up
10 front raises x 3
10 tricep extensions x 3
I do one set of each of these, then strech arms and sholders for 10-15 sec and continue until I have done 3 sets of each
Then I do abs

I alternate days on these and I work out everyday, plus in the evening I walk (brisk) 3-4 miles

My diet has been bad I from what I hear. I am used to doing the typical weightloss diet and trying to figure out how to change that. Here's my plan for today:
8:30am -Xenadrine with 8oz water
9:-9:45am - Workout
10:45am - 4oz ff yogurt w/ 1 tsp UP-Bran, 8 oz water
12:00 pm 1/2 can tuna, 1 chopped celery stalk, 1/2 whole wheat pita, 8 oz water
2:00pm - 2 Xenadrine with 8 oz water
3:00pm-1cup mixed fresh fruits and 2 oz sharp chedder cheese, 8 oz water
5:00pm - 1/3 cup brown rice, 1 sole fillet, 1 diced tomato, 8 oz water
6:30 pm- evening walk
If I get really hungery after my walk I have 1 scoop no carb whey protien power, 3/4 cups skim milk and a couple berries all thrown in the blender.

I don't eat before my morning workout because I end up feeling sick half way through it if I do so
So there ya go...Really interested in what you think. I hope that I am not doing tooo bad for a beginner.
Thanks

 

[Gettin_Fit]

Anyone have any thoughts on this? If not that's alright, just thought I'd give it a bump

 

[Klasanov]

For dieting, I highly recommend Atkins.

Although your diet looks okay, I think. However, I am no nutrition expert. Just look into Atkins. it's worked for me for shedding a good 10lbs (I used to be a constant 180lbs, some of which I believed was fat. I hover around 170-175lbs now)