off topic: need help with my ABS!!!!!!

[DeathB4Dishonor]

we dont have any good exercises at my gym for abs. i want to get something at my house so i can just work them at home. everything i do at my gym, like decline situps, leg raises, they work but they also put strain on my lower back. ive had back problems in the past and i dont want it to keep me out of the gym. do you guys know any GOOD abs machine that work. i know there are tons of informercials on tv everyday, but i dont know which ones works the best. any help fellas? thanks.

 

[Mischief]

I've got as twisted of a back as anyone (2 herniated discs, and 3 sets ruptured), and the best thing you can do at home is get a swiss ball. Do crunches and leg raises. You can get a decent workout, and it's very easy on your back. At the gym, weighted cable crunches.

 

[DeathB4Dishonor]

any more help?

 

[Zyglamail]

most cruches and leg raisea are done improperly and work the leg muscles far more than the abs, this causes stress on the low back over time as the muscle imbalance builds. There are many exercises one can do, but here is a simple to see how well matched your abs are to yourhip flexors.

1. Lay on your back.
2. bend legs and bring kness into chest
3. Extend legs pressing your feet toward the ceiling.
4. concentrate on pressing your low back into the floor.
5. slowly lower your legs.

Here is the catch, most people can do this with ease, however once they get theri heels close to the floor, if you feel under their lower back, its heavily arched. What this indicates is that there ab strength has been surpased and could no longer support the weight and the hip flexors are tightened up pulling on the spine. which indicates a muscle imbalance and hip flexors that are much stronger than your abs. Do the above exercise, but once you feel your low back come away from the floor stop, bring knees into chest, rest a few seconds and repeat. Once you can get feet to the floor with low back flat against the floor youve made some good progress and can add weight to your feet(boots, ankle weights, rolerblades or whatever works) to keep reps low, after all If your looking to build strong abs, treat them like any other muscle and work on 3-10 reps sets, not 50 rep sets that most people do.