Hi All!

Before summer started there was a group of us that focused on a different area of the body to work on every month. When summer came, we all left! Vacations, ect seemed to take us away from our dedication to this thread. Well, summer is ending and my waistline, thighs, and ab's are increasing

Time to start again! This month Ledom and I thought we could focus on our ab's. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to post here for support and advice

Take care & keep "CRUNCHING"!

Nona

Wow - I start a new thread, and then leave town...sheesh! Well, I'm back and ready to start posting. How about anyone else? Any takers? I know there must be some other people out there wanting to work on their ab's this month - all are welcome.

I am using my ab-roller right now. I can't believe how few/little bit of crunches I can do with it right now. I know using it daily I will get back to where I was at the beginning of summer.

Hope to see the "regulars" and Ledom posting here again soon.

Lighter ~~ Nona

Thanks for getting us started again. Abs, my worst muscle! I bought new clothes today and I hate what happens between the bottom of my bra and the top of my waistband. Flab be gone!

Well, I just did my first ab workout. A bunch of crunches to the middle and to the sides. Then I did that old exercise where you hold a dowel across your shoulders and turn from side to side. I wish I would turn into one of those women that does 100 crunches every night before going to bed.

Hope this thread will pick up some new faithfuls and Jessie and Jill, are you still out there?

Once again Nona, thanks for not letting the monthly challenges die.

I have just started doing an awesome ab workout that has the best results I have ever seen; it is called Pilates.

I have 2 tapes that I love. One is hard core conditioning and the other is Denise Austin Pilates (the first 20 minute routine).

I work on my abs 5 days a week. Okay. I should confess that I just joined this inch loss contest at my gym and they designed this new plan for me & yesterday was my first day of doing it. My abs & arms are sore today.

Today I'm doing a step aerobics class then have to finish with 3 sets of 25 on 3 different ab machines at the gym.

Take care. Sherry

Pilates has me curious, but I haven't tried it except for an exercise or two from a fitness magazine. I do hear wonderful things about pilates. Keep us posted.

I have had a good exercise week doing a little something on abs every night this week. Some say you can work abs everyday, but there is a conflicting theory that every other day is better. I guess I am straddling the issue with an intense workout one day and a lighter the next.

For my intense ab workout I am pleased with what I have decided to do. There are 3 exercises. One, you lay on a weight bench with your hips at the edge and you extend you legs out straight or slightly lower than the bench level and then bring your knees in to your chest. Second, lay on the floor with your arms crossed over your chest, head and shoulders lifted of the floor and knees bent. Then you left your buttocks and contract your abs. Three, the twist from side to side with a dowel. I found these exercises in an ancient weightlifting book I have laying around. I am starting at a beginner level, 20 reps of each exercise, but I plan to build up. On the light night I just do a few crunches.

I hiked yesterday morning and this morning I got up in time to do the Tough Tape video before I went to work. I am feeling good.

How are you doing Nona?

I have heard great things about pilates as well. Keep us posted, Sherry! You have quite a workout organized it seems - good for you! Hope you win your contest - or atleast have fun trying.

Ledom, your exercises sound almost painful!LOL!! How is it working out? Keep with it!

I have started a job this week and I am constantly on my feet. Sure wish I could count this as part of my exercise.... maybe I can when we have a "legs" month! haha!

Anyway, I am just using my ab-roller right now and using some workout tapes as well. It is still sooooo hot here in AZ (108 tomorrow). I will start my walks outside in another month.

Great going ladies... I will post more later, right now it's time for me to get out my ab-roller!

Lighter ~~~ Nona

I'm having a good exercise month. I have been getting up in time to exercise before work. I save my ab exercises for night time. I am making sure to do every other night the plan I described above. It's hot here too, but last week it was cool enough 2 morning to hike. Now it is really hot again, not 108 though, so I'm with you on waiting a month for good outdoor sports weather. I have been kayaking this summer and loving it, now that school (I teach) has started back it will be a challenge to find enough time for that. It is a great ab workout though, actually and surprisingly it is a good whole body workout. How's it going Sherry?

Hi! I am a newcomer here but love this thread because I need to concentrate on abs. I have lost my weight--40 pounds- but need to firm up and like all of us my core needs the most attention as I am skinny now but still flabby. While I was losing my weight I only did cardio because I wanted to concentrate on fatburning but now I see that might not have been the best idea in the world.

I have Moira Stott's Pilates tapes, 3 of them, but want to concentrate on the essential mat work first before I go with the bands and/or circle.

Am also beginning with lifting weights but haven't been faithful with it. I still do 1/2 hour treadmill each a.m. because cardio is important but in the evening after a long workday and a 40 mile each way commute I get lazy. So I need to be motivated.

All of your suggestions sound good. Re crunches. One bodybuilder advises instead of just doing them from the floor you get on a sofa with your feet against the wall and hips against the back of the sofa and your head hanging down and then do 3 sets of 5 crunches, slow-w-ly. Claims this gives full range of movement versus half range in regular crunches.

Best of luck each and all.

Eveningstar

We are almost to the end of August. I need to do abs again next month! Maybe some of the things I started this month can be built upon. Well, Eveningstar that is fabulous that you have lost your weight. I wish I could say the same. I have been getting up at 5 to exercise before work the last couple of weeks. I still do the FIRM ToughTape every other day. It is my favorite, and hard too. I did the FIRM floor work tape yesterday morning and my abs are really screaming now. Goal to do that tape at least once a week and maybe twice. Hope all you are well.