Hi

Does anyone know a good workout tape for the abs that does not involve sit ups or crunches. Not even sure if thats possible, but I have a lot of problems with em After a few I start to feel sick and I dont know what I am doing wrong

Please help,

Chrissy

Two suggestions: 1. pushups, even if done on your knees, are very good for your abs if you use correct form (basically, keep your entire body in one nice straight line). 2. maybe yoga? i do pilates more than yoga, and i know there are a lot of crunch type things in pilates, but i thought there were some yoga poses that targeted the abs.

Good luck!

oh - i just thought of something else - i have been doing the NYC ballet workout . . . there is a lot of floor barre, and also standing exercises (plie, tondu, grand battement, etc.) and in each, to be in proper form, you need to engage your abdominals (while there is a specific abs portion (about 3 minutes), you could skip that part).

Another suggestion, getting sick doesn't sound good, I would go see my doctor or atleast give them a call.

I have a hiatal hernia and acid reflux although I don't have the symptoms - at least not too often but doing abs can sometimes make me feel sick to my stomach and I was "sick" once. Like I said - I had no symptoms other then for awhile I had awful, awful pain by my left rib - enough that it would wake me up in the middle of the night when I switched sides. My family doctor started to run a bunch of tests and was going to start on my kidneys when I went to an internal medicine doctor who had me do an upper GI and where they found an ulcer and diagnoised me with the hernia and acid reflux.

I would definetetly have it checked out by a doctor. I've also been having pain in my right side when I do ab workouts but I'm thinking there might be a cyst on my ovary.

I have found that the best way for me to do abs is with the stability ball. I like Cathe Friedrich's Core Max - it's three 20 minute workouts two using the stability ball and the other one is floorwork which you don't want. By doing the crunches on a ball, I feel like I'm doing it the right way where on the floor, I know it doesn't feel like it's correct. When you have a huge stomach in front of you like a pregnant stomach, doing abs is the pits. My doctor just told me that I have to do more of them. He seems to think it will help my tummy get smaller. Hello - I have to lose the fat around it first - then he would see my six pack abs that are hiding in there. LOL

Good luck! Please let us know what the doctor says!!! Rachelle

Hi

My friend said she thinks I am holding my breath while I do them, which can make you feel sick and even make you pass out. Crunches really scare me now hehe. I would like to try that ballet thing, thanks

I think she is right though I think I naturally hold my breath when I do em. I am also getting the ball

I dont think it is anything serious since I dont have any problems after and I dont have severe pain, I just dont know how to do them right, after em if I push through I just feel sick and I feel it in my neck and head, but my stomach feels nothing at all, which I know is wrong. I've never worked out before so still learning things. I cant wait till my ball, and Billy Blanks Bootcamp show up, I saw on a site that his ab workout gives you the same results as crunchs, so I'm assuming crunches arent involved (fingers crossed).

Thanks for all the help, and say hi anytime, I am always looking for new friends

I'll have to try the Boot Camp Ab one - I'm pretty sure I have it but I don't remember ever doing it.

Rachelle

The Firm has 4 ab workout tapes. There's "5 day abs, more 5 day abs" I forget the title
of the other two but there good because they are only 10 minutes each but really work your abs hard.

There's lots of ab work you can do without situps/crunches. If you want video ... any Pilates video will be more than enough ab work, since Pilates is all about those core muscles in the center of your body. (Remember, it's important to always work opposing muscle groups -- if you work the abs you should work the low back an equal amount, or else you could develop imbalances which can be painful and/or dangerous). Both of Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight videos have an ab section; they do include crunches but have lots of other exercises as well, so you could skip the crunches. Same with Tamilee Webb's I Want Those Abs or I Want That Body.

If you want to try without video, this web site has great exercise demos: www.exrx.net.