Hi everyone! My name is Melissa and I've been lurking here for awhile but this is my first post. I've been really lifting now for a few months and am loving it. I'm lifting heavy and am nice and sore the next day...except for my abs. No matter what different types of exercise I do for them and how hard I work them I rarely feel sore the next day. If I squeez them really hard I'll feel a littel sore but not liek the rest of my body does. I know abs are much more resiliant and are much harder to really work but because there is never soreness the next day I'm beginning to feel that maybe I'm doing something wrong. I'm worried that the rest of my body is getting stronger but not my core. Any ideas of what I'm doing wrong or specific exercises that work for you. Thanks guys!
Melissa

I think if you already have strong abs, you may not notice them getting sore. That's pretty much the way it is for me now after working out for 6 months straight. But I did find an abs-specific DVD that was still able to make me feel it the next morning. It's the Abs Workout for Dummies. You might want to try a 30 minute extensive ab program like that just to see if you can feel it the next day. If so, then take 2 or 3 of those most challenging exercises to do on a regular basis as part of your workout. Sometimes it can be hard to target the abs but a dvd like that should help you. Thanks for coming out of lurkdom & posting!

I do a lot of core work on a stability ball (crunches, pikes, rollouts), do decline crunches holding a heavy medicine ball, do a lot of my general weight work on a bosu ball which works your core while you are doing other exercises.

The sorest I have ever been (think major surgery sore) is from doing 50 rollouts on a powerwheel. Not only were my abs excruciatingly sore, but my lats and traps were screaming for days. I don't ever want to be that sore again!

I also managed to cripple myself a few years ago doing decline crunches while tossing and catching a 10 pound medicine ball vertically. Toss up as you come up, catch as you go down.

Mel

Gads, I'd have the ball in my face on the first throw.

Thanks so much guys! I will most certainly look into that DVD and I will try someone of those specific exercises you mentioned. Hopefully I will soon be reporting aches like never before Thanks!
Melissa