[sportmom]

I added a new ab exercise, on an incline bench. So I put my knees over the little bar, tuck my feet behind the lower bar, and I cannot even lower myself all the way on the declined bench - it's like my knees are going to snap backwards and my lower back hurts. Much less, my complete inability to ever make it back up if I got down. Now, this did not concern me, I modified, until my 6 year old did it in a flash when I got up. OK, she's in alot of sports and did gymnastics for awhile, so she's used to inverted situps. Then dh shows me he can do it too - with his huge belly and weak ab muscles. What could be causing this inability on my part? I'd like to blame it on my 2 c/sections (most recent 4 years ago), but I can't believe that's it, is it?

[busker]

Can you do regular crunches? If your gym has one of those ab-roller contraptions, try doing that for a week or more, and then try the incline again. Or, if you can lower the decline so it's not so steep (closer to flat) that might be a good place to start.

I know when I had gallbladder & tubal ligation surgery, they do cut through the abdominals, and it felt like I'd done too many sit-ups when the muscles were healing. Since a C-section's a much bigger cut, I imagine that would be more difficult, and the amount of scar tissue would make you a bit "stiff" unless you losened them up and build them with some crunches. So, maybe your muscles ARE weak. Don't be afraid of ab-work though. Just start smaller - the incline is actually a more advanced movement. Do some crunches and bicycles. Bicycles are quite difficult (while lying flat) and will help your lower abs, which are typically weak, under-developed, and overlooked by most people, because it's a hard area to exercise, and they think that crunches work the whole muscle. (Crunches generally only work the upper rectus abdominus.)

As for your daughter - I was in LOUSY shape as a kid, but I could still hang from the monkey-bars by the knees and curl myself up repeatedly. Kids not only weigh less, but they're constantly using their muscles, unlike us sedentary adults.

Hope that helps!

--Janis

[sportmom]

Thanks for that reality check. I got this zinger out of Oxygen, so that's how I got into super challenging territory I suppose (jul 05 if anyone wants to check it out). I have for the last 2 months been doing abwork, 100 reps a nice split between bicycles, balance ball crunches, leg lifts w/soles toward celing, etc. They were all getting too easy which is why I thought I was ready for more difficult. I wish I could change my angle but my bench is fairly cheap and only locks in fully declined or upright. Oh well, the mag has alot of other great exercises I can focus on and I'll continue to modify the incline for now. I just couldn't get how I seemed to be the only one in the family who couldn't do it! lol

[4rabbit]

Hrbabe,

I am triggered by the mention that your lower back hurts with the excercise. Are you pressing your lower back to the bench? because if you are not then maybe you are trying to do this with your back rather than your ab muscles. Try again with your lower back pressed to the bench and see if this makes a difference.
Oh, and I do crunches on a stability ball. That way you are also inclined, but maybe less so.

good luck,
rabbit