Hey guys,

Just looking for some different ab routines to implement.

My current routine is:

30 crunches
30 knee elbow crunches left
30 knee elbow crunches right
30 situps with a medicine ball twists
30 pelvis lifts
30 leg scissors
30 leg lifts
30 crunches with knees @ 90
60 sec front plank
30 sec left side and right side plank

I was just wondering if anyone else knew of similarly intense routines that I could use, or where I could find such a routine. Thanks!

That's a lot of ab work:blank: It makes me feel guilty for doing none:o

My current routine is:

30 crunches
30 knee elbow crunches left
30 knee elbow crunches right
30 situps with a medicine ball twists
30 pelvis lifts
30 leg scissors
30 leg lifts
30 crunches with knees @ 90
60 sec front plank
30 sec left side and right side plank



What has been the results of that routine? Do you do this in one day? How do you work this into your weight workout?

jeeeeeeeeesssuuuusss.....

What has been the results of that routine? Do you do this in one day? How do you work this into your weight workout?

I do the routine after my regular strength training workout. I do the waterbury method right now, so I normally do abs Monday and Thursday, and strength train Mon, Wed, Fri.

Results? Hmm.. kinda hard to quantify. I can do the full routine now without failing on any one exercise, but mainly because I've been doing the same routine for a few months. This is the defacto dragon boat team ab exercise so you gotta do what the team does.

The thing is, I want to be able to change it up while still maintaining intensity. I've mixed up the ab exercises but I think I'm too used to them already so I want to try something new.

Try cable crunches. Attach a rope to an overhead cable, pull it down and kneel on the floor, and crunch your head down to the floor. You have to use a lot of weight.

[quote=BiT;460815]I do the routine after my regular strength training workout. I do the waterbury method right now, so I normally do abs Monday and Thursday, and strength train Mon, Wed, Fri.
[quote]

Wow. I just completed my first week of WM, and my comments after each session have basically been "destroyed...". It is one of the more intense workouts I've personally tried.

I'm still learning about this whole hypertrophy thing, and am assuming you are looking to grow your abs? Given they are muscles like any other, would you not be overtraining them with this routine? Esp 3 times a week. Seems like a lot of volume, esp after WM which takes a good 40 minutes to get through.

edit::

should have read the full thread. Missed the whole dragon boat thing which puts the intensity into context now. I might suggest working some hanging pikes in. For me, these are killer, and I watch gymnasts do them every week while taking my daughter to practice and most of these folks have unreal ab strength.


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That's not all that much volume for abs, especially if it's without added weight. I used to do at least that much ab work almost daily for years, and it worked damn well.

That said, I rarely do abs anymore (unless I'm following a program that prescribes it). I let standing presses, deadlifts, squats and chin ups take care of that.

I do abs after each weight training (4x week)
I do 4 sets (each to failure) with 30 second break between sets.

I do 1 excercise and change it the next time. So 1 time incline leg raises, then second day hanging leg raises, then reverse crunches......... and so on

I also never forget that "abs are made in the kitchen" ;)

On abs, increase the time under tension. You can do that by slowing down the movement. Try doing a crunch on a 10sec up cadence and 5 sec down cadence. 15 sec for a rep, slow and under tension all the way. Everyone doing abs should try a set. Why do tons of crunches when only a few can do job?:tucool:

On abs, increase the time under tension. You can do that by slowing down the movement. Try doing a crunch on a 10sec up cadence and 5 sec down cadence. 15 sec for a rep, slow and under tension all the way. Everyone doing abs should try a set. Why do tons of crunches when only a few can do job?:tucool:


At the end of my workouts I do these... I do crunches 10/5 and reverse crunches 10/5. I like 'em.

For lower abs I always found hanging leg raises and hanging leg pikes to be quite brutal when done on a pull up bar. To be able to not swing your legs and to hold your grip overhead was one of the hardest things to do. I don't find those hanging leg raise equipments satisfying enough it just seems too easy.

On abs, increase the time under tension. You can do that by slowing down the movement. Try doing a crunch on a 10sec up cadence and 5 sec down cadence. 15 sec for a rep, slow and under tension all the way. Everyone doing abs should try a set. Why do tons of crunches when only a few can do job?:tucool:

I can't believe I forgot about this! I usually hammer the reps with as tight as a contraction as possible and quick release. I'll try a day of these ;)

Thanks for the fyi guys!

Heavy cable crunches
Weighted decline situps
Hanging pikes

Make sure you are training your abs with heavy exercises, as well. It will make your floor routine feel like a walk in the park.