Abs

what ab movements would you guys recommend for someone who has a great deal of back pain when doing any kind of ab crunch movement

Can you squat?

Can you do leg raises?

I feel them when I do pullup/chins sometimes.

can you fix the back pain? lol

The rectus abdominus really only has one way of moving. If that movement is hurting your back there must be something wrong.

Maybe try leg raises on one of those dip contraptions that has a back rest as well…

As far as I know if its the movement that is hurting your back and not the equipment then any type of ab exercise will probably hurt your back…

hope that helps

Gerdy

Shit…can you do machine crunches.

It is very likely that this is caused by overactive psoas pulling on the lower spine.

[quote]crod266 wrote:
what ab movements would you guys recommend for someone who has a great deal of back pain when doing any kind of ab crunch movement[/quote]

Plank and variations. Rotary Torso movements.

those are some goos ideas, the only thing I do now is leg raises and deadlifts and squats. Im also no sure of the pain, I just have a really shitty back so any form of a crunch kills

[quote]Gael wrote:
It is very likely that this is caused by overactive psoas pulling on the lower spine.[/quote]

Undergo a few rounds of psoas stretches 45-60 seconds per side, 3 time each and see if that pain isn’t reduced.

I’d hate to advise you about that subject before I know what was wrong.

whats psoas stretching


Looks like this.

[quote]crod266 wrote:
those are some goos ideas, the only thing I do now is leg raises and deadlifts and squats. Im also no sure of the pain, I just have a really shitty back so any form of a crunch kills[/quote]

How can you deadlift and squat but can’t do ab movements?
First figure out why your back hurts, second utilize static movements, i.e. Pallof press, planks, etc.
Perhaps consider temporarily replacing squats and deads with overhead squats, Zercher squats, one-leg RDL’s, etc to work the core. IMO the flexion function of the abs is highly overtrained in most.

[quote]Radjxf wrote:
crod266 wrote:
those are some goos ideas, the only thing I do now is leg raises and deadlifts and squats. Im also no sure of the pain, I just have a really shitty back so any form of a crunch kills

How can you deadlift and squat but can’t do ab movements?[/quote]

This is what I was wondering when I first read the thread. But, without knowing how the guy hurt his back or even what muscle is injured we really have no way of knowing. I found it kind of odd - people willing to give advice on the situation without much information.

I have never done ONE SINGULAR Ab excercise in my 9 months in gym.
You dont need em, i just deadlift,squat, deadlift,squat… and my abs seem to be fairly complete.

I remember seeing somewhere after 3-4 weeks your abs are fully developed, and its the inner abs and psoas that get worked.

Moral of story:

  1. Stop doing abs
  2. Go to the doctor
  3. Find out whats wrong and post again.

Thats all.

[quote]Corkonian wrote:
I have never done ONE SINGULAR Ab excercise in my 9 months in gym.
You dont need em, i just deadlift,squat, deadlift,squat… and my abs seem to be fairly complete.

I remember seeing somewhere after 3-4 weeks your abs are fully developed, and its the inner abs and psoas that get worked.

Moral of story:

  1. Stop doing abs
  2. Go to the doctor
  3. Find out whats wrong and post again.

Thats all.[/quote]

Have you tried ab rollers, I dont know waht they do but it is definitely something.
For the OP, can you do one arm DL or one arm farmers walks, that seems like it would be really good for developing the middle section. just focus on keeping straight up.

Dumbbell Side Bends.

Do Machine Crunches hurt you?

I think the reverse hyper would help you out.

yea machine crunches hurt to, not the first rep but more like rep 5 and 6. I squat with a little pain in the back, but i switched to front squats because of it and I dead with no problem

Overhead squats, suitcase deadlifts, bent presses are all fantastic core exercises that arent your traditional “ab” exercises but that really strengthen the midsection quite well.

Well, I have a lower back and SI joint injury which makes me intolerant of lumbar flexion and extension. I don’t do any ab flexion movements. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do them again.

It would be good to get a diagnosis. But in any case, if lumbar flexion hurts, don’t do any lumbar flexion. I would stay away from rotation movements too. Leg raises would probably irritate a flexion- or extension-intolerant lower back also.

Instead, do PLANKS and all sorts of movements where you keep your spine motionless while moving your arms or legs. Perfect pushups, with the spine aligned perfectly and rock solid during the movement, and pushup variants are good too.

For the record, I am slowly rehabbing, and I can squat and deadlift (although not with as much weight as I did before). Your abs don’t need to flex during a squat, and in fact no flexion should ever occur. As long as I keep my spine rock solid I am fine. If my spine extends or flexes during the movement, I’m dead.

I am following recommendations from Stuart McGills book, and pretty much all traditional ab work is out. There is a recent article by Michael Boyle on training the abs as stabilizers, which is what you need.

You may also want to post your question on the Over 35 forum and see what Bushy says.