I haven't done abs in 2 years.....

[jozifp103]

Confessing this now because I want to know how much of a sin I have committed or if it's not that uncommon.

Long story short, I've struggled with excruciating abdomen cramps whenever I try to work my abs. I do one set....maybe 2 and next thing I know my top and bottom abs meet each other and I'm literally sucked into the fetal position while dealing with knives stabbing me in the stomach. Sometimes it passes quick, sometimes it lasts 10-20 mins. The pain is unexplainable.

For this reason....I have given up on abs altogether. It's been probably 2 years since my last ab workout. I've tried everything from electrolytes (potassium, sodium), magnesium, taurine....no help whatsoever.

I still have a decent 6 pack when I'm lean.

Give it to me straight guys......am I a disgrace to the bodybuilding community?

 

[blakey]

Lol who trains abs common now
The only thing you need is a heavy kettlebell start doing some swings and your abs will be looking better and with no pain i bet

 

[Teutonic]

........I do not do ab s.



.........ever.......ab s are made in the kitchen. I walk hard. I was a powerlifter, I was a comp bbyblder (state level) . My ab s are big enough and only strict dieting at my age pull s em out and I sure do not want them developing anymore and I LIKE DOING THEM. I WAS IN A RESORT FOR 3 DAY S OVER MARDI GRAS AND ATE VERY LITTLE FOOD HAD LOT S OF SEX.. and MY AB S WERE STELLAR POOLSIDE BUT..
Gosh I was hungry

Again that s me. I do volley ball, FRISBEE GOLF mountain bike, work on over under car s train my dog s IE-I MOVE.


MY AVI DOES THEM VERY SPARINGLY BUT AT 22 SHE S NO DANGER OF OVER DEVELOPMENT.

 

[Gibsonator]

Wait, what are abs?

 

[tx045]

Do you ever have lower back pain?

 

[49ER]

Finally someone with the exact problem! I knkw exactly what you are saying ive been on the floor because the cramp or spasm is so bad. I only get them when i work abs and i have to arch my back immediately when i feel it coming and pray it doesnt lock up on me.

I do abs only as much as i can sometimes i get lucky but usually by set #2 im fucked. I can literally see my stomach pulsing when it locks up its extremely painful and embarrasing when their are people in the gym.

 

[49ER]

Do you ever have lower back pain?

I have low back pain is it associated? I just found a new therapist and after evaluation i have alot of muscle imbalances hoping he can fix me up seems like he knows his shit.

 

[DucBase]

I don't do them either. That stuff fucks with my back and I think if you are doing heavy deads or squats you have abs anyway. Teutonic is right though, you got to eat right to bring them out.

 

[Dirkmcgirk]

Planks allow me to do abs, but traditional ab exercises cramp me up every singly solitary time. my boxing coach always makes fun of how quickly I cramp.

 

[tx045]

I don't do them either. That stuff fucks with my back and I think if you are doing heavy deads or squats you have abs anyway. Teutonic is right though, you got to eat right to bring them out.

Yes it can effect you for sure if you have imbalances. Sure they're made (able to be seen) in the kitchen but when I do them, alot of the time it's to help my back. Heavy compound movements can help but on deads for instance you're still getting the bulk of the load on your backside

 

[Teutonic]

All good valid stuff and all true but again it s the person. I ve had l4 and 5 fused. I can honestly say for a 53 yr old (in 17 day s ) I m blessed with NO serious back issue s.
Ur bi s are off set by tri s.. your quad s by the leg biceps.. your back with your ab s and so forth.

Remaining ACTIVE both in the gym and in life help s to work the abdominal wall just by
standing up, getting up, getting out of car and vigorous walking, biking, swimming, getting driftwood off beach, volleyball...etc ALL involve erect lol posture, balance..getting the Frisbee when you miss the grab.

I love the gym. Totally. But to live to lift ONLY is I m o asking to lock up esp. the back.

AND---I m a bit of a sex addict. 4-9 time s a week and THAT S all ab s too

 

[tx045]

I have low back pain is it associated? I just found a new therapist and after evaluation i have alot of muscle imbalances hoping he can fix me up seems like he knows his shit.

Abs locking up is a fkn nightmare. Any time I used to take winny it'd leave me folded up like a ham sandwich. I damn near couldn't do heavy tricep pushdowns or anything bent over stabilizing w abs.

I've been seeing a chiro regularly for the last couple years. Hes always saying if youre going to treat your body like an athlete then treat it like one. always stressing muscle balance and core work along with spinal stabilizing exercise. It's def helped

 

[fitguy22]

bro, i have the same issue and i never brought it up cuz i thought i was just being a pussy LOL and couldnt take the pain.
would love to hear one of the experts here chim in on this, hate not being able to do more than 2 sets lol

 

[Gibsonator]

Finally someone with the exact problem! I knkw exactly what you are saying ive been on the floor because the cramp or spasm is so bad. I only get them when i work abs and i have to arch my back immediately when i feel it coming and pray it doesnt lock up on me.

I do abs only as much as i can sometimes i get lucky but usually by set #2 im fucked. I can literally see my stomach pulsing when it locks up its extremely painful and embarrasing when their are people in the gym.

I have the same problem whenever i try to do abs at the end of my workout, complete cramps and bulges out i have to arch back to release it, embarrasing as hell. I think it's because i sweat so much. Never left the gym without my shirt completely soaked

 

[tbonexl]

I just started doing abs the past few months again. At first, I had similar issues. Same as neglecting hamstrings for awhile then trying to train them. I would do sets of ten to twelve until I hit failure at first. That seemed to help with cramping. After a month or so, I got up to about 25-35 reps per set. I wrap my legs around an upright bench like for dumbbell presses and do them that way. Get a good stretch all the way down. When full blown back to work, I'll do 2 or 3 sets to failure when I wake up in the morning maybe 3 times a week. Definitely helps with my lower back since doing abs.

 

[tx045]

Stretch your abs

 

[TheResearcher]

Abs for me, are always extra credit. If I have the time, I'll get them in...but I don't have a regular workout for them. Far better results are to be had with training other body parts that also hit abs, rather than ab only workouts. Squats, deadlifts, and pull-ups just to name a few.

 

[jozifp103]

Do you ever have lower back pain?

Yes but it's due to an injury from 7 years ago so now my disc slides in and out all the time. I avoid deads and most variations of leg presses for that reason. My abs aren't weak by any means, and in the summer when I get below 15% bf I can see them very well. But perhaps there is an imbalance making my pre-existing issue worse....

Finally someone with the exact problem! I knkw exactly what you are saying ive been on the floor because the cramp or spasm is so bad. I only get them when i work abs and i have to arch my back immediately when i feel it coming and pray it doesnt lock up on me.

I do abs only as much as i can sometimes i get lucky but usually by set #2 im fucked. I can literally see my stomach pulsing when it locks up its extremely painful and embarrasing when their are people in the gym.

I'm so glad that people can relate to this. I didn't think it was very common because I've never seen it happen to anyone else. It seems like everyone else can just destroy their abs with no issues. I'm like 80% sure AAS plays a big role in this. I never had this problem prior to using AAS.

Also.....sometimes my abs cramp up during sex. Really kills the mood.

 

[Gibsonator]

Same here never had that problem off cycle. I get cramps in my legs or lats during sex depending on how thats going, i always try to ignore it but sometimes they are bad which definately makes things a lil akward lol

 

[soldier74]

Same here never had that problem off cycle. I get cramps in my legs or lats during sex depending on how thats going, i always try to ignore it but sometimes they are bad which definately makes things a lil akward lol

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