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abdominal work out
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abdominal work out - November 30, 2002 2:04:00 PM
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yankeept
Posts: 44
Joined: October 29, 1999
From: Ft Lauderdale, FL
Status: offline
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As a self-proclaimed neuro therapist, I have a question for the ortho guys(gals).
I figured I would start early on my new year's resolution and try to get rid of the spare tire around my waist. Whenever I attempt to work out my abdominals, I get low back discomfort/pain before I get the desired burn in my abdomen. This happens whether I perform bent-knee crunches, hanging leg lifts, using the seated abdominal machine, or one of those ab roller things.
As a therapist, I am playing close attention to preventing arching in my back & performing a posterior tilt. Is my low back just too weak? Do I need to concentrate on strengthening there before I end up hurting my back. I have never had any real back pathology.
Any comments would be appreciated.
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Re: abdominal work out - November 30, 2002 4:19:00 PM
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coloradojulie
Posts: 413
Joined: November 10, 2002
From: colorado usa
Status: offline
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I would guess that you are recruiting your psoas more than you realize in these positions. If your abdominals are weak, you may have performed a "substitution" pattern and even though you perform a posterior pelvic tilt, it is not enough to compat the force of the psoas.
Therefore, try some abdominal work where the psoas is taken out of the picture completely...these are hard to describe, I will do my best:
1. As a easy facilitative exercise, do isometric adduction in a bent knee, supine pelvic tilt. Use a ball between your knees, and squeeze while you tilt.
2. More advanced, is a single leg bridge while you hug the opposite knee. Hugging the knee will help protect your back. Hug the knee as close as you can without letting it release as you bridge up on the opposite side. As you get stronger, actively hold your leg in the flexed position and use a towel roll to remind you to keep the position. As an added challenge, place a therapy ball between the knee of the bridging leg and a wall. (the flexed hip is above the ball) or just have someone give you manual pressure for an adduction contraction. Hold this while you bridge.
3. In a doorway, have one leg through the door, and the other leg's ankle resting on the door jam in almost a piriformis stretch position. Attempt to bring the opposite elbow to this knee in a cross crunch position as you push your ankle into the door jam. Keep the leg that is through the door on the floor. Someone can also position themselves to offer this resistance.
4. A good core stability position is half kneeling sideways to a pulley. Put the heel of the anterior foot in front of the down knee. Pelvic tilt until you feel a hip stretch and hold this through the motion. From a low pulley position with a starting weight of 5 pounds, pull up in a PNF pattern, up and across your body. Maintain your balance. Repeat from the high pulley position. Add enough weight that it is a challenge yet you can maintain an erect spine posture throughout the movement.
If your hips are chronically tight it might be because of overuse, and stretching alone may not be enough. Once you have better recruitment patterns then you can progress to your previous routine. Keep the movements at less than 90 of hip flexion to avoid psoas recruitment.
Gray Cook uses these exercises as part of his neuromuscular re-ed course...it is pretty interesting stuff and great for core work.
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Re: abdominal work out - December 2, 2002 1:41:00 AM
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Sebastian Asselbergs
Posts: 1228
Joined: September 29, 1999
From: Barrie, Canada
Status: offline
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yankeept, is the spare tire fatty tissue? If so, why work the abdominals - did you establish that they are weak? Any extra fat tissue will only really disappear with increased cardiovascular output. Muscles do not "eat" what's on top of them :-)
Abdominals are also not great for cardio, due to their relative thinness - the larger muscle groups are much more appropriate for energy consumption - leg and big shoulder muscles.
Good luck - I have a (thank god still small) spare tire, but my abs are in better shape than ever; thanks to doing exercises with the patients on the ball and other core stuff (COjulie - interesting ones!) - I just haven't been regular enough in my cardio.
Sebastian
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