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tinypliny’s journal

Fitness Advice?

· · 🌡️ 22°F

The people have spoken. E:peeps have infinite wisdom and are to be trusted. So I have a fitness question for you all.

I think I have finally identified the weakest link behind my lack of core stability - and no, it's not my stick-like forearms. I have a fairly good posture and no lower back or upper back issues so it's most certainly my weak abdomen muscles. I really loathe doing abdominal crunches... well, I guess I could do them, but they will be my last resort. Can you think of any other exercises or exercise-routines that you have personally done and seen results with?

I know the web has a trillion pieces of advice and probably a zillion flatten-your-abdomen exercises, but I am specifically looking for exercises that you have achieved results with - not really to flatten my abdomen, but to build up the isotonic strength of my abdominal muscles, however un-flat the results might be.

Ideas?

PS: Before you suggest belly-dancing, have YOU really achieved muscle tone with beginner belly dancing?!
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💬 8 comments

  1. mrmike ·

    Having decent luck with my Bikram Yoga at the studio on Elmwood

  2. tinypliny ·

    You mean Evolation? There are a zillion instructors there... any tips on who might be non-snobbish and kind to beginners and those without a sense of yoga fashion?

  3. mrmike ·

    I haven't had the problem there at all. I go in the evenings and all the folks teach so somebody coming for the first time can do it.Believe me, I have no sense of proper yoga fashion and I do fine

  4. tinypliny ·

    I am encouraged to give it a whirl! Thanks so much! :) Thinking of doing Saturday mornings...

  5. lauren ·

    are you able to stand on your hands or your head? if you can do that a couple times a day it definitely builds up your core. there are also planks, which look so easy but when you actually do them, they burn. and my last bit of advice is pretty difficult to explain, but it is basically a mimicking of the windmill in breakdancing, but without the spinning on your back part. start lying with your back on the ground and your feet up to the ceiling, spread in a v. then you are basically going to use the momentum of your legs to go onto your stomach and follow through till you are on your back again, keep your legs spread the entire time. The best video I found of this is below, although this guy doesn't go all the way over, I help it shows what I mean. Also, just check out Bboy exercises for the windmill, which is all core.
    :::link:::

  6. tinypliny ·

    Stand on my hands or head?! The answer is an emphatic NO!! I haven't even joined that class yet. I looked at that windmill exercise you described and yikers... that is intense! How does your hip keep from dislocating while doing that?!! I think I will have to join the hip hop class along with the yoga because I want to get better at Salsa - if that makes any sense!

    Thanks, @lauren!!! :-)

  7. tinypliny ·

    Were you able to do the complete windmill when you were in hip hop class??

  8. lauren ·

    Haha no. A windmill is incredibly difficult. Felly was able to do a backspin, which uses the same principles, but she could only spin for maybe a second or two before losing the momentum. The exercise I am talking about though, isn't as hard as it sounds, just best to do it on carpet if your hips are sensitive at all. Oh and, I was never fond of standing on my head either. I did it once and felt like I was going to pass out, so that was it for me. Felly did it well though so she would just do them randomly throughout the day and swore that they helped her core.

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