not feeling abs working out

Question

first of all I just want to say that I have an Excessive Anterior Pelvic Tilt.

When I am working out my abs I don't feel anything except when I do crunches on the machine. any other workout just makes my lower back arch and I don't feel anything in my abdominal... when I had lost about 21 kg I was feeling my abs working out but my anterior pelvic tilt was a little bit less. After 1 year I gained 16 kg because of bad diet I now have a lot of lower belly fat :( can the fat hold me back from feeling any of the workouts?

Please, I really need help with this. In order to fix my anterior pelvic tilt I need to train my abs, and without feeling anything at all in my abs while working out will hold me back from fixing my tilt.

Answer 1

Not feeling anything in your abs means that your abs arent getting the workout that they are supposed to . The key to developing strong abs is to perform the crunches slowly, let the muscles slowly expand and then contract, even on the negative rep where you are going back down. If you work them out well then you should feel a subtle burning sensation in your abs by the 12th rep. You may also increase the inclination for further toughness.

Answer 2

You can try crunches on a Gym ball . Doing crunches on a Gym ball requires more stability and let you arch more , than doing on a bench or flat surface, which restrict your movement . Start with doing small range , and as you progress or become more comfortable increase the range of extension. Doing crunches on Gym ball also puts less tension on your back. Other thing you can try and surely works is Power wheel . Done correctly, they really focus on abs and you can really feel the effect . There are many videos on Youtube explaining how to use power wheel properly. You can start with placing yourself in front of a wall and with shorter distance between you and the wall. Slowly increase the distance , and thus working your abs more. But be cautious with the power wheel , as it puts greater tension on lower back as well.There are range of power wheels available in the market, choose which best suits you. There are some models which you can hook to your feet as well and can perform more exercises.

Answer 3

Check your form. Make sure you are doing the workouts properly. Then repeat until you feel the burn in your abs. It may be that you have a better core than you think.

If you gained weight and you think you arent feeling the abs workout, take time out and go running. Do some three miles, rest for two to three minutes and crunch.

Also, vary the ab workouts you go. crunches only serve to fine-tune the top abdominal muscles at best. Ulisses has a variation of ab workouts which may interest you.

Answer 4

Anterior pelvic tilt or ATP "could be due to a number of reasons such as increased erector spinae and hip flexor strength relative to gluteal and abdominal strength."

Your main goal based on your question is to fix your excessive anterior pelvic tilt.

To accomplish this you must address basic principals in the specified order.

1. Posture
2. Mobility
3. Corrective Exercise

The most important factor to address is proper posture.

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This article describes a way to have correct posture just using your body: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sit-better-live-better-excerpt-from-becoming-a-supple-leopard.html

It is called the bracing sequence; To simplify the sequence I just think about it this way "the butt sets the posture but you cant walk with your but squeezed" so:

1. Squeeze the butt as hard as you can
2. Get you abs tight
3. Release the butt
4. Show your chest

First master the original bracing sequence and then simplify it. Obviously, simply doing this once will not fix your posture. You must make it a habit.

Once you understand proper posture you can work on fixing muscle imbalances.

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To mobilize correctly we must first address

• Joint mechanics
• Sliding surfaces

Dont stretch

Joint mechanics

We have to put the joints in a correct position before we work the tissues(muscle)

We must first fix the

**Spine**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu0MFghKjqY

**Hips** (if you are double jointed, seek professional advice. for now skip this and work on sliding surfaces)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVcQuaM-OSo

*I know this is very general but there are many more mobility videos on Kelly Starret's youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/sanfranciscocrossfit/videos*

Sliding surface

When a muscle gets tight it makes the opposing muscle weak.

Once you set the hips in their proper position your hip flexors should be less tight.

You can continue to work on them by addressing both the hip flexors and glutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZaiBeNrsfQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c7iKglr6J8

Corrective Exersice

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Do not crunch.

To crunch or not to crunch is very controversial. One scare tactic is the limited flexion cycles of the spine. You can decide for yourself.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/to_crunch_or_not_to_crunch

But to fix your ATP we must focus on exercises that give you a big ROI and the crunch is not one.

"If you're in excessive APT, strengthen the hell out of PPT."

Once you have correct posture and have fixed your muscle imbalances you can begin to focus on reinforcing proper movment.

Alot are described on this article on the second page. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/dont_be_like_donald_duck

I personally like the hip trust.

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I suggest you go and read more of Kelly Starrets and Bret Contreras work.

I had writen this for myself a while back and thought it could help you.

Answer 5

You don't need up and down, up and down.

Just hold in contract position for 30 seconds. Do this 3 times, 30 seconds each exercise.

You will see your body transformation.

Regards

Answer 6

If your doing crunches and your feeling it in your lower back, stop and watch some videos. Your focus needs to be on the contraction. Tense your stomach and then perform the crunch.

http://deadliftworkouts.com/strengthen-middle-effective-abdominal-workout/