?? re: Oblique Crunches

[canucksrus]

Hopefully this question makes sense. When doing oblique crunches, should the focus be on getting your shoulder to the opposite knee (so therefore height) or should the emphasis be more on twisting the upper body as far as you can go once you've crunched upwards?

Thanks!

[Helen H]

When I'm doing crunches, I concentrate on bringing ribs and hips together, rather than getting shoulders into any particular position. The actual crunch is quite a small movement. Exhale and hold for a couple of seconds at the top of the contraction for added effect.

[Gostrydr]

The oblique crunch and regular crunch are not very effective movements..

Try one handed deads(suitcase deads) for your obliques..

Much more effective and they hit other bodyparts as well.

[canucksrus]

Thank you very much for your replies. I use video's and was getting conflicting information on the proper way to do them. I will definitely try the one handed deads as my obliques have been one of my most difficult areas to tone/strengthen.

[Gostrydr]

Make sure you keep your head to the ceiling(looking up) and go down to grab the dumbell or barbell like you are going to jump.

Stand up,even on both sides..exploding up.

Keep extremely tight. Take a deep breath before you begin and let your air out after you stand up.Take another deep breath and do it again.

[kbfunTH]

I would keep reps, sets and frequency low and weight high to avoid adding too much size to your obliques.

[lilli]

The oblique crunch and regular crunch are not very effective movements..

Try one handed deads(suitcase deads) for your obliques..

.
I would be careful with the one handed deads- as a female, if i do too much of that kind of core exercise for my abs, i get wider, which is totally not want i want. Good exercise, indeed, but if you're female, pay attention to your rep scheme, etc., cuz if you do too much you might get wide.
On another note, i hate doing crunches, as well as most other boring and possibly not very useful isolation ab exercises. I have found that my love of overhead squats solves the problem- great for your abs, obviously. I mostly just do OH squats for my abs these days. If there's a bar near you, i highly recommend doing overhead squats.

[Gostrydr]

I have seen alot of people do suitcase deads and not one of them had an increase in waist size..now the side bend is a different story.

Kb is correct and i forgot to mention,that the reps should be low.

KB you've seen pics of Pavel..his obliques are iron plated my brother.

KB ..Have you tried the oblique barbell twist where and end of the barbell is in a corner and you twist from side to side rotating on the balls of your feet.

I could never feel that excercise or quite get it down.

[lilli]

I have seen alot of people do suitcase deads and not one of them had an increase in waist size..now the side bend is a different story.


KB ..Have you tried the oblique barbell twist where and end of the barbell is in a corner and you twist from side to side rotating on the balls of your feet.

I could never feel that excercise or quite get it down.
You're right, i was thinking of side bends.
I've done the bar in a corner squat (or stationary lunge or whatever you call it-)- rotate type exercise you mentioned and didn't like it. It was hard to get the movement right and not lose my balance...But then again, i gave up after trying it a couple sessions. I've watched DH do it and the only thing i can think of that i didn't do was the very explosive movement upward (into the rotation segment)...

[kbfunTH]

I have seen alot of people do suitcase deads and not one of them had an increase in waist size..now the side bend is a different story.

Kb is correct and i forgot to mention,that the reps should be low.

KB you've seen pics of Pavel..his obliques are iron plated my brother.

KB ..Have you tried the oblique barbell twist where and end of the barbell is in a corner and you twist from side to side rotating on the balls of your feet.

I could never feel that excercise or quite get it down.

Pavel's core is for sure solid and EVERYONE should follow his ab training advice, but I bet he doesn't do much, if any high volume weighted movements where obliques are the prime mover. Suitcase deads involve a lot of muscles, but a large amount of tension is put on the sides, which is why I mentioned low reps as a precaution.

Yes, I have done and still do the 'oblique barbell twist' (full contact twists), just not that often. I do very little to specifically target the abs, but when I do, I have a kick butt little circuit that couldn't get any better unless you were to add dragon flags and janda's. :)

:thup: :thup: for Suitecase Deads overall!

You ever seen the lifts of USAWA lifting? I'd love to get into this kind of competition.

[Gostrydr]

CAN YOU DO FLAGS??? If so holy crap.

No I have never seen USAWA, but I'm sue I'd like it.

I know alot of the guy at Dragon door. To be frank, I think they have run the KB thing into the ground.

Plus their stuff is so expensive, good god. I bought Naked Warrior for $39.95 and it is about as thick as a coloring book.

I thought it would be jammed packed with a ton of bodyweight only excercises and it only had pistol squats and one armed pushup.

What a rip off.

Pleae divulge that ab routine, I'd like to give it a go.

[kbfunTH]

CAN YOU DO FLAGS??? If so holy crap.

No I have never seen USAWA, but I'm sue I'd like it.

I know alot of the guy at Dragon door. To be frank, I think they have run the KB thing into the ground.

Plus their stuff is so expensive, good god. I bought Naked Warrior for $39.95 and it is about as thick as a coloring book.

I thought it would be jammed packed with a ton of bodyweight only excercises and it only had pistol squats and one armed pushup.

What a rip off.

Pleae divulge that ab routine, I'd like to give it a go.

I'm only able to do two rep flags right now and it ain't easy. The amount of tension in the shoulders (and low back) from gripping the bench is crazy! I suspect that will get better ...

I'm a huge fan of kettlebell lifting (and clubbell lifting), but I find the dragondoor forums pretty boring. I'm actually picking up an 88 lb kb and would like to get the Beast as well. Other than that, I don't bye to much else from the site.

I have a picture of the ab circuit that I'll post a little later. I may have it in my journal, not sure.....

[Gostrydr]

Hey 2 is 2 more than I can do..that rocks.

I remember years ago seeing Bruce Lee doing those and I thought that was the coolest thing ever.

where do you get your KB's? There are no stores here in Az that have them for sale..I've looked everywhere

Can't wait for the pic.

[kbfunTH]

I just bought them from DD. I haven't had any luck finding them used locally either. I think people that buy them, don't let them go.

The ab circuit, I got off some kettlebell website I believe. It's probably not anything too new for you.

[kbfunTH]

I just work this circuit as long as I can take it. It varies....

http://forums.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=251221