Core ab + grip exercises

[tri2bmt]

I was just curious what you guys consider your best exercises regarding the abdominal region and your hand strength.
I consider coc and weighted situps to be very rewarding.

[NPMantis]

Hi there, hope this helps bud:

Grip Strength : The best thing is push ups on fingertips, or even better get in push-up position on finger tips and hold for as long as possible. You could also try and eagle claw gripper, gripping the tops of jars full of water for as long as possible or opening and closing your hands as quickly as possible for as long as you can.

Abs : my favourate (as it's the hardest!) is to lie on my back, then raise my shoulders off the ground with hands beside my head then to simply lift legs off floor and cut and cross (basically like swimming, move legs up and down and accross each other). So your bum should be the only part of you touching the floor. If you prefer you can do the same but supporting upper body with elbows on floor.
For abs the main thing is make it interesting, doing the same exercises day in day out, month in month out gets boring, so think of new ones, there are so many variation. eg: Lie on your back, bring left foot close to your bum to knee is up in air then put right foot on top of this then crunch your left elbow (with hand on side of head) to your right knee while right arm in flat on floor pointing away from you. Now swap sides!
You could try lying on back with legs straight up in aim then crunch up and touch toes or do same but with arms by sides and simply push legs up into air using ab strength.

[IronFist]

I don't know that fingertip pushups do that much for your grip. They're not working your grip through any range of motion. Try Ironmind's "Captains of Crush" grippers from www.ironmind.com . Actually I think there's a whole thread about grip strength on the regular Kung Fu forum. I forgot what it was called, tho :( Wait, no I didn't, it's called "GripMaster" "Grip Master" or maybe the plural forms.

Iron

[prana]

IMO core is difficult to train.

However, I used to do an exercise that increases both core muscles and grip muscles all simultaneously.

These exercises are similar yet different, so I explain it one by one.

First variant:

You need a chin up bar and a friend. Your hang on the bar, not completely lose (not resting on your tendons and joints), then your friend puts their hands at random heights, and different places. Your objective is to raise your legs (together) to touch his hands, and then relax back down but not all the way.

if you do it correctly, your body should not be swinging.

Second Variant:

you need to slings. You hang on your two (or three) fingers at a time on both hands. That is, you switch between using your index-middle and middle-ring-pinky finger to hold your body.

you lift your torso to horizontal, you may keep one leg bent if you are weak like me, but some people can keep their torso horizontal, and straight (Front lever). Then you lift your torso over your head and behind you and again end up in a horizontal position. Your body is parallel again, and you can again tuck one leg in. If you are strong, you can keep your body completely straight (back lever)

You rotate back and forth about 5 times, and then come down, relax for 5 minutes and switch fingers.

We used to get veins on our abs from training this exact routine. Although it is for climbing, I think it really does increase raw power to the core and fingers, and everything that needs stranghtening in between.

[Robinf]

Prana,

I like that one. I do that, too.

Robin

[ElPietro]

Hold some heavy weights. Better yet, lift some heavy weights.

[NPMantis]

IronFist - I love the look of those "Captains of Crush" grippers, thanks mate I'm blatantly going to get one. They are so true, the amount of grippers I have bought and chucked away because they're so easy in unbelievable - I must have a dozen of them lying round my room.

[TigerJaw]

Prana, Please don't think, I'm isagreeing witn you, I'm honestly confused.

Doesn't the technique you describe target hip-flexors rather than abs?

I'm confused. I also want to work on my abs. I'm after a six-pack because I've never had one (how shallow am I?). People keep telling me that so many of the excercises recomended for abs are actually targeting hip flexors

such as
sit-ups (as apposed to crunches)
leg raises
leg lifts such as you describe.

All I'm doing at the minute are three sets of twenty crunches every other day. As I get stronger, I slow down rather than do more. I've only been doing it a month and I'm not sure my body fat is low enough yet but I can't see or feel any structure yet.

[Ka]

Correct me if I am wrong but I think displaying six packs is more about cutting your body fat ratio down low.As well as having a decent pack there to start with.

[ElPietro]

Originally posted by Ka
Correct me if I am wrong but I think displaying six packs is more about cutting your body fat ratio down low.As well as having a decent pack there to start with.


*Ding* *Ding*

We have a winner...

...do abs 8 hours a day 7 days a week and continue to be perplexed on why you are a fata$s if you wish. Or fix your diet and train your abdominals as you would any other muscle group and get results. A 20 minute walk and one less can of pop each week would be more effective than most of the techniques these fad magazines offer to give you "washboard abs."

[prana]

Originally posted by TigerJaw
Prana, Please don't think, I'm isagreeing witn you, I'm honestly confused.

Doesn't the technique you describe target hip-flexors rather than abs?

I'm confused. I also want to work on my abs. I'm after a six-pack because I've never had one (how shallow am I?). People keep telling me that so many of the excercises recomended for abs are actually targeting hip flexors


No problems. I am not focussed on the abs nor the hip flexors. I was answering based on strengthening the core, that is from the torso right to the fingers. To do these exercises, eg without swinging, without allowing body to hang like a vegetable, really requires a lot of core control, it is different from leg raisors. Hmm i cannot explain but if you try it just once, you will see what I mean hehehe :)

The second exercise connects your ab muscles to your lats, to your fingers, and the maximum gain comes from slowing down at the end of the 'rotation' eccentric movement.

Maybe this might help, core to me, is the link from limb to another limb, most difficult arm to the legs. At least, this is what we use in climbing lingo here.

[IronFist]

NPMantis, start with the trainer. It sounds easy but it's pretty tough. Or, if you can afford it, get the trainer and number 1. Don't think "oh I'm a stud I'll start with number 2" cuz you won't be able to close it :)

Iron

[TigerJaw]

Originally posted by ElPietro



*Ding* *Ding*

We have a winner...

...do abs 8 hours a day 7 days a week and continue to be perplexed on why you are a fata$s if you wish. Or fix your diet and train your abdominals as you would any other muscle group and get results. A 20 minute walk and one less can of pop each week would be more effective than most of the techniques these fad magazines offer to give you "washboard abs."


ooooh, get her. :p I'll have you know I don't drink pop. Seriously though, I know I need to reduce my body fat and I'm doing so, albeit very slowly.



Prana, thanks for the clarification.

[redfist]

check out matt fureys web site,
i own the power wheel from lifeline products,one of the best investments i ever made in regards to building "core" body strength,

anerobic+aeorobic+diet= a "six pack"
leave any element out of the equation and you probaly don`t have one.

[NPMantis]

IronFist - There's no way I'd get the No. 2 straight away - there were only about 8 people that could close it, or was that the No. 3? Anyway, I'm going to get the easiest definately! It's so good to finally find somewhere that sells proper grippers, the amount I've been through really annoys me!

Thanks again mate.

[IronFist]

Dude, report back here when you get your gripper and let us know what you think :)

Iron

[Pilgrim]

Here are some hard exercises:(1) Plate curls. Grab a plate and curl it, hold it horizontally or vertically to the floor. Even if you think you're bad you won't be able to do 35 pounds so try holding two 10 lbers and cry.(2) Get a pair of railroad spikes or very thick nails or a pair of kali sticks, hang on to them and do push-ups. You can have the eye of the fist/thumb side face the ground or the ceiling. Use just your feet and the point of the nail/spikes/stick to hold you up. You better be careful, maybe start against a wall, or else you'll be bummed out cause you did too much and have tendonitis in your wrists. (3) Work on pinch grip, which hand grippers don't work. Pinch grip plates, catch bags of rice or sand, get some rope and tie a bunch of tight knots and then untie them as fast as possible. I like catching bags in different stances with a partner.Remember to stretch.(4)Get 10 to 20 small dowels. Put them together in a bunch and tie the ends together. Then twist that sucker with same side grips, one hand up one down, twist in all ways. Twist for longer and longer durations on time.