[Dinnes]

Ok, :P

Well, I don't know how well this will be received but in addition to the strength training I do for rugby I've kind of wanted to have a proper six pack for a while, just because I like the aesthetics of having one (sounds stupid and possibly a little vain but ssh :P). Basically I've done a bit of surfing online and the conclusion I've come to is that Bicycle Crunches are some of the best ones for developing the right muscles. Is that right? If so, does anyone have any tips about it all?

Thanks for reading
Dan

[crocker710]

(Original post by Dinnes)
Ok, :P

Well, I don't know how well this will be received but I've kind of wanted to have a proper six pack for a while, just because I'd like to look 'nice' in that way (sounds stupid and possibly a little vain but ssh :P). Basically I've done a bit of surfing online and the conclusion I've come to is that Bicycle Crunches are some of the best ones for developing the right muscles. Is that right? If so, does anyone have any tips about it all?

Thanks for reading
Dan

The kitchen

[Dinnes]

(Original post by crocker710)
The kitchen

Haha I asked for that. I'm doing other gym stuff for rugby strength, so it's complementary to that.

[crocker710]

(Original post by Dinnes)
Haha I asked for that. I'm doing other gym stuff for rugby strength, so it's complementary to that.

What's your current BF level?

If you're strength training are you eating a calorie surplus?

[sconter]

(Original post by Dinnes)
Ok, :P

Well, I don't know how well this will be received but in addition to the strength training I do for rugby I've kind of wanted to have a proper six pack for a while, just because I like the aesthetics of having one (sounds stupid and possibly a little vain but ssh :P). Basically I've done a bit of surfing online and the conclusion I've come to is that Bicycle Crunches are some of the best ones for developing the right muscles. Is that right? If so, does anyone have any tips about it all?

Thanks for reading
Dan

weighted crunches & side bends depending on how wide your waist currently is.

[Dinnes]

(Original post by crocker710)


What's your current BF level?

If you're strength training are you eating a calorie surplus?

Don't actually know ;p I'm following the Senior Rugby training schedule which my school gym has given to the people doing rugby in Sixth form. I'm not A-team stuff, more B team, but I want to do it to improve my playing so meh. I havn't taken a particularly scientific approach to it simply because no one else at my school has.

Seeing the amount of stuff I eat I probably am having a calorie surplus, but it isn't measured. If it helps I'm fairly mesomorphic so I have more fat that ectos and stuff. I'm certainly not skinny - not fat by any means, but I've never really got into BF levels and stuff so idk what I'd be.

[Dinnes]

(Original post by sconter)
weighted crunches & side bends depending on how wide your waist currently is.

I think my waist is 32 if that helps :P thanks

[Zurvan]

Yes, Bicycle Crunches can be one of the most effective exercises for abdominal muscles as not only does it exercise the rectus abdominals but the obliques as well through the twisting motion. Original crunches can be just as effective know for achieving a 6 pack.

Keep your elbows pointing upwards towards the ceiling, a lot of people try to stretch out as far as possible as in order to make contact with the elbow and knee. This is not necessary, and often leads to bad form so I would advice against it (you shouldn't realistically be able to do it correctly unless your really short or something). Make sure you maintain good form, you should feel pressure at the abs region after some reps. If suffer from any neck strain while doing a set then your likely doing it wrong and should stop immediately.

As the poster above said though, its all about the kitchen.

[sconter]

(Original post by Dinnes)
I think my waist is 32 if that helps :P thanks

depends on your bodyfat. if you have low bodyfat then that is pretty big waist and i'd say not to train your obliques much. but i'd guess ur bf% is relatively high. i duno.
i dont like bicycles, do weighted exercises 8-20 reps.

1-2 exercises moving ur shoulders to your hips, 1-2 moving your hips to your shoulders then 1-2 on obliques.

[Dinnes]

(Original post by sconter)
depends on your bodyfat. if you have low bodyfat then that is pretty big waist and i'd say not to train your obliques much. but i'd guess ur bf% is relatively high. i duno.
i dont like bicycles, do weighted exercises 8-20 reps.

1-2 exercises moving ur shoulders to your hips, 1-2 moving your hips to your shoulders then 1-2 on obliques.

I'm certainly not overweight. Not skinny but I sometimes struggle finding clothes. Having said that the trousers I buy at 32 I have to wear a belt with. So my waist is probably more 31/30.

[sconter]

(Original post by Zurvan)
Yes, Bicycle Crunches can be one of the most effective exercises for abdominal muscles as not only does it exercise the rectus abdominals but the obliques as well through the twisting motion. Original crunches can be just as effective know for achieving a 6 pack.

Keep your elbows pointing upwards towards the ceiling, a lot of people try to stretch out as far as possible as in order to make contact with the elbow and knee. This is not necessary, and often leads to bad form so I would advice against it (you shouldn't realistically be able to do it correctly unless your really short or something). Make sure you maintain good form, you should feel pressure at the abs region after some reps. If suffer from any neck strain while doing a set then your likely doing it wrong and should stop immediately.

As the poster above said though, its all about the kitchen.

disagree that they are even remotely effective tbh.

[sconter]

(Original post by Dinnes)
I'm certainly not overweight. Not skinny but I sometimes struggle finding clothes. Having said that the trousers I buy at 32 I have to wear a belt with. So my waist is probably more 31/30.

yea but you where pants at your hips right? measure at ur thinnest part with a tape measure.

[Dinnes]

(Original post by sconter)
disagree that they are even remotely effective tbh.

I've done them for the last few days and I do feel it. I checked in the mirror today and my ab area is more noticeable just after doing them, presumably that means they're at least effective?

[Dinnes]

(Original post by sconter)
yea but you where pants at your hips right? measure at ur thinnest part with a tape measure.

Struggling to find a tape measure. I have one somewhere, just have to find it :P will requote you when I find out

[Zurvan]

(Original post by sconter)
disagree that they are even remotely effective tbh.

You are either doing them wrong or not doing them with weight plate. That, or your one of these guys who does 1x8 set and goes "UGH TOO EASY!" .

[sconter]

(Original post by Dinnes)
I've done them for the last few days and I do feel it. I checked in the mirror today and my ab area is more noticeable just after doing them, presumably that means they're at least effective?

nope.

if you run a marathon your legs will hurt at the end yes? do marathon runners have huge legs?

you will have no noticeable difference in a week or a month, what you have noticed will be a combination of psychologically expecting something different, lower fat levels, lower water levels, a pump, and glycogen stores increasing in size.

'for the last few days' implies you are doing them everyday?

abs arent really much different to any other muscle, train 2 days a week heavy as i said above.

abs are made in the kitchen though, and if what u are after is the beach look then reduce your calories.

[Dinnes]

(Original post by sconter)
nope.

if you run a marathon your legs will hurt at the end yes? do marathon runners have huge legs?

you will have no noticeable difference in a week or a month, what you have noticed will be a combination of psychologically expecting something different, lower fat levels, lower water levels, a pump, and glycogen stores increasing in size.

'for the last few days' implies you are doing them everyday?

abs arent really much different to any other muscle, train 2 days a week heavy as i said above.

abs are made in the kitchen though, and if what u are after is the beach look then reduce your calories.

Yeah I'm doing them every day. I'm doing gym type stuff anyway so yeah. I'm not eating enough to make myself fat. I've never been overweight at all since I've been a young teen. Always had a more chunky/athletic build compared to a skinnier one. I'll try the crunches for a while and see if it makes a difference

[sconter]

(Original post by Zurvan)
You are either doing them wrong or not doing them with weight plate. That, or your one of these guys who does 1x8 set and goes "UGH TOO EASY!" .

your reasoning behind them being so great is they train obliques as well as RA, which is stupid.

crunches also recruit obliques you can move more weight and, unlike in bicycles you arent concentrating on balance.

when training you make everything as simple as possible, to increase the load as much as possible to break more muscle fibers. for example the clean and press isnt generally toted as a great muscle builder. even when training for it you break the exercise down into 2 or 3 movements. doing crunches then twists seperately with a medicine ball/ dumbell is far superior imo.

[Dinnes]

(Original post by Zurvan)
You are either doing them wrong or not doing them with weight plate. That, or your one of these guys who does 1x8 set and goes "UGH TOO EASY!" .

aha I'm inclined to agree with you :P When I first started doing them I noticed you can do them wrong and then you just hurt your neck and don't work the abs muscles that much. If you do them wrong I think they just turn into sit ups which don't exercise the 'sixpack' muscles.

[Dinnes]

(Original post by sconter)
yea but you where pants at your hips right? measure at ur thinnest part with a tape measure.

31 at thinnest, I think my waist is just naturally wider cause there's no fat around it at all.