Concept2 Forum

This guy is strong - impressive!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTF5rFM1 ... re=related

I used to be able to do 30 of them from a standing position, and am getting inspired to do them again!

That is insane!

Better abs than me

Awesome.

I agree with John. It is a good core workout. Using the ab wheel is one of the core maintenance workouts recommended at the Craftsbury website. It is more challenging if you go all the way horizontal. That last little bit, going all the way horizontal, works the shoulders nicely. My suggestion is to tighten the abs first and keep the back very slightly curved before rolling to a horizontal position, a little like doing a crunch. It especially works the abs, shoulders and triceps.

added later: Another suggestion. If you haven't done them before, start out doing a small number and then build slowly. The first time I tried it I went for 100 and got a sharp pain in the ribs part way through.

Byron

Here's an interesting video about using hanging ab straps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knhzUHDWA4E

John,

Thanks for the link - I shared it with the members of my Aging in American Society class. Everyone was impressed, I don't think they understand the passionate following rowing has in the elderly. Not that 50-something is 'old' anymore.

bloomp wrote:John,

Thanks for the link - I shared it with the members of my Aging in American Society class. Everyone was impressed, I don't think they understand the passionate following rowing has in the elderly. Not that 50-something is 'old' anymore.

Hi Paul,

Since you are studying aging in America, you might find this interesting if you haven't seen it before:

http://concept2.co.uk/assets/docs/indoo ... orosis.pdf

By the way, I thought of you when I was doing my ab-wheel exercises. You were able to do a bunch a extension press-ups so the ab-wheel would be easy for you.

added later: old, infirm people who have to use crutches or canes, wheelchairs, etc. should use Irish Mails instead. At first glance it looks like an upper body workout only, but actually you use the legs a lot, especially on uphills.

http://www.mth.msu.edu/~drachman/cycle/irishmail.html

My (slightly) older brother is in his mid 70's and stays fit and healthy by rowing on wheels. Rowing is such a great way to stay healthy and avoid or at least postpone the ravages of old age that so many people suffer. I am preaching to the choir. The people at this forum already know that rowing is good for you.

Byron

This morning was my 14th day using the ab wheel, doing 10 reps each morning.
The first morning was fine, but my abs were quite sore the next few mornings.

I got ab straps from ebay for $9.95 on the 7th day and connected them to the overhead beams with a $4 pair of harbor freight lashing straps, that have a working load of 330 pounds and go around the straps and the beams three times each.

The ab straps are amazing! I didn't feel the exercise much until the 3rd day, but since then my abs have been quite sore when using the ab wheel the next mornings. I'm still feeling the soreness but it's gradually going away. This morning I did a set of lifting my lower body with my abs, then a set of lifting my knees as high as possible.

Byron Drachman wrote:You were able to do a bunch a extension press-ups so the ab-wheel would be easy for you.

I was interested in this gizmo so I ordered one.

Pretty disappointed.

I f you can do things like extension press ups, as I can, ab wheels are _waaay_ too easy.

I don't even feel like I am getting a workout if I do ab wheels off my knees, as Maulkin is in the video.

I think I could do hundreds of them.

ranger

ranger wrote:I don't even feel like I am getting a workout if I do ab wheels off my knees

My experience is that it takes about 50 off the knees to be able to do one from standing position. From there, the number done standing can quickly increase. When I could do 100 from the knees, I was able to do 30 of them from standing position. Another thing is that I usually stretch all the way out and then hold this for a few seconds each time, which can make 10 of them more difficult than doing 50 back and forth. Lifting the knees while extending helps with the transition from knees to standing position.

When doing standing ab wheels gets too easy, then keep increasing the number and/or hold the extension longer at the end of each rep. For example, as you do situps for an hour, you could do the ab wheel continuously for an hour, or you could do sets of them for the time of a 2k.

Here is a good website about doing the standing ab wheel exercise.

Yes, clearly: standing ab wheels would be _much_ harder, more like an extension press up.

ranger

ranger wrote:Yes, clearly: standing ab wheels would be _much_ harder, more like an extension press up.
ranger

How many "standing" ab-heels, i.e. pikes, can you do? That would be legs stay straight, bring feet to hands, then go all the way horizontal again with the legs straight?

If an exercise is so easy that the repetitions get to be too long and monotonous, it can usually be altered to something more strenuous by adding weight, like doing squats with a barbell across the shoulders. For the ab wheel, a diver's weight belt might do the trick. Not something that I would try personally. My skeletal structure is too far gone.

Bob S.

ranger wrote:

Byron Drachman wrote:You were able to do a bunch a extension press-ups so the ab-wheel would be easy for you.

I was interested in this gizmo so I ordered one.

Pretty disappointed.

I f you can do things like extension press ups, as I can, ab wheels are _waaay_ too easy.

I don't even feel like I am getting a workout if I do ab wheels off my knees, as Maulkin is in the video.

I think I could do hundreds of them.

ranger

I was wondering when you'd check in with your "this guy's a chump compared to me" comment.

How many times can you wank yourself?

Have you ever known Rich to say well done to anyone? Did he mention 2003, stroke fixed, not sharpened yet?
Its always me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me, blah blah blah etc-----------------------------------