CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

Well I know I should be looking on some health boards, lol, but it's not really a huge issue, anyone else get dizzy when they start doing a lot of crunches? I've tried closing my eyes but then my head starts to hurt when I get to around 50+. So I can never do more than 50 at a time.

UNCTYPE-S

First of all, 50 is too much. You could do 500 in a row and you really arent improving your abs. Are you looking to just keep your abs how they are, or do you wanna bring them out? You may need to increase weight. Just like any other muscle, your abs needs resistance to grow.

Also, breathing properly plays a roll in this. Say you are doing a basic crunch. You inhale on your way down, and exhale on your way up. Closing your eyes, doing them too fast will also cause for diziness.

Hope this helps.

CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

i don't want huge abs, i just want them to be defined and cut, i don't think adding weight will do that. i have a fairly flat stomach, but not much definition. i only do 50 crunches, but i do a lot of other ab exercises and never even get close to 40. i try to do 20-30 mins of just abs.

UNCTYPE-S

By simply adding 5-10 lbs on your chest when you do a situp will not get you huge abs. You are just simply bringing them out to show more. As I said, if you wanna see results, you're going to have to use weight or increase resistance. If you wanna maintain what you have and are happy, then stick to what you are doing.

CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

Ok, I will add weight. I just don't want to get that bulging gut. haha. I think my biggest issue is that I have very little fat on me, and whatever fat I do accumulate, goes to my stomach. So I'm adding cardio in to burn off fat, which I'm hoping will shed some of that off my stomach.

UNCTYPE-S

Unless you're taking steriods, GH, or eating so much without cardio, you wont get the bulging gut from adding a few lbs to your ab excercises.

Dem1K

iTrader: (1)

like he said...you need to use weight.

For me, I do the following for my abs:

Hanging leg raises 3 x 12
Standing (or kneeling) pull-downs 3 x 12 @ 120lbs
Side Bends 3 x 12 @ 50lbs

Or sometimes throw in some decline crunches w/ a 10lb weight or something and do 3 x 12 or so. Abs are like any other muscle. You need to use weight in order to build that muscle up, as well as doing the same number of reps as you do any other body part. It's a rather common misconception.

CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

well abs aren't like every kind of muscle, their a different kinds of muscle, but i always thought adding weight was purely for strength training your abs. i'm stuck with holding dumb bells while doing crunches, and adding ankle weights and doing reverse crunches. i don't go to a gym, but i have enough to compensate. for 4 months i did at home workouts with a bench and dumb bell set (like the bowflex, but diff brand) and i went into a gym with my buddy and was able to match someone my size/weight who had been on the same timeline as me, but was going to a gym.

UNCTYPE-S

Well here you are wanting to know about dizziness, so how is your breathing while performing these excercises?

CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

could be better, but i do try to pay attention to it. tonight i tried focusing my eyes on an object on the ceiling and it pretty much eliminated any dizziness.

UNCTYPE-S

Ya, you really wanna try and point your chin to the ceiling and your eyes will follow.

rza49311

iTrader: (1)

Alot of pro's will tell you that doing abs exercises are fine and dandy but to get a trim waste line its more about diet and cardio first then the exercises

UNCTYPE-S

He's not asking about his waistline, he's talking about his abs, but originally speaking about being dizzy from them.

rza49311

iTrader: (1)

i realize that, i shouldn't have used the term "waistline" i guess, still diet and cardio are most important.

CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

i started my cardio, i'm running 1-2 miles every other day right now, considering i haven't ran in over 4 years, i'm not doing too bad. roughly 8 minute miles. check my other thread about beach running.

back on topic, i have added weights and reduced the reps, things seem to be good, but it's been less than a week, so time will tell. i'm not fat by any means, but whatever fat i do have stays right on my bell, my upper abs are getting way more defined, but the chub on the lower is hiding, so i'm trying to run a lot and burn off fat while at the same time maintaining a good diet. and the dizziness seems to be reduced, just controlled breathing. i think i was doing too many reps.

thanks guys.

UNCTYPE-S