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My members grumble and groan about ALL of our ab tracks in all formats. Number one complaint, they just aren't intense enough, way too easy, not enough variation. As a Personal Trainer I have to agree. I KNOW we work our core the entire time etc., etc., but REALLY, are we challenging ourselves? I think we can bring up the level, raise the bar and ad some more variations and intensities.... Just my $.02! Anyone else?

I think the ab tracks are hard enough. It's all about technique and timing. If anything, sometimes the music (eg in BA abs) is too fast to execute proper technique. What I mean by that is not having that split second to brace/engage the abs before starting the crunch when the music is fast. If you crunch without engaging first, your abs stick out and it's both easier and less effective. A trainer once told me you should be able to reach failure on just 15 ab crunches done properly, yet here we do dozens, obviously because we have to fill a 4 minute track, AND we're pre-fatigued from all that supposed bracing through class. It's obvious in that situation that it's a technique and timing issue in the ab track if people are finding them too easy.

To grumble about ALL ab tracks is a little bit too much, as there are some really nice and cool ab tracks in the past releases (Dont Cha, Do You Really Want to Hurt me, etc). The thing with abs is that most of the people do it incorrectly and it doesn't help at all that abs movement is not as 'visible' as other tracks (unlike squat, you can actually see people push the butt back, bend the knees, etc), most of the time, it has something to do with the 'feel'. Many people aren't lifting the shoulder blades but elbows, pulling the neck way too high, swing with the momentum etc, proper crunches ask for very little range of movement, when executed correctly, the abs HURT!

:)

 

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Life is indeed simple, but it is complicated to live simply...

shine:

 Many people aren't lifting the shoulder blades but elbows, pulling the neck way too high, swing with the momentum etc, proper crunches ask for very little range of movement, when executed correctly, the abs HURT!

 Very true!  How many times do we see participants doing "full range" crunches where the chest comes up to the thighs working more through the hip flexors than anything else?

Yes, Shine - you have a great point. I spend time trying to keep them on task and not letting their minds wander to other things.

For me, I don't find the principal of overload too often, however, "Switch" from BC 28 gets a little fire going!

I think some ab tracks could be a lot better, but some are killer. (Shine - I'm with ya on "Dont cha"! Man do my class cry when I bring that one back!)

As an instructor, I agree that abs are tough to CRC (and depending on your gym, sometimes touch to really even observe your participants well, without sitting up and staring at them!

A lot of bad technique like yup, using the hip flexors.

What I would argue is that LM needs to sometimes just get back to basics with abs. There's a reason the basic crunch hasn't gone anywhere for many years - it works! I'd prefer a tough, basic ab track to a fancy one with cool looking hovers or bar rolls etc. I've been doing Anastasia "Left Outside Alone" with my class recently and it's so simple (literally, just crunches!) and they love it. 

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Free the body. The mind will follow.

There are ways to make the abs harder like:

• not resting between reps, i.e: not letting the shoulders come fully back to the mat
  
• working both the lower and upper abs during crunches
• having some plates on your chest/shoulder

There are loads of variations on the theme to make the tracks more challenging, you've just got to want to do them!

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WOW...if the ab work is too easy in BP64, I'm gonna die in BP65!  BP is new to our club.  I started in late December with BP63 and we switched to BP64 in mid January.  It took a few sessions just to make it all the way through without cramping up.  We're blessed to have some very motivated instructors that helped me push my limits and do things I never thought were possible.  I try to benchmark my gains/losses against about three years of my machine lifting and core workout records.  Last week I noted a 40% increase in reps and a 60% gain in weight on the just the ab machine.  So much for "too easy on the ab tracks"!  You get what you put into the tracks.  You can "dog it" or you can keep increasing the plate weight and keep in count with the leader.  When we finish the last section ....w/ the "pulses" ....I doubt I could do one more rep.  It hurts....but it's a good hurt. LOL

Michela002:

What I would argue is that LM needs to sometimes just get back to basics with abs. There's a reason the basic crunch hasn't gone anywhere for many years - it works! I'd prefer a tough, basic ab track to a fancy one with cool looking hovers or bar rolls etc. I've been doing Anastasia "Left Outside Alone" with my class recently and it's so simple (literally, just crunches!) and they love it. 

I agree!  Sometimes less is more.  If the participants can follow, they can usually do better technique and work harder.

I truly believe that if anyone is grumbling about the tracks not being intense enough, it's because their technique is lacking!  With all the alternatives and options of using weights, I don't see what they are complaining about. 

I like the fact that the exercises change every release -- which I think is great for challenging the ab muscles.

I personally like taking a BodyPump class followed by a Body Balance class -- so that I get two ab workouts!

... so that's my 2 cents.

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO what a ride!' (Author Unknow)