I need help with posture and my center. I have pretty weak abs. Should I keep up the old routine of crunches, sit-ups, and leg lifts?
I like to use the medicine ball for abs. I will crunch up with the medicine ball, while bicycling my legs, and then I will throw a twist in there for my obliques. Another good move is to pause half way up your crunch and then explode to the top. Pause, then explode to the top ! That really intensifies the contraction for me at least. You can also use your bed. Lie waist-up on the edge of your bed so your legs are hanging freely. Stiffen them and make them straight. Then touch your heels as low as they can go, and explode them towards the ceiling.
Front Squats and heavy deadlifts.
I also like: dead bugs, any sort of plank/bridge hold and high pulley cable woodchops.
good luck!
I would add overhead squats - start with a broom stick. Progress to BB. If you can, go ATG.
Remember your abs are part of a large system - your core. You need to train your entire core, not just the mirror muscles.
ATG?
What are good workouts for my core? I accidentally called it the center.
ATG is Arse To Ground. It isn’t literal. It means make you’re butt touch your calves, very few people can squat and touch their arse onto the ground lol.
Core excercises like Superman, Prone Hold, and (I’m gonna get killed for saying this) Pilates holds. My favorite one is lying on your back and trying to pull your bellybutton into your spine. Also try doing sets of the “Vacuum Pose” which builds inner-ab strength (its harder than you think).
As for getting strong abs, the most effective excerices to getting strong abs is non-ab excercises. Breathing/overhead Squats, Leg Press (squeeze your stomach the whole time!), Deadlifts, planche.
There is plenty of variation! spice up your ab workout by playing games with your friends. My favorite is Lying Suicide - you all lie down in a line and the end person runs across the line’s stomachs, then lies down at the other end. Repeat. Do this as fast as you can, no stopping! As people drop out from exhaustion, the last person left wins! See how many times you can cross the room.