10 minutes daily Ab work out!

[Mused]

Originally Posted by Imzadi

I think ego and vanity is fun to toy with occasionally but we shouldn't be too attached and take them home to bed. LOL

But for me, I think there is definitely a fine line between healthy self esteem VS vanity/body dysmorphic disorder. I choose to practice the former, but the latter was something I used to struggle with for a long time especially when I grew up and worked in fields where physical beauty was worshiped. When you grow up everyone treating you like a beautiful object you start to think that that's all you are worth. :( That's also a high standard to psychologically try to maintain.

True, I am familiar with that. Its cool you manage(d) to find a balance
Being able to let go of comparing yourself and have realistic expectations is def helpful ...the body needs to be happy too without too much pressure lol

[ocean breeze]

I don't diet. But i don't stuff my body with junk food either (Well sometimes i do ). I like to spend 10 - 15 mins on my abs at the end of my training. I do it to condition my body to be strong and take punishment but i love the way my abs look on me too.

[Somnia]

Originally Posted by Imzadi

I think ego and vanity is fun to toy with occasionally but we shouldn't be too attached and take them home to bed. LOL

Sometimes I like to straighten my hair with my flat-iron but it takes me about 20 minutes to tame my mane so I don't bother with it on most days...That's probably the extent of my vanity with my hair as I don't even bother with using a hair dryer...Takes up too much time so I let it dry out naturally...On average it takes me 5-10 minutes to get ready to go out somewhere

Originally Posted by Imzadi

But for me, I think there is definitely a fine line between healthy self esteem VS vanity/body dysmorphic disorder. I choose to practice the former, but the latter was something I used to struggle with for a long time...

Oh God I can relate to this one...When I was in High School I was very self conscious of my physical self...I was a twig, LOL!

On the topic of healthy self-esteem and exercise, I've been exercising on my elliptical pretty much daily for the past couple months (also changed my diet and cut back on drinking alcohol)...I think I've dropped a good 25 pounds since last November (I slacked off a couple months though, LOL)...not only can I tell/feel the difference (I feel lighter and my clothes fit looser...) but people notice the changes in my face and waist area....My ideal goal is to get back to my "college" weight of around the 130s as that was what felt the healthiest for me...Keyword being "ideal" as I'm not inherently focused on any specific number, but using it as reference to how I *felt* health-wise and not for vanity reasons....

[Mused]

^ wow Somnia 25 pounds is really something. My weight tends to drop when I'm stressed or walk a lot (which I usually do) but the winter months made me let myself go a little but which is getting fixed now . I'm not a big fan of dieting anyway, it's not as sustainable as real lifestyle/ eating habit changes.

[Somnia]

Mused - Haha! Well we all tend to pack on a bit of extra poundage during the Winter months in case we have to survive a famine right?...right?? xP

Originally Posted by Mused

I'm not a big fan of dieting anyway, it's not as sustainable as real lifestyle/ eating habit changes.

I agree...I'm so not into fad diets either...My changes in diet are for life...eating more vegetarian style foods, but I do still eat meat...I've just reduced meat consumption...I still eat junk foods every so often in moderation ^_~

Thank you for the nice compliment...I figured if I have to slog around the 3rd dimension in this temporary meat suit I might as well get rid of a few extra pounds to make the slogging a bit easier while I am able-bodied, Ahahaha!

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Imzadi

I'm a pretty active person, but when I injured my ankle (took me 3 months to begin to get back to normal) I was grounded and couldn't do all the sporty things and started just accumulating some belly fat.

Since I couldn't go out and be active like a maniac, I tried modifying some exercises that works for me to just use a yoga mat to do at home in a low key non strenuous way.

I find that if I have a set of exercises that I do each day even for as little as 10-20 minutes, and be conscious of what I put into my body, the positive results happen pretty quickly. I can see noticeable difference in about 2 weeks of consistently following the same daily regiment.

Below is a really good Ab work out instructional video that you can do in the comfort of your own home! Please keep in mind that in conjunction with the abs work out, doing some cardio (such as running/swimming), as well as maintaining a healthy balance diet will ensure optimal results!

Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPdpsvOxMoI

[EDIT: Oops, I put this thread in the wrong section. Could a lovely Moderator move this to the exercise section please? Thanks!]

Moved. Cute gal on the vid.

Working on your core with planks works well. The plank works the entire area. You know who has a great Ab video? Jillian Michaels. I really like her. The best I can take away from this vid are the burpees. Those are pretty intense because your using your whole body, but the core get's worked out the most. Personally , I like to use my own body to gain muscle rather than using weights.

Jillian Michaels abs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ8Zdj0OPMI

[Imzadi]

Thanks so much Clover! I will definitely check out the vid when I get a chance. =D

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Imzadi

Thanks so much Clover! I will definitely check out the vid when I get a chance. =D

Hey hey hey, found our girl doing the burpees.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZQA...&nohtml5=False








I would argue doing planks works the full enchilada when it comes to Abs

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by Imzadi

I'm a pretty active person, but when I injured my ankle (took me 3 months to begin to get back to normal) I was grounded and couldn't do all the sporty things and started just accumulating some belly fat.

Since I couldn't go out and be active like a maniac, I tried modifying some exercises that works for me to just use a yoga mat to do at home in a low key non strenuous way.

I find that if I have a set of exercises that I do each day even for as little as 10-20 minutes, and be conscious of what I put into my body, the positive results happen pretty quickly. I can see noticeable difference in about 2 weeks of consistently following the same daily regiment.

Below is a really good Ab work out instructional video that you can do in the comfort of your own home! Please keep in mind that in conjunction with the abs work out, doing some cardio (such as running/swimming), as well as maintaining a healthy balance diet will ensure optimal results!

Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPdpsvOxMoI

[EDIT: Oops, I put this thread in the wrong section. Could a lovely Moderator move this to the exercise section please? Thanks!]

Imzadi - I am able to do cardio in the house because I have an elliptical machine in the basement that I use. I got it specifically because I had to stop running after breaking my ankle and having a metal plate screwed into my bones. I do a little weight lifting too.

But every day I do over 100 sit ups and legs lifts, of varying kinds. It's a routine I put together myself a number of years ago to get a flat stomach and it continues to work. I don't understand why many articles and web sites are now saying to throw out the old sit ups routine because they claim it does nothing. I'd get a flabby stomach if I stopped my floor ab work.

Moral to the story...do what feels right and is effective for yourself regardless to what the so called fitness experts say.

[Somnia]

Originally Posted by Clover

Haha!

I had a guy friend who was into Cross-Fit and he would often show off in front of me by doing burpees and upside down hand-stand pushups (I don't know what you really call this, LOL)...He would do a handstand but brace his back against a wall and and do pushups...It was some pretty impressive stuff...

BTW, I see you changed your Avatar! I'm guessing you were ready for something different? Heehee...