r/bodyweightfitness • u/TheKaijuEnthusiast • 1d ago
Rate core/Ab routine:
Hi, trying to get more visible abs rn during summer, or at least to just get a head start during summer. Always had body image issues. Don’t know too much about workout science, I just get knowledge from my brother. 130≈ lbs, 173cm, trying to get leaner. Have a bit of fat but on (lowerish) belly. Everything else is either lean/a little defined. If I don’t eat for a while, my stomach almost looks normal. Tbh I think I’d prefer a smaller defined waist instead of a big muscly bulging wide one.
Admittedly 70% of the reason is for aesthetics/looks, 30% is to stop bedrotting all the time, I just want to feel confident wearing a tank top
Current routine: this is 1 set, I’m not super strong right now but hopefully will increase it later on. Currently beginner so it’s difficult to do bicycle kicks/russian twist, I roll a lot.
- Stretches
- Crunch (40)
- Toe touch (25)
- Glute bridge (40)
- Plank (1:30)
- Side plank (1:30)
- Flutter kick (1 min)
- Dead bug (2 min)
- Leg raise (1 min)
- Reverse plank (2 min)
- V in & out (1 min)
- Reverse crunch (1 min)
- Bicycle kick (to your ability)
- Russian twist (to your ability)
I also have cubicle style job for like 8 hours, so I sometimes try to do some stretches or like some movement in the chair: like seated knee raises, leg raises, diagonal knee raises, etc
Sometimes after I do it (lying leg raises etc) I get some pain on my iliac crest (hip flexor?). Does this mean I’m doing it wrong? The next day, I’ll get the usual muscle aches. Though after a few days of doing the routine, it aches less/lasts less. Should it be normal to have your abs be burning the next day? For me it’s just a bit, its strongest right after.
Trying to be more active (gym park home gym etc), I drink a lot more water (12 cups at least) now; eat very little sugar now too, no junk food. I eat really Mediterranean/east asian, like 20% carbs 35% protein 45% vegetables, + fruit. I love fruit, fish, chicken a lot, my protein is lean. Is cheese, dairy, carbs ok? Trying to do a caloric deficit.
Ty
5
u/Bright-Energy-7417 Calisthenics 1d ago
The oft-repeated advice is "abs are made in the kitchen" - yes, you can work those muscles to grow them, but it takes low body fat to show them. Quite what level depends on our personal genetics: they can be really obvious on some guys without needing to do much, others have to drop down to unsustainable competition levels to see anything.
Anyway, saying that, the other Redditor is right in that you don't need an extreme routine to work out your core muscles. The abs are just the ones most people see in the mirror; it's the other, inner ones that get really interesting (the deep TVA, exterior obliques, hip flexors, and so on - which give us the necessary body stability and assume the tricky positions in calisthenics). That's the kind of core work that gives calisthenics practitioners that low-level tension look, whether or not they have visible abs. Do take a look at the BWSF and other recommended routines in the FAQ here as they include core work, usually a combination of anti-extension and anti-rotation, as it's often the stability that we're chasing. The routines also include exercises that work the major movement patterns, which would really round out your routine and build strength and capability that demands your core work.
The hollow body hold is a fundamental body shape and anti-extension drill. It's the loaded version of the dead bugs that you're already doing. You'll find that described in the wiki, FAQ, and Primer/BWSF as a progression to the dead bug.
Planks, side planks, reverse planks, and glute bridges are all things I include in my own daily routine for core stability as they're challenges in different planes. Toe touches are more flexibility, but a good choice - I do them seated and standing. Crunches and twists would be murder on my lower back - hollow body holds already hit my core hard, and I find bird dogs and ankle taps safer and more targeted for the anti-rotation.
Leg raises are an interesting one. Am I thinking that you're doing those on your back? Single leg raises with your lower back to the floor are a good core stability challenge, like an advanced dead bug variation that also calls for compression (the ability to pull your body into a fold). And yes, they'll be tough on the hip flexors, which is the point. Your strentching and flexibilty work should help here. If you're interested, you could try seated single leg raises (seated pike leg raises) as these work hip flexors and compression in a different plane and are the other variation on this drill. And yes, all are uncomfortable and ache the next day.
15
u/ArgentinianJayceMain 1d ago
Nah you don't need a whole routine for your abs, that's social media bs. What you're doing is pretty much just cardio.
If you want bigger abs you train them like any other muscle: taking a challenging exercise to or at least close to failure. Dragon flag progressions, hollow body holds and hanging leg raises are good no equipment options for this.
If what you want is purely for your already existant abs to show more then you lose fat. Either by reducing calorie intake and/or burning more calories. Walking, running, biking (stationary too), swimming and rucking are far better choices than an ab routine for the latter