Midriff area and abs

[bonebreaker]

I have a problem that some of you may have encountered, and I need some advice. I work my abs at least 3x week. Usually I do 100 leg lifts, (laying on my back, I bring my legs up to 90 degrees, then forcefully sling them down until about 6" from parallel). I then do 100 leg extensions, (laying on my back, I pull my knees up to my chest, put my hands behind my head to get my chin close to my chest, then thrust my legs forwards until extended). I do 4 sets of 25 modified situps, (I sit backwards on a leg extension machine and put a 25# plate on my chest and lean backwards to parallel then come upright). Lastly, I do 100 twists, (bar behind my back on my shoulders and rotate as far as I can left to right, for my obliques, keeping the front of my body pointing as much as possible forward. My problem is that the area of my midriff, in the solar plexus area just below my pecs grows too large. My waist is trim, but this area protruds almost the same distance as my pecs. It's hard as a rock, very little fat, but it's too big. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a way to work my abs without this area getting any bigger? Thanks--BB

[BENCH355ANIMAL]

Why are you using weight when doing abs? Using weight will only increase the size of the abdominals. I would stop using the weights, and only work your abs once a week to see if it shrinks.

[bonebreaker]

Originally posted by BENCH355ANIMAL
Why are you using weight when doing abs? Using weight will only increase the size of the abdominals. I would stop using the weights, and only work your abs once a week to see if it shrinks.

I only use the plate because without it, I don't feel like there is enough stress on my abs. I'll stop using the plate though. Is working abs once a week really enough, and if so, how hard should you hit them that day? BB

[BBAddict]

I had the same type of problem before. Some parts of my abdominals were developing out of proportion as compared to the rest of my body. I simply cut back on the weights, cut back to training them 2x/wk and focused on just using higher reps with good form. Abs are similar to other muscles in the sense that heavy weight causes them to grow and lower stress or less frequent training should allow them to shrink a little. I actually ended up taking several months off of oblique training cause they were overwhelming my abs.

[Taylor]

don't use any weight, and cut the crunches to 1 x 50

if your not feeling it, your must not be contracting your abs enough when your in the movement, make your stomach real tight and focus all your attention on contracting your ab muscles

i can get a good burn that way without any weight

i do use ankle weights for lower ab exercises tho, i don't see a problem with that

[Stonecold54]

could just be your genetics too. If you want smaller ab muscles I would say OVERTRAIN them, lol. That is guranteed to get them smaller. Training them less might make them grow more since you would be actually doing the amount you should be doing. Or stop training them all together. I only do 1 set to 2 sets of weighted crunches (on a nice machine) every few weeks.