Roman chair
What’s your opinion of the Roman Chair?
My observation, my opinion: Killer on the lower back (lumbar region) and doesn’t engage abs in the healthiest, most efficient and productive way.
Go hanging leg raises and rope tucks.
dd
Rope tucks
Please explain what a rope tuck is. You write of this often and I don’t know this one.
The standing cable rope tucks are a relatively high-rep exercise (25 to 35) that quickly attack the midsection as we tug with bent arms close to the body and vary the downward motion from front, to left and to right.
As the reps, pump and burn pile up, extend the arms and the resistance is transferred to the greater upper body. Biceps, triceps, serratus, lats, pecs and the entire back are fully engaged. And there’s panting, cardiovascular work at play.
While specifically an abdominal exercise, it can be manipulated by body positioning and concentrated muscle contraction to work countless details of the upper torso. Start with a pulley system that provides a single overhead cable from which you can attach your favorite rope handle. Choose an appropriate weight through trial and error (approximately thirty percent of bodyweight), grab the rope, kneel down about three feet in front of the system and sit back on your heels. Bend forward toward the weight stack with the rope under tension and close to your lowered forehead. You’re ready to practice the movement as you assess the resistance on your abs and throughout the upper body, determine your range of motion and facility to move with muscle-focused efficiency.
The first ten reps are performed with the arms held rigid, rope-grasping fists near the temples, the torso moving up and down by the power of the abs. Important: the entire abdominal muscles are contracted to do the hard work. Don’t lunge forward and accomplish the motion with the assistance of your bodyweight. Nice try.
Moving on, continue the action with a slight shift of the body and grip predominance to the right for five longer-motion reps, and, likewise, shift to the left and repeat. These variations add interest and further the involvement of the torso to include the obliques and intercostals. An extended overhead range of motion affected by the cable enables you to bring in serratus and lats while you are continually loading, stimulating and fatiguing the grip and biceps.
Raise the weight, lower the reps and the movement is powerful. No, not an earth mover, but it’s strong and intense. Furthermore, it offers freedom and spontaneity, that great sense of muscle exploration and exercise improvisation according to feel, urge and desire. There are muscles just waiting to be discovered and involved and energized and developed.
I’m convinced I could superset five sets of cable tucks of diverse ROM, resistance and repetitions with freehand or machine dips of similar variation and exit the gym a proud and exhilarated musclehead — no regrets.
Workout for abdominal region
I am 60 years old and would like to know what kind of stomach routine and diet I can do to lose that pooch in the lower stomach below the waistline. I have been working out with weights for about a month now, mostly on a weight machine, and doing some stomach work such as crunches and situps.
Add leg raises, hanging leg raises, rope tucks and hyperextensions to your routine in a fashion customized to suit your day-by-day needs and desires and energy.
Crunches should be done with attention to lifting pelvic area to upper torso for healthiest muscle engagement.
Mix multiple sets of fixed reps of your chosen exercise one workout alternated with single sets of max reps for another.
Mainly, work hard and with focus and a sound, likeable pace. Three days a week should be sufficient.
Throw in aerobics (bike, walk) and certainly musclebuilding weight training-a-plenty.
Eat right and be consistent or you’ll go nowhere slowly. Your first month should lead to another and another without termination. We call it living, lifting, learning and growing.
Long live the bombers… Godspeed… Dave