Core Fatigue?

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Lexingtongue

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I tend to work my core every day to some extent bar a day off every week. I do the weighted sit-up machine, 90 second planks x3, twists with the medicine ball and leg raises when I'm at the gym every other day. On my days off I do planks and the planking variant where you pull your knees up towards your elbows.

Now, rather than getting easier, I'm finding it more of a struggle to plank for 90 seconds than I was a few months back. Is this a sign that I'm overdoing it? If so, how should I scale things back? I've tried taking days off recently but always feel bad about it, as if I'm finding reasons to skive... Any advice from the SMB's more experienced fitness types?
 


Without meaning to be dismissive, I don't think there's any way you could be approaching fatigue with that workload. Unless you're somehow injuring yourself.
 
Charmless Man said:
Without meaning to be dismissive, I don't think there's any way you could be approaching fatigue with that workload. Unless you're somehow injuring yourself.
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Well, yeah, I didn't think it was that much but as I'm struggling I thought I'd ask. I'd expect to find it a bit easier over time but I'm not. I'm not in any pain or anything as I do it, just more wobbly if that makes sense?

I usually got to the gym after work when I'm mentally shattered, could this be playing a part? Or am I just weak as piss? :lol:
 
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I used to do a 2-3 min plank each morning in the Summer before I went to work, it developed into a bit of a habit.

More recently I've been doing a weights session then finishing with about 8 mins HIIT on a rower then finally a 3+ min plank so probably x3 times a week.

Why not change things around for a month or two? Normal plank 3 or 4 times a week, adding 15 seconds to each one. I.e. 1x 90 seconds on day 1, 1x 105 seconds day 3, 1x 120 seconds day 5 etc.

I don't see much point in doing variants unless you want to hit a specific spot i.e. with side planks. It's akin to one handed press ups that look good when there's totty around in the gym but you might as well keep it basic and go home to your 7/10 doting wife.
 
Lexingtongue said:
I tend to work my core every day to some extent bar a day off every week. I do the weighted sit-up machine, 90 second planks x3, twists with the medicine ball and leg raises when I'm at the gym every other day. On my days off I do planks and the planking variant where you pull your knees up towards your elbows.

Now, rather than getting easier, I'm finding it more of a struggle to plank for 90 seconds than I was a few months back. Is this a sign that I'm overdoing it? If so, how should I scale things back? I've tried taking days off recently but always feel bad about it, as if I'm finding reasons to skive... Any advice from the SMB's more experienced fitness types?
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How's your diet? Are you gaining weight or losing weight etc? If you're on a calorie deficit or not getting enough protein you might be losing muscle. Hard to say though. Are these exercises the only things you are doing or is this on top of other exercises?
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
I used to do a 2-3 min plank each morning in the Summer before I went to work, it developed into a bit of a habit.
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For a while I would plank each day while the bath was running. Started out with a minute or so then added 5 seconds each day. I got up to over 3 minutes but for some reason stopped and never started again.

Now I can barely hold a plank for 1:05 and my core is made of jelly.
 
alreetlike said:
For a while I would plank each day while the bath was running. Started out with a minute or so then added 5 seconds each day. I got up to over 3 minutes but for some reason stopped and never started again.

Now I can barely hold a plank for 1:05 and my core is made of jelly.
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4 mins today for me at the end of the session, we had a thread a while ago and the world record is about 6 hours I think!
 
mattT said:
How's your diet? Are you gaining weight or losing weight etc? If you're on a calorie deficit or not getting enough protein you might be losing muscle. Hard to say though. Are these exercises the only things you are doing or is this on top of other exercises?
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On top of other exercises, mate. I'm trying to keep my weight steady, so not on a deficit. I make sure I get enough protein using MyFitnessPal which (I believe) is properly catered to these specific needs...

Stevie Freestein II said:
4 mins today for me at the end of the session, we had a thread a while ago and the world record is about 6 hours I think!
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Some Chinese guy, isn't it? Bloke was telling me and my mate about it a while back.
 
Lexingtongue said:
On top of other exercises, mate. I'm trying to keep my weight steady, so not on a deficit. I make sure I get enough protein using MyFitnessPal which (I believe) is properly catered to these specific needs...


Some Chinese guy, isn't it? Bloke was telling me and my mate about it a while back.
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If you're training your abs 6 days out of 7 every week it could be fatigue? Others on here will be able to give better advice but my instinct would be to reduce the number of sessions per week that you're doing ab-specific exercises. If you're doing exercises such as squat, deadlift etc then your core will be getting worked nicely. You could perhaps try reducing to 1 or 2 days a week where you do your ab-specific workouts, and then work them harder in each session (compared to your current sessions).
 
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