Dear Shredheads - 30 Day Shred Plank Twists Hurt

Whenever I do [plank twists, the last ab workout of Level 2] it feels like I am crunching bones in my pelvis or something. It feels yucky not like a burn. Thoughts as to what I am doing wrong? - Lindsay

Well I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who has had problems with those!  I'd never thought to describe it that way, but yeah, that description fits.

As I worked my way through Level 2, and my muscles got stronger, this got a little better.  But what made a bigger difference was my playing around with various angles and body positions through the twisting motion to find what worked for me.  What helps me is to raise my palms up off the ground while I'm twisting through (so my fingers are flat against the ground, but my palms are off), and to slightly bend the arm that's on the same side as the leg that's moving.  So if you're pulling your right leg over to the left, try bending your right arm very slightly.

Something else you might want to try is doing the plank on a raised surface (like the edge of a bed, couch, or table).  The incline will make the move a little easier, but will allow you to actually focus on the muscles you're working rather than a grindy pelvis.

Another ab move I have the same problem with is the straight-legged raises, where you're holding the dumbells up like you're doing a chest press.  This one makes my hips/pelvis/something make a loud popping noise too.  To prevent that, I no longer use the dumbells, and I put my hands down kind of under my butt.  This changes the angle and things feel MUCH better.

The important thing to remember is that you can play around a little with your form to find what works for your body.

- Bill

What do you think...do you have a hard time with these?  What do you do?

Comments

[Mimi @ The Things We do]

I have issues with my lower back so the straight leg raises, the scissor crunches and the pike crunches all KILL with out support on my back. I do put my hands under my bum and try to support my back there (but I feel like I'm cheating even though they are still very hard). And I go slowly and take my time.

I also am having problems with the sit ups in Level 3. Of course this is just day 2 of level 3 for me, so they may get better. I can't seem to get them. I've tried hooking my feet under furniture, and that doesn't work too well with my furniture. A friend suggested bending knees like Natalie and keeping arms straight like Anita, but use dumbbells and do arm curls to help get some momentum. I have yet to try this so I'll let you know.

[Rosa]

I agree that we should modify to make the moves better for our bodies. This will make us stick with the moves and progress. However, after a few weeks of training with the DVDs, I also encourage you to go back to the method that Jillian recommends so that you can gauge how strong you've become. Good luck.

[Bill]

Good point Rosa - it's pretty easy to get stuck doing an "easier" version sometimes.

[Vani]

I have the same problem with my hip joints grinding when I do bicycle crunches. The thing is, it doesn't happen all the time. So I just restrict my range of motion if I'm having a day when the grinding is happening.