No-Risk Abs: A Safe Workout Program for Core Strength

Although the abs are very important, it is very difficult to find good protocols for their proper training. This book is very good in the sense that it explains the anatomy involved quite carefully, but in an accessible way. It explains in detail why the usual training techniques can be very disadvantageous and even quite dangerous. Here, the danger is not some imagined problem but practical, meaningful threat of injury. Finally, it shows a very creditable and effective approach to training the abs. It is obviously safe and is probably effective. So, I have to admire this important and carefully made resource.Psychologically, I just hate this book---really, I hate it. I am not particularly interested in the details of abdominal anatomy. I want to be told what to do and how to do it very succinctly. For the most part, I don't really care why it works---as long as it works. So, I find that I have to give more patience than I really want to give in understanding the first two thirds of the book, explaining the anatomy and the disadvantages of wrong form. This is a necessary, but (for me) unpalatable learning. Finally, it takes some patience to master the true exercise protocols. They are not what I expect. I expect to work very hard, sweat a lot, hurt a little, get done fast, and have everything go swell. As it happens, that isn't how this works. It is necessary to stretch and contract the muscles alternately in appropriate patterns. The stretches give the impression that I am wasting my time and not sweating. So, there is psychological pressure, especially during the learning phase. I want to work hard and get it done, and I'm lying about moving in slow stretching patterns---and wasting my time.The problem is simple. If proper cultivation of the ab muscle group was as I supposed it to be, then I'd have gotten it right a long time ago, wouldn't I? Yes, I would have. The proper way of doing it has a learning curve and "feels" or "seems" quite unexpected to me. So, I have a real learning to undergo, and some considerable patience is required. This should not have been unexpected, but, nonetheless, I didn't expect it. Who knew? The right way may not be what I expected. This way will not injure any normal person. It appears to give good results when fully learned and fully done.

A guide to getting out of the fitness paradigm that over emphasizes abs. I gave it 4 stars, not because it's my favorite book, but because It changed me. I haven't gone back to the way I worked out since reading.A must for yoga teachers and personal trainers- we must provide the shift in thinking about "core" strengthLike: anatomy, experiential exercisesDislike: exercises offered still emphasized the "core" concept, I'd like to see more of a whole body concept.

So far, so good. It helps one to be more aware of the individual abdominal muscles. It has not caused any discomfort to me. I have not yet completed all of the exercises. The downside is that my impression is that one must find an instructor, but I am not sure what more the instructor would have to offer.

Read this book especially if you are a teacher or client w. back issues.You might know of Blandine's other book, Anatomy of Movement. This is a brilliant book that finally addresses the poor training of abs and the possible effects of this training. The "crunch" is poor use of the abs especially when the abs are used incorrectly and is compressing the disks. A lot of clients know how to harden the abs and destroy the length of the spine. Here is a book that addresses the whys and hows to correct training.

Bought this book because I needed to work out and try to loose some belly fat...I don't even want a six pack..I just wanted to tone up my belly and loose some fat maybe..didn't want to go to the gym, so I decided to do some 15 minutes workout at home and bought this book thinking it would show me some new or easy techniques..nothing new that I didn't already know...other than that I think is a good book and I would rate it 4 to 5 stars.

I'm sure this is a great book for professional Physical Therapists, but it went into much more than I needed to know. Plus, by the time you get to the actual exercises at the end of the book, there are so many steps and so much detail, that it's really difficult to perform the exercises without having the book in your hand, not an easy task. I was looking for safe abs exercises, and didn't expect to have to learn anatomy and so much other detail.

Not as outstanding as other books by the author, but it's an excellent work. Some typing errors though.It's a great way to better understand the anatomy of your abdominals, what to do to correctly exercise them and what not to do.It's a must for instructors.

Amazing. Highly recommend this book. I've done so many Dvd's and different ab exercises and nothing comes close to how effective these are. Who would think something so simple would create such a workout. I'm amazed these exercises aren't more recommended. I do pilates, barre, etc.....these simple simple exercises top them all. Thinking about them is even motivating .....I think ill do them now. !!!

I didnt get beyond opening the parcel but bewildered to find three identical copies of the text. I've returned and will try and find a single copy.

Great product - fast delivery

Excellent

This book is amazing. I have now bought 4 copies - one on kindle (not recommended - you need to see the pictures) and three paperback versions (one for my sister in law, and a replacement because I thought I had lost my own copy).I had a serious back injury nearly 15 years ago that left me with chronic pain for 10 years. Finally, I found Rolfing and my pain was relieved. But I was weak after years of being unable to do much exercise because of the residual pain, and I was afraid of doing exercises that would damage my pelvic floor (part of my job deals with improving incontinence so I am, perhaps, overly aware of the risks of exercises that strain the pelvic floor). The exercises in this book start at the very beginning, building your strength from the ground up and training you to use your core in the way it was designed to be used.I have a medical background so I found the first half of the book interesting and useful, but I can see it being a bit technical for people who do not have this bent. I do think you would still get benefit from the exercises, though, and you can always refer back to see what muscles relate to the exercise you are working on in each step.

Quite a lot of the book is taken up by describing the body - muscles, etc. For the average reader, such as those who would suppose it's just a book about a workout program, as the front cover would suggest, they will find much of the book quite tedious to go through.