#ab update

So, it's Day 3 of my 30 Day Ab Challenge quest, and a perfect time for an update! Compared to the 30 Day Squat Challenge, I would have to say the Ab Challenge is less stressful on the body as a whole in terms of cardio (raising the heart rate from consecutive reps) and soreness. As a general comment, after Day 3 my abs aren't in serious pain, but then again I've been doing ab exercises at the gym. I normally do 100 machine based sit ups and 40 to 45 machine crunches every time I go to the gym (usually 3x per week). 

Regarding the specific exercises in the 30 Day Ab Challenge:

Sit Ups: Never liked them...still hate them, but my endurance is improving to the point that I can do them in sets of 10 to 15 without stopping

Crunches: Have always been good at these, so pretty good so far!

Leg Raise: I'm about to nix this particular exercise and do it in reverse. The premise is to lift your legs so that they're just parallel with the floor and then raise them to just above your pelvis, then repeat. But it's giving me serious back pain (something I struggle with A LOT!) while doing them. So, I've decided to modify this exercise so that I start with my legs perpendicular to the floor and then lower them to about 45 degrees and then back up. It's still technically working the same muscles, but my hope is that it won't put as much strain on my back. But I'll keep you posted!