Anyone else find upper body easier than lower/abs?

DORKtoDIVA · 06-03-2009, 11:37 PM

Doing an upper body workout is always fun for me. I feel like I can really challenge myself and push myself yet it's not actually PAINFUL for me (just the cool DOMS later).

But abs and lower body, I just hate to work out.

Is it just me? Or is that fairly universal?

Karmalife · 06-04-2009, 02:14 AM

I'm sure we all have a body part we like training more or less than others. Maybe you are stronger in you upper body and that's why you dislike training your lower half. Is it because it's that much more challenging? I find the exercise I dread doing the most is usually the one that I should be spending time and effort on

DORKtoDIVA · 06-04-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karmalife

I'm sure we all have a body part we like training more or less than others. Maybe you are stronger in you upper body and that's why you dislike training your lower half. Is it because it's that much more challenging? I find the exercise I dread doing the most is usually the one that I should be spending time and effort on

That was my assumption - that we all had parts we found easier or harder. But I just started to wonder based on stuff I was reading, if maybe it was semi-universal that the upper body was easier. Dunno, guess not.

I have indeed always found my upper body to be relatively stronger and more agile than my lower body, even as a small child. (For example, I was the kid who could climb the rope all the way to the top of the gym ceiling, using arms only, and didn't find it that hard - yet would be crying for mommy if I ever had to run more than a lap). These days I have arthritis in my knees, and that makes lower body workouts not just challenging but downright unpleasant. For abs, though, I have no excuse - I guess I'm just weaker there.

Karmalife · 06-04-2009, 08:38 PM

Yeah, arthritis can be difficult to deal with. Still, you can get an effective workout if you know which exercises your body can still handle (depending of course on the severity of the arthritis). I was a personal trainer a few years back and most of my clients had knee, shoulder and hip issues (they were all over 45) but we always found safe exercises that worked for them.

Good luck and keep movin'!

Trusylver · 06-04-2009, 11:41 PM

For me it has taken a lot of work to bring my upper body up to be on par with my lower body strength.

Karmalife · 06-05-2009, 12:09 AM

But what does that mean exactly? how do you know off the bat, how strong your upper or lower body should be? It's not like you're going to lift the same weights for your biceps as you do your hamstrings... Are you saying you weren't proportional in size?

Trusylver · 06-05-2009, 09:42 AM

With powerlifting there are grade standards for the lifts based on bodyweight and when I started lifting seriously I was a higher grade for squat and deadlift compared to benchpress But now I am a higher grade for benchpress. I am competing at the Australian titles next month.

my size hasn't changed much only a couple of cm.

Karmalife · 06-05-2009, 02:27 PM

Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation!

Breauna G. · 06-07-2009, 09:47 PM

I totally agree with you ladies. I actually love doing upper body because I get such fast results. I hate lower body, but after having a child it needs the most work. Stay positive and motivated!!!

GainCurves · 06-09-2009, 12:17 AM

Yes, I hate it too! And the funny part is that my guy friends told me that b/c I was a woman, lower body should be easier since we have more strength in our legs and such. I was the total opposite. Though I got great results, squats are hell for me. I will take my bicep curl over squats any day.