How can I prevent pain while working my abs?

Sometimes in a case like this position can make all the difference during ab crunches. For example, If you are doing crunches on a physio ball make sure your lower back is secure against the ball.  Once the back is comfortablly resting on the ball try doing the crunches slowly  and at a comfortable speed. Try not to do too many at 1 time. Try breaking down the exercise to 10 reps each set for 3 sets total.

Don't forget to stretch your abdominals when you are done working on them.  If you were working on a ball you can stretch on it as well.  After you have finished you last set, lie back on the ball, reach your arms back behind your head until you feel a nice stretch in your abdominals and hold the stretch for at least 20 seconds.  You can also do this on a bench if you weren’t working with a ball, or you can also do the same thing standing up.  First stand up tall, again raise your arms above your head and lean back until you feel the stretch in the abdominals and hold for at least 20 seconds.  Stretching can help reduce your after workout soreness.

Now if you are feeling during your ab rountine you might be doing something wrong by having your body compensate for something else.  A lot of people do not position themselves properly when doing ab exercise and use muscles they really don't need to use.  Unfortunately many machines out there and not good for your abs because you are compensating when you can't lift the weight.  One of the best exercises is using the physio ball if you are having a hard time with ab exercises.  Keeping your lower back on the ball along with tightening your ab muscles during the exercise will go a long wall.  Keep your legs at a 90 degree angle and and try and look up while crunching.  If avaliable always try to consult a personal trainer to help you out if you are still having discomfort while performing ab exercises. 

If you don't feel your abs working then you are not working your abs.  On the other hand if your lower back is hurting you when you are trying to work your abs then you have a weak core and need to take it slow and make sure you incorporate lower back exercises.  Also you want to make sure you are doing the exercises in the proper form.  If possible find someone that can make sure that you are doing this right.

Any time a muscle is placed under load and begins to fatigue, a burning sensation will be felt. This is due to the depletion of ATP, or a muscle’s immediate energy source, and the resulting buildup of lactic acid. With the increased levels of lactic acid and lack of readily available ATP, the muscle loses its ability to function efficiently and in turn, is felt as a burning sensation.

 When performing exercises, allow yourself roughly 60 to 90 seconds to recover in between sets. This will allow your body to recover its ATP levels before starting the next set.

Unfortunately a lot of people get this and avoid abs entirely. That is not good. We need for you to keep them and your lower back strong. You can't have strong abs without a strong back. Start out flat on your back and with your hands inter weaved behind your head and your thumbs on your neck reminding you to keep your neck relaxed. Pull your stomach up and crunch up, hold it there, look at your stomach and press it down as far as you can. Now do 20 basic crunches on your back one inch up and one inch down. Then try with one leg crossed over the other one and then switch. Really focus on keeping your abs tight. As soon as it starts to hurt stop and roll onto your stomach and do Supermans. Flip flop and get them toned and supporting you-do 5x each.