I've become a real harbinger of doom when it comes to people working abs. About 2.5 years ago I embarked on a rigorous ab regimen that I kept up for months. One day I finished a few sets of Roman Chair situps and felt a pain in my right abs. Eventually I learned that I had a sports hernia and it took almost two years to heal enough for me to feel comfortable. I don't do direct ab work anymore and I have to moderate other movements to minimize ab effect. Be careful.