Archive for the ‘Abdominal Exercise’ Category
Hey guys, here is another great abdominal exercise for you which is very functional for every day life. It’s a natural rotational movement, and ooooo-eeeeee does it work! It uses the cable crossover machine and a stability ball. This abdominal exercise works the entire abdominal region and the erector spinae (back muscles).
Here’s how it works:
- Put a handle on the cable crossover machine and put a pin in the desired weight.
- Put the handle about chest height.
- Get a stability ball and hug the ball against you.
- Pick up the handle and pull it in front of the ball and hold onto it.
- Step out toward the middle of the cable machine holding handle and ball.
- Legs are wider then hips, keep heels in the floor, and have a stable stance.
- If your right hand is holding the ball and handle, you’ll want to rotate right and rotate all the way to the left in a slow controlled manner.
- Rotate 12-15 times in one direction.
- Then switch, and the left hand holds the handle and ball, then rotate left and then to the right.
You are sure to feel this the next day, but a great way to strengthen the abs and lower back.
Hey guys, when I was teaching my Body Sculpt class the other day, we did an abdominal exercise that I actually was a little sore afterwards. I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to get sore in the ab area, even with Pilates. Being sore meant to me, that I targeted muscles that haven’t been used in a while. So I thought I would share it with you.
- Lay on the floor.
- Bend your knees and bring them to tabletop, a.k.a. 90 degrees off the floor.
- Put a dumbbell between your legs. ( I used a 8 lbs.)
- Make a T with your arms for stabilization.
- Pull the navel to your spine.
- Inhale and roll your legs with dumbbell, to the right side. Be mindful to keep the both shoulder blades on the floor.
- Exhale as you begin to lift the legs and roll them over to the other side.
- Repeat rolling the knees from side to side.
- Start with 10 rolls on each side, then increase number of reps.
- Also be mindful, that you don’t go too heavy with your dumbbell, that will actually increase your waist size.
This abdominal exercise actually targets your obliques. Let me know what you think.
Yesterday when I was teaching a body sculpting class we did an abdominal exercise, that also worked glutes and hamstrings. I really like to utilize combination exercises as much as possible because it makes for a more efficient workout.
This abdominal exercise uses a stability ball.
- Get on your knees and face the ball.
- Place your elbows on top of the ball.
- Lift your right foot off the floor, keeping your knee bent and foot flexed.
- Lift and lower that leg.
- Repeat on the other leg.
This sounds easy enough right? Trying to stabilize while lifting the leg is NOT an easy task. Keep that belly button pulled into your spine to stabilize yourself.
If it is too difficult with a bent knee, then just extend the leg out behind you, keep the foot flexed and lift and lower.
If any of this is too hard, just start out with the elbows on the ball and legs fully extended on the toes behind you and hold for 15 seconds. You can gradually increase the length of time and move on to above abdominal exercises.
If you are having great stabilization, then use a bent leg and put a weight in the crease behind the knee and lift and lower the leg.