Archive for the ‘Abdominal Exercises’ Category
Yesterday, I mentioned we would talk about good form when it comes to the basic abdominal crunch for a flat stomach. As promised, here are a couple of things to remember.
The one and most important thing: Keep the low back into the mat!!! We all have a tendency to arch the back. As soon as that arch takes place you release the abdominals. Think of it this way, when you are laying on your back and you crunch up, concentrate on bringing the ribs to meet the hips. The low back automatically sinks into the mat. Plus you get a little more bang, by tilting the hips up, you are working the full range of the abs.
A second thing to remember: Don’t pull on your head! With our hands behind our head there is a tendency to pull the head up to ease the crunch. This is incredibly bad for the cervical spine. Instead, gently/lightly place your finger tips by your ears and lift.
Another thing to concentrate on is: Keep a fist distance between the chin and chest! Place one of your fists under your chin to get a feel for where that distance is. Or get an
orange, place it under your chin and do a crunch that way.
Finally, I see some folks who want to make the abdominal crunch harder, by lengthening the levers. They have both arms extended over head, which is fine except, they use their arms as momentum to help lift the upper body off the floor. This is called Angular Momentum. You are transferring the real work your abs should be doing, to the swinging the arms. Instead, control the upper body from your abs as you lift with arms extended.
Always remember, GOOD FORM IS EVERYTHING for all exercises, even for a flat stomach!
Abdominal Exercises in the Water
Have you ever thought about doing some abdominal exercises in the water? Sometimes this is the perfect place to start training your abs when the abdominal muscles are weak. You will need equipment for flotation like the noodle or aqua dumbbells. I think the noodle would be easier, because you can place it around your back under your armpits.
Basic Abdominal Crunch (with noodle):
- Lay on your back (supine) and extend your legs out in front.
- Pull your navel into your spine.
- Keep the legs together and pull your knees to your chest.
- Exhale as you are pulling your legs toward you.
- Be mindful of keeping your shins parallel to the pool floor.
- Inhale and extend the legs out.
- Repeat about 15-20 times.
Oblique Twist (with noodle) and Crunch:
- Execute the Abdominal Crunch, except keep the knees into your chest.
- Roll the knees from side to side, in this tight position.
- To add on, hold knees to one side, and do a little side crunch, bringing your chest to your knees and exhale.
- This is a small move.
- Do about 10-12 repetitions on one side, then do the other side.
Abdominal exercises in the water is a great place to begin if you have weaker abs!
Yesterday I was telling you about this great training I went to on Saturday called AthleKinetix. Today, I was going to talk about some exercises with various pieces of equipment. The training was all about, not stopping in between exercises and flow from cardio to toning, balance etc. It was about doing multiple things usually with equipment utilizing as many pieces as possible. Today, I am going to specifically talk about abdominal exercises.
Let’s use the Bender Ball first. Place the smaller ball behind the low back. Lay back on the
ball and perform a basic crunch. It requires more abdominal work because you are on an unstable surface a bit more challenging than using the big stability ball not to mention a greater range of motion.
Another exercise would be the Pilates 100s. Place the ball between your legs and squeeze, while simultaneously lifting head neck and shoulders off the mat. Legs are bent at either 90
degrees (easier), as shown or fully extended straight legs to about 45 degrees. Arms and hands are by your side pumping, inhaling quickly for 5 breaths and exhaling for 5 breaths. Working abs and inner thighs by squeezing the ball.
This abdominal exercise is fabulous! It includes a body bar. You could use dumbbells. Lay supine holding body bar, shoulder width apart. Perform a tricep extension, while performing bicycle legs. What a challenge!
These multiple body part exercises are for more advanced fitness levels. Tomorrow we will talk about cardio intervals to throw in between the toning, balance, etc. I’d love to know your thoughts on these abdominal exercises.
There are certain foods you can eat that will promote a weight loss diet and help to flatten your stomach. First of all, there is no magic pill for weight loss and it is a matter of calories in have to be less than calories out! With that said, there are foods in a weight loss diet that can help you reduce your caloric intake and also blast some belly fat. Here are a few of those foods:
- Salmon- is full of wonderful Omega 3 fatty acids, and protein. It helps stabilize your blood sugar levels to prohibit excess production of insulin. The controlled bloosd sugar level helps control belly fat. The protein builds muscle that you may lose during a weight loss diet.
- Apples- are a high fiber food. Each apple could contain 4-5 grams of fiber. The antioxidants help control excess production of insulin. With the stabilization of insulin production, apples can help your weight loss diet and reduce excess belly fat.
- Lentils- are another stomach flattening food. Lentils have a high amount of protein, which takes longer to digest making you feel fuller longer. There is a ton of water soluble fiber which also stabilizes blood sugar levels and offsets insulin production helping to reduce belly fat.
- Yogurt- helps to keep you feeling fuller longer with the combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat. It helps to keep sugar levels consistent. Studies show that 61% of people on a weight loss diet who did not include yogurt did not lose as much weight compared to 81% of people who did include yogurt in their weight loss diet.
- Parmesan Cheese- is full of flavor and is also a lower fat cheese. People sprinkle parmesan on their food are less likely to gain weight overtime.
- Chiles- ooooo-eeeee… HOT!!! Inreases your metabolism and helps you burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat due to the thermogenic effect. Also when you eat spicy food you tend to eat it more slowly, giving your brain time to let you know when you are full.
There are other foods that are good in a weight loss diet including, but not limited to: blueberries, steak, avacado, sardines, eggs, spinach, oats, almonds, pomegranates, wheat pasta and olive oil. These foods either have a high amount of protein to help maintain muscle during weight loss or are full of fiber and antioxidants.
Did you also notice a common theme from the foods listed above? The more stabilized your glycemic index is at controlling your insulin production, the flatter the stomach becomes. Your weight loss diet is smart eating! Include the major ingredients in your diet like, protein, carbs, dairy, fiber and fat. Stay away from refined sugars and processed food and you’ll be losing weight and belly fat at the same time!
Ab Workouts Can Sculpt Your Core
For better or worse, our society promotes an obsession with physical appearance. Magazine covers are plastered with airbrushed models and guys who have bulked up with the help of steroids and other similar substances. Our exposure to media gives us an incentive to look more like the traditional archetype of attractiveness. Instead, it should be our goal to be as fit and healthy as possible without worrying about the trivial parts.
Being in peak physical shape means achieving a sculpted core, and the most effective way to get there is through abdominal exercise. We all covet the notion of getting six-pack abs, and it really is possible for those who put in the work. Crunches are the best known ab exercise, and they are really just an abbreviated sit-up that forces the stomach muscles to handle most of the burden.