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Archive for the ‘Abdominal Exercises’ Category
There is much more to abdominal exercises than just crunches, planks and side twists. Abdominal, back and hips makes up your core. The core is responsible for our posture and vertical position. Yes, the core can be trained with abdominal and low back exercises. However, core training with odd or awkward type objects will give you more core strength for your daily life.
Rarely, will you see a rope to climb hanging in a gym, or gymnastics equipment like the rings. Just these 2 objects can be great tools for abdominal exercises. When you use different types of objects for training, you will recruit different muscles to perform a certain activity level. For instance, the first time you shovel the snow for the season, some of you may be sore in the legs and/or back. You have recruited muscles not used in normal day to day activities. You may even feel sore in your shoulders and abs.
The point here is this, when you use different types of objects, a sandbag, the rings, (which is now
called TRX Training), bales of hay, you automatically recruit the core muscles for stability. The recruitment of the core muscles and others, can be more effective for strength than any abdominal exercises. Remember the first time you incorporated kettlebells in your workout routine? There were muscles that were screaming that you never thought you had!
Tomorrow, I’ll continue on this odd object type training, using a sandbag. As you know it is always good to change up the workout routine periodically. Try to incorporate some different objects, or lifestyle movements for core and full body training. If you can’t find these type items for functional fitness, keep working those abdominal exercises with lots of variety to strengthen your core.
Today in my Body Sculpt class we did great abdominal exercise combination that worked the upper and lower portion of the abs in a compound set. I mentioned that not all abdominal exercises are equal. Abdominal exercises that lengthen the legs work the lower portion of your abs. The abdominal exercises that lengthen the arms over head or extended, primarily works the upper portion of the abs. Doing these simultaneously makes a very comprehensive abdominal workout.
These exercises can be modified. Today, we used 1 dumbbell.
- Lay supine on the mat.
- Hold one dumbbell, end to end, or you can substitute a medicine ball.
- Extend the legs straight up in the air (like a jackknife), so the heels are pushing toward the
ceiling. - Holding the dumbbell, extend the arms up above your chest, reaching toward your feet, while lifting the shoulder blades off the mat.
- Then simultaneously, lift the butt off the floor, in a reverse curl, while arms reach up toward your feet. Exhaling into the reach and lift.
Now for some, just the reverse curl is tough, and when you combine it with the lift it becomes an advanced abdominal exercise. You don’t have to use any weight, and just reach for the toes as an easier option. Then just do the reverse curl separately, until your abs get stronger. You can even hold a stability ball between your legs and do a reverse curl, to make it more challenging.
Always remember to exhale and pull the belly button to your spine at the same time and maintain good form! Good luck with these abdominal exercises. Tomorrow, we will have another combination abdominal exercise for you to try…stay posted.
If you are looking for additional ways to get a flat stomach and add intensity to your workout, look no further! In fact, not only will you be working on a flat stomach, you will also be working on your balance. For instance, grab a stability ball and do some basic crunches. Not so bad, now add intensity by closing your eyes. It gives you a completely different perspective and encourages more abdominal muscle contraction to remain stable and balanced on the ball.
Another exercise that can work on a flat stomach is working on the biceps. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but this is how it can be done. Stand tall and work on biceps curls. While you are doing them, lift one leg off the floor. You have movement, therefore, you have to contract your abdominal muscles so you can balance yourself. Do another set of biceps curls, and lift the other leg while standing. This is a multi-tasking exercise working biceps and abdominals. I always like working out more efficiently. This one will do it.
Getting a flat stomach is not always easy, but incorporating exercises that force your abdominals to contract more will help your balance and get faster results!
I have a series of abdominal exercises for you that will burn and target your abs in a truly awesome way. These abdominal exercises will not be using equipment and will only use your body weight. They are performed back to back without rest.
- Get on the floor in a full plank position on your hands.
- Hold onto a set of dumbbells if you have any wrist issues.
- Bring your right knee, to your right shoulder, 12-15 times.
- Then repeat the same exercise by bringing your left knee to left shoulder.
Immediately following this exercise in the same plank position.
- Bring the right knee forward, underneath you.
- Do that about 12-15 times, and switch legs.
- Left leg comes forward.
After you have completed both exercises, go ahead and sit back on your heels with arms extended overhead for a brief break…5-10 seconds. Then get back into your original plank position.
- The third and final abdominal exercise is bringing, the right knee toward your left elbow in a twisting move underneath your body.
- Do about 12-15 of these on the right leg.
- Switch legs and bring the left knee to the right elbow for the same number of reps.
By the end of all three of these abdominal exercises your abs will be screaming. Enjoy!
Over the weekend I was approached by yet another person asking me how they can get a flat stomach and get rid of their abdominal “excess”. I then proceeded by showing them several different abdominal exercises they could perform. They included the basic crunch, but illustrating how to bring the ribs and hips together, the bicycle, and even some abdominal exercises seated in a chair.
After this quick illustration, I explained, that the best way to achieve a flat stomach is watching calories and activity. There has to be a deficit in calories and an increase in activity. Experts persist with their prescription of at least 30 minutes of cardio exercises most days of the week.
I hate to be repetitive about this but it is what it is. It will take more energy on your part to obtain a flat stomach of your own!
I have reviewed several abdominal exercises and I have neglected to mention the hanging abdominal exercises. This ab exercise is similar to using the Captain ‘s Chair. These hanging abdominal exercises use an existing bar in the gym with two arm straps.
Just put your arms through the straps, the feet have to be off the floor and just “hang” in this position. You can start off bringing your knees to your chest (as you would using the Captain’s Chair). To intensify this abdominal exercise, keep the legs straight, exhale as you lift the legs to your chest. Add a side twist, and you can work your obliques.
These hanging abdominal exercises uses your lower abdominals and is a very effective. Check out Fitnessfromthepro.com and get your own hanging straps!
Summer is just around the corner and we’re thinking about the pool. The pool is a great place to do some abdominal exercises. When I teach my Water Aerobics classes, I’m always throwing in abdominal exercises. For instance, when you take your feet off the floor, ‘suspended’ you have to hold abdominals in tight.
After the cardio part of the Water Aerobics class, we’ll get a noodle and work on abdominal exercises too. So when you are headed to the pool, grab a noodle and lay back on it and relax. When you feel like it, bring your knees to your chest. Keep the knees in close and do a tiny, tiny little crunch moving the legs ever so slightly into your chest. That little nothing of an abdominal exercise, hits the lower part of the abs VERY effectively. Remember to keep the navel pulled to your spine and exhale every time you pull the knees to your chest. It is one of my new favorite abdominal exercises!
There are hundreds of abdominal exercises that can be done to help get a flat stomach. In so doing, there are those who forget to take care of the lower back, causing a huge muscle imbalance! Think about your abdominal area and reaching around to the lower back. This is the area where all movement is centered. Our posture stems from the muscles in the core and low back.
I want to remind you, after you do your abdominal exercises, rollover on to your stomach and work on the lower back. Lift and lower the extended legs behind you, keeping the foot flexed and squeezing the butt. Then alternate and lift the upper body off the mat. You will definitely feel these exercises in your lower back. That is good it helps strengthen the back.
We have briefly talked about muscle imbalances in the past. I mentioned that when I was working chest really hard, I would wake up during the night with extreme shoulder pain. I then found out, that I was overtraining my chest, and neglecting my back. Once I started working my upper back ( trapezius, rhomboids) my shoulder pain subsided.
One of the biggest muscle imbalances most people make is the abdominals and the lower back. Now, since we will start shedding our clothes, you’ll probably concentrate more on achieving a flat stomach. I’m finding most people work their abs really hard, but neglect working the lower part of your back, the erector spinae, and back extensors. This imbalance can cause low back pain and lead to back injuries.
So the moral of the story for today, is to maintain muscle balance. When you work hard for a flat stomach, you have to off set the imbalance by working the low back and strengthen those muscles. Tomorrow, I’ll offer some really good low back exercises for you to accomplish that goal.