As a personal trainer one of the top three questions I'm asked everyday is, "How do I tighten my abs?" Everyone wants to tighten their tummy, tone their abs, or work up a "six pack." I'm going to share 5 abdominal toning exercises with you that will give you results if you do them 3 or 4 times a week. You should begin to notice a difference in only a few weeks.
Do each exercise for 30 seconds. Repeat 2 times.
Your crunches aren't working? These crunches will.
Don't cringe. The basic crunch really works. The trick is that you have to do it right. I see people every day performing hundreds of crunches, and they are barely using their abs at all. They are pulling up with their neck, back, and shoulders. If you want to change the shape of your abs you have to use your abs.
To do crunches correctly make these basic adjustments: Lay flat on your floor and place your hands under your head. Do not use your arms and back to lift your head. Simply cradle your head in your hands. Don't tuck your chin. Lift it up, as if you are holding an apple under it. Keep your eyes on the ceiling and your chin up as you pull up using your top abdominal muscle. Think about the upper abdominal, focus on it, and you will feel it engage to lift your upper body.
Reverse crunches.
Lay flat on your back and pull your knees in toward your chin. This involves more than rolling up on your butt. You must squeeze your lower ab as you push your knees toward your chin.
Bicycle with oblique twist.
This move sounds old school and it is. Lay on your back with your hands behind your head. Cradle your head in your hands. Lift your knees up to a 90 degree angle. Pull each knee up toward your chest, alternating legs. As you pull your knee up bring your opposite elbow across your body toward your knee. Use your oblique abdominal muscle to lift and turn. This is a tough exercise and will really push your abs to tighten and shape up.
Double crunch.
This is just like it sounds. Combine a correctly executed crunch with your upper ab. At the same time roll your knees up toward your chest feeling the crunch in your lower ab. Suck in your abdominals as you perform the exercise, as if you are pulling your bellybutton through to your back.
Flutter kick for lower abdominals.
Lay flat on the floor. Put your hands beneath your glutes, thumbs touching. Lift your feet about an inch off the floor. Flex them, pushing your heel out. Do not let your feet touch the floor during this exercise. Alternate lifting your legs 30 to 40 degrees off the floor. You will feel the point of greatest tension. Make sure you lift and lower through this point. Think consciously about your lower abdominal and feel it working to flutter kick your legs.
Correct form will make the biggest difference when exercising your abs (See photos for form). Push through the burn and work toward the sleek, toned abs you desire.
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