Best Work Out Concerning Abdominal Muscles

By Jeffrey Betancourt


Many fitness enthusiasts desire to develop their abdomen more than any other area. Some fail to realize that the abdominal area is not merely one muscle. The abdomen is made up of a group of muscles. Because of this fact, one should utilize a group of different exercises in order to get the best work out for this group of muscles. There are many different exercises to choose from that are excellent for developing the abs.

The abs exercise with the highest popularity is the crunch. This exercise is executed by lying face up on the floor with the knees slightly bent and then lifting the upper-body off of the floor towards the thighs. To deepen this exercise, one can execute the crunch while holding an exercise ball between ones legs.

There are many variations to the crunch exercise. One variation is to bring one leg across the body and place the foot on the knee as the crunch is executed. After a few crunches, one would then alternate by placing the other foot on the opposite knee. By lifting each leg, the abdominal muscles are stimulated different which provides a better work out for the abs.

Another variation to the crunch exercise is the reverse crunch. In this exercise, one would lie on ones back and engage the abs by lifting the lower body upwards towards the chest instead of lifting the upper torso off of the floor towards the knees. Utilize slow and controlled motion to optimize the workout. As with most exercises, the effectiveness comes from using proper form.

Another exercise which is excellent for abs is the hanging knee lift. This exercise is done by hanging from a pull-up bar and bending at the pelvis to lift your knees towards your upper torso. People sometimes execute this exercise incorrectly because they allow there upper body to sway and bend at the hip. By swaying and bending at the hip, one works out the hip flexor, not the abdomen. The way to execute this exercise correctly is to keep ones upper body as still as possible and lift at the pelvis moving the legs and knees as one unit.

Another good abdominal exercise is the bicycle. The bicycle is done by lying face-up on the floor and lifting the legs at a 45 degree angle above the ground. With hands held tightly behind the head, one would motion the legs as if riding on a bike. To get the best results form this exercise, the upper body should twist so that ones elbows can alternately touch the opposite knees as the legs contract and extend keeping the abdomen tight throughout this exercise.

One alteration to the bicycle exercise is to alternate between fast and slow speeds. This presents the abdominal muscle group with alternating resistance which helps with development. Another alteration is to pause during this exercise and then extend one fully extend one leg holding it at a 45 degree angle above the floor keeping the other leg in a crouched position. After a few seconds, switch and hold the other leg at a 45 degree angle above the floor while keeping the first leg in a couched position.

To get the best effect, the same exercise should not be executed every day. One should do different exercises to avoid working-out the same group of muscles in the exact same way on consecutive days. By using different exercises, one can potentially obtain the best work out for the abdominal muscles.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment