Posts Tagged ‘abdominal’
Everybody wants tight, toned abs, and exercise is the only way to get them. Of course, nobody will be able to see the results of your hard work if your abs are covered with a layer of fat, so be sure to watch your diet and burn fat with cardio workouts. The other half of the equation is to simply work your abs.
Your Abs
The “six pack” muscle is called the rectus abdominis, and it runs from your diaphragm to your pelvis. Contrary to popular belief, there is no “upper” and “lower” ab muscle, although there are exercises that target the rectus abdominis from different angles. Beneath that lies the transverse abdominis, also called the “deep abdominals,” which requires a completely different sort of exercise. On either side, the obliques run from back to front and support you when you twist. Toned obliques require yet another type of exercise, but working them will nip in your waist from the sides.
Lying Leg Raise
The lying leg raise, also known as the reverse crunch, is done by lying on your back with your legs in the air and pulsing your legs toward the ceiling. Done this way, the move targets your rectus abdominis from the bottom end, but adding a crunch with your upper body works the whole muscle. If you begin with your legs about 6 inches from the floor and your arms overhead, then contract your abs to raise your legs and your upper body at the same time, you target your deep abdominal muscles, or the transverse abdominis. A similar move can be done while lying on your side to target the obliques, but don’t attempt it unless your core is already strong. Otherwise, it can strain your lower back muscles.
Alternatives
If you find the lying leg raise too difficult, there are plenty of exercises you can do to work up to it while providing a good workout for your abs. You can try doing lying leg raises with your knees bent, for example, which condenses the weight of your legs closer to your body, making them easier to pull up. You could also hang from a pull-up bar and lift your legs out in front of you, or even just tuck your knees to your chest. All of these moves target the rectus abdominis in the same way, without being quite so difficult and placing such a strain on the back.
Don’t Forget Your Obliques
Of course, no ab workout is complete unless you work your obliques. Unfortunately, the lying leg raise simply does not target those muscles because the movement is done square in front of you and there is no twisting or rotation involved. You can alter the lying leg raise to incorporate the obliques, though, with the use of a medicine ball. Keep one next to you, and do the version of the lying leg raise where you raise your upper body as well. At the peak of the move, when everything is up, twist from the waist to pick up the medicine ball with both hands, touch it to the floor on the other side of you, and return it to its original position before you lie back down. It adds a whole new element to the exercise and makes it much more difficult, but the results will be worth it.
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When training to achieve that “cut” or “ripped” midsection look, you should use specific exercises that target and train each of the separate sections of the abdominal muscle group. You can choose from exercise machines that use free weights or weight stacks as your source of resistance, or exercises that use body movements and gravity for resistance. Either method can yield the results you want, as long as you perform them with correct technique and some degree of consistency.
Abdominal Crunches for the Upper Abs
Abdominal crunches can be a very effective exercise to target the upper abdominal muscles. You can use abdominal crunch machines or standard floor exercises to achieve success. Either way, the exercise basics are the same. Most machines will have some type of foot pad to stabilize the lower body. They will also have an upper handle to grasp with your hands to stabilize your upper body. The key to using these machine appropriately is to pull the weight with your abs, not your arms or shoulders. Squeeze, or contract, your upper abs to move your upper body forward. When performing floor crunches, the key is keeping your upper and lower body stable, allowing your abdominal muscle to move the upper body upward. Your knees should be bent, to take pressure off the lower back, and your feet should be about 12 inches from your buttocks. Make sure you are not pulling with your arms to ensure you get the most out of this exercise.
Leg Lifts for Lower Abdominal Muscles
Leg lifts can be performed on a chin/dip machine, or on the floor. Either way, you can target the lower abdominal muscles very well. If you’re on a chin/dip machine, allow your feet to hang above the ground by firmly pressing your back against the back pad with your forearms, which are supporting your weight, firmly resting on the forearm pads. Pull both knees up to your chest to activate your lower abs. You can also perform this type of leg lift one leg at a time. If you’re doing this exercise on the floor, lie face-up with your hands under your buttocks for added back support. In this position, you can either raise your feet to a position about six inches off the ground and, after holding this position for a time, raise and lower your legs between six and 18 inches from the ground. From this position, you could also perform knee tucks by pulling both knees to your chest, either together or one knee at a time.
Abdominal Twists for the Obliques
When performing abdominal twists to target the obliques, or sides of the abdominal muscle group, you can choose floor exercises or abdominal twist machines. The machines perform the same basic twist movement you would perform on the floor. Stabilize your lower body behind the foot pad, and grasp the side handles with your hands. Keeping your trunk motionless, twist the upper body by rotating at your abs, rather than twisting at your shoulders, to target the obliques. If you’re performing floor exercises, start in the same position used for crunches. But instead of keeping your feet on the floor, raise both off the ground, with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Place your fists next to your cheeks by bending at the elbows. Simultaneously bring your right knee up to your left elbow. Alternate your movements and perform the desired number of repetitions.
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Cords are made of durable rubber and they are more commonly known as resistance bands or resistance tubing. The color of the cord shows how much resistance it offers. The darker colors have greater resistance than lighter colors. Ab exercises with cords can be done with your body in a variety of positions. Because your abs are strong muscles, you can get away with using moderate to heavy resistance. Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
Resisted Leg Raises
Resisted leg raises require the assistance of a training partner and they primarily work the lower abs. To begin, lie face up on the floor with your legs together and one end of the band tied around your ankles. Have your partner kneel on the floor away from your feet with the other end of the band in his hands. Steadily raise your legs in the air as high as you can and lower them back down. Once your heels are right above the floor, perform another repetition. If you feel stress on your lower back, place your hands under your butt.
Crunches
Crunches work the upper abs and they are performed from a kneeling position on the floor. Before you begin, loop the middle of the cord around the horizontal upright of an exercise machine or pinch it into the top of a door. Grab the ends of the cord and kneel on the floor with your butt resting on your heels. Keeping your gaze fixed at the floor, move your hands to the sides of your head and curl your upper body downward. When you do this, move your elbows to the outsides of your thighs and squeeze your abs forcefully. Slowly rise back up and repeat.Angled Chops
Angled chops work the abs as well as the shoulders. These are performed from a standing position with your feet spaced about shoulder-width apart. After stepping on the center of the cord with your right foot, place both ends in your right hand, close your fist and wrap your left hand around it. Bend down slightly at an angle to your right and stand back up as you swing your arms across the front of your body in a chopping motion. As you do this, keep your arms as straight as possible and move your hands above your left shoulder. Slowly lower your arms, repeat for a set of reps and switch sides.
Cable Rotations
Cable rotations work your abs from a standing position. To start, loop the center of the cord around a solid object like a vertical beam. Grab the handles of the cord with your hands overlapping and stand with your right shoulder facing the anchor. Keeping your lower body still, move your arms toward the anchor and keep them fully extended. Rotate your upper body to the left as you move your arms across the front of your body and to your left side. Slowly return to the starting point, repeat for a set of reps and switch sides. To increase the challenge, perform this exercise while standing on one leg.
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Muscles generate force in three ways: as they shorten, as they lengthen and while remaining the same length. Contractions that do not result in any joint movement are classed as isometric — a word also used to describe a type of exercise. Isometrics were championed by Charles Atlas in his “Dynamic Tension” correspondence strength-training courses but now are more of a training adjunct than a standalone form of working out. You can perform isometric exercises for virtually every part of your body, including your rectus abdominus muscle, or abs for short. Avoid holding your breath when performing isometrics, as this can significantly raise your blood pressure.
Planks
The plank is the most well-known isometric ab exercise and features in both yoga and Pilates workouts. To perform the plank, kneel on all fours and rest your forearms on the floor. Walk your legs back so that your weight is supported on your forearms and forefeet only. Make sure your heels, hips and shoulders form a straight line and hold this position for the desired duration. Do not allow your hips to drop toward the floor, as this places undue strain on your lower back.
Side Planks
Side planks target your ab and waist muscles. Lie on your side with your legs straight and weight resting on your elbow. Lift your hips off the floor so that your weight is supported on your arm and sides of your feet only. Hold this position for the desired duration. You can make this exercise more challenging by elevating your feet on an exercise bench or step.
Waiter’s Walk
The waiter’s walk is an effective isometric abdominal exercise that also improves shoulder joint stability. Stand with your feet together and a dumbbell in one hand. Curl the weight to shoulder level and press it above your head. Brace your abdominal muscles and contract your upper back and shoulder muscles to support the weight. With your arm extended, walk around your training area while focusing on keeping your spine perfectly vertical. On completion, change arms and repeat.
Pallof Press
The Pallof press is an isometric ab exercise that uses weights to strengthen your entire midsection. This anti-rotation exercise often is used by therapists to help strengthen the muscles responsible for spine stability. To perform this exercise, stand sideways on a chest-high pulley cable and grasp the handle in both hands. Hold your hands close to your chest and step away from the pulley to tension your arms. From this position, press your arms out in front of you at shoulder level — extending your arms lengthens your levers and increases the degree of rotation you must resist. Draw your arms back into your chest to rest and then repeat. Rest a moment and then perform an identical number of repetitions on the opposite side.
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Kids spend far more time indoors performing sedentary activities than they did in the past, which is a contributing factor to the rise in childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of obese children in the United States has tripled since the 1960s. An active lifestyle and regular exercise, including aerobic exercise and calisthenics, can help kids stay at a healthful weight and decrease their risk of obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes.
Bird-Dogs
Bird-dogs, also known as opposite arm and leg raises, strengthen the entire core, including the abdominal and lower back muscles. Because the movement isn’t overly challenging, it’s an ideal exercise for kids who are in the process of getting fit. Have your child get down on her hands and knees, so that her hands are aligned under her shoulders and her knees are under her hips. She should look at the floor just in front of her hands to keep her head in alignment with her spine. Instruct her to extend one leg straight back, at hip-height, while simultaneously reaching the opposite arm out, no higher than her shoulder. Have her alternate sides several times.
Crunch with Reach
Crunches strengthen the rectus abdominus, or the most superficial abdominal muscles. It’s important for your child to keep her shoulders relaxed during this exercise, which she can best achieve by reaching toward her knees with her hands, rather than interlacing her fingers and cradling her head. Have her lie on her back with her knees bent and her feet on the floor, about hip-width apart. Instruct her to pick her head up off the floor, bring her chin toward her chest, and reach her arms out at a 45-degree angle. For the crunch, she should lift her shoulders and upper ribcage off the floor while reaching her fingers toward her knees. She should return to the floor with control.
Crunch with Rotation
The crunch with a trunk rotation strengthens both the rectus abdominus and the oblique muscles. As with crunches, proper hand placement can help prevent strain through the shoulders and neck. Your child should start in the same position as a traditional crunch, lying on her back with her knees bent and her feet on the floor. Have her cross her arms over her chest, gently grasping each shoulder with the opposite hand. After lifting her head off the floor to get into position, she should curl her shoulders up to begin the crunch. As her ribcage lifts off the floor, have her rotate her trunk, bringing her shoulder toward her opposite knee. Alternate sides several times.
Modified Planks
Planks are an ideal abdominal exercise for kids because they strengthen leg, arm, and shoulder muscles simultaneously. Your child should start lying face-down on the floor, propping her upper body up on her forearms and tucking her toes into the floor. Her elbows should be under her shoulders, and she should fix her eyes on the floor in front of her, to prevent her head from dropping. Have her pull her belly button in to brace her lower back. Instruct her to press her upper body off the floor by pushing through her forearms. Her hips and thighs should also lift off the floor, while her knees and shins stay down. Tell her to hold it as long as she can, aiming for 30 seconds after practice.
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