Posts Tagged ‘belly fat’
Shaping your midsection can be easier than you think. Because these muscles have a high recovery rate compared to other larger muscle groups in your body, you can exercise your abdominal muscles every day to get lean, tight abs fast. If you want to tone and strengthen your tummy, try these exercises at least five days a week.
Crunches
Crunches are popular because of their effectiveness and simplicity. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Fold your arms across your chest, and keep your chin from resting on your chest. While tightening your abdominal muscles, raise your upper body off the floor until your upper body creates a 90-degree angle with the floor. Slowly return to your original position. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions. This exercise can also be modified to target your obliques. As you lift your upper body, twist your torso to either side. For maximum results, hold this position for three seconds, keeping your abdominal muscles squeezed and tight.
Canoe
Many abdominal exercises can be performed while standing up, helping to prevent neck strain. Stand with your feet 3 feet apart, bending slightly at the knees. Clasp your hands together, arms slightly outstretched in front of your chest. As if rowing in a canoe, bring your clasped hands to the lower left side of your torso, at hip level, and push your clasped hands as though you are pushing a rowing oar behind you. Return your hands to the original position. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions to each side of your body.
Standing Crunch
Stand with your feet in line with your hips. Raise your right arm straight above your head. Straighten your left leg to the side, pointing your toes toward the floor. Bring your right elbow down in front of you as you raise your left knee until the two touch. Squeeze and tighten your abdominal muscles during this movement. Return your arm and leg to the original position. Repeat this move for 10 repetitions, alternating sides, for three sets.
Elbow Plank
Move onto the floor and position your body in a pushup stance, but place your elbows and forearms on the ground. Put the weight of your upper body onto your forearms, keeping your stomach tight and firm. Be sure that your body is positioned in a straight line from head to toe. Hold this stance for at least 10 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat. Work your way up to holding this stance for three minutes.
Caution
If you have a history of health conditions, consult your doctor before performing these exercises. If you experience any unusual symptoms during or after performing exercise, contact your health-care provider.
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Exercising in the pool is one way to tone muscles because of the resistance training combined with buoyancy, making workouts easy on your joints. You also can enjoy being cool in the pool and avoid that sweaty feeling many people dislike from working out hard.
Wave Maker
This exercise tones your abs, back, legs and glutes. The exercise lives up to its name. You’ll need space to kick and make waves from the edge of the pool where you won’t splash anyone to do this exercise. Hold on to the edge of a pool and extend your legs behind you. Place the palm of your left hand flat against the wall with your fingers pointing to the bottom of the pool. Bend both elbows to a comfortable position, though your left arm is mostly straight. Bring your legs together and bend your knees slightly. Then, kick up and down with your legs like a dolphin using its tail to propel itself forward. Keep your legs next to each other. Try to start the movement with your abdominals. Keep your toes pointed and make large waves behind you. You can switch arms if you like.
K-Tread
The K-tread pool exercise targets your abdominals, back, arms, chest, hamstrings and glutes. You’ll need to be in the deep end for this exercise; don’t try it if you’re not a good swimmer. Tread water and place your arms bent next to your sides. Hold your arms parallel to the bottom of the pool and cup your hands, palms down. Raise your left leg straight in front of you until it is perpendicular to your torso and still underwater. Point your right foot toward the bottom of the pool. Pause for five seconds. Quickly switch legs and hold for five seconds.
Step Star
This exercise is similar to the side plank yoga pose, just on the steps of a pool. The step star works the front and sides of your abs as well as your thighs, calves and back. Stand in a pool and face the steps. Lean forward and place your hands on one of the top steps so your face is out of the water. Hold your arms straight and position your body in a straight line from head to toe. Tighten your abdominals. Then, lift your right arm out to the side and twist your entire body so that you balance on your left hand and foot. Face toward the right. Keep your body in a straight line. Also, raise your right leg toward the surface of the water. Extend your right arm toward the sky and in line with your left arm so your body makes a “T.” Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side.
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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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