If you want to shrink your belly while strengthening your abs, you need to do exercises that burn calories and build muscle. You should include your entire stomach area with your exercises. This includes your upper abs, lower abs, and obliques, which are found on the sides of your ribcage. You can achieve this with the aid of fitness tools and body resistance.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Doing ab exercises will strengthen your muscles, but they will do little in the way of shrinking your belly. To effectively do this, perform cardio for at least 45 minutes, 4 to 5 days a week. This can be anything you like as long as it raises your heart rate. Cycling, swimming, running, stair stepping, elliptical training, and rowing are examples.
Hanging Knee Raises
Hanging knee raises target your lower abs and they are done with a pull-up bar. Grasp the bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip and let your legs hang straight down. In a smooth motion, raise your knees up to your chest and hold for a second. Slowly lower your legs and repeat for 15 to 20 reps. When doing these, keep your upper body still.
Push Crunches
Push crunches are done on a decline bench with a barbell. Lie face-up on the bench with your lower shins hooked under the padded support and hold the barbell straight above your chest with your hands shoulder-width apart. In a steady motion, raise your shoulders off the bench and push the bar towards the ceiling. After holding for a second, slowly lower and repeat 15 to 20 times.
Side Bends
Side bends are oblique exercises that are done with a single dumbbell. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the dumbbell in your right hand by your side. After placing your left hand on your hip, bend laterally to your right, lowering the weight toward the floor. Slowly rise back up and repeat. Once you've completed 15 to 20 reps, switch sides.
Russian Twists
Russian twists are performed with a medicine ball. They place the most emphasis on your obliques, but they work your entire stomach. Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat and back bent approximately 45 degrees to the floor. While holding the ball in front of your stomach, alternate twisting from side to side until you've done 15 to 20 reps.
Pullover Crunches
Pullover crunches are performed with dumbbells. Lie on your back with your arms extended behind your head, the dumbbells held in your hands and your legs lifted in the air at an angle. In a steady motion, move your arms and legs toward each other as you lift your shoulders off the floor. Your legs should be straight up at this point with your feet parallel to the ceiling. The dumbbells should be right in front of your shins. Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat for 15 to 20 reps.
Yoga and Pilates
Yoga is a form of mind and body exercise that involves holding fixed positions for a certain length of time. To execute proper form, you are forced to engage your stomach muscles. In similar fashion to yoga, Pilates is a type of exercise that causes you to contract your ab muscles while you are doing movements with your limbs. Both forms of exercise can also create a cardio effect as well. It all depends on the intensity at which you exercise.
Member Comments