Abdominal workouts are a fundamental part of fitness regimens. Working your abdomen helps strengthen muscles to give you a flat stomach, improve athletic performance and prevent chiropractic problems. The primary abdominal exercise is the basic crunch. Other abdominal exercises are based on variations of the crunch, so establish the proper practice of this exercise to master others. While there are many important components to remember when practicing abdominal exercises, it is especially vital to use your abdominal muscles to do the work rather than relying on the momentum of the motion.
Basic Crunch
The basic crunch is the core exercise for an abdominal workout and begins with you lying on your back and bending your knees while planting your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands by your ears or lace your fingers behind your head. Keeping your lower back on the floor, use your abdominal muscles to lift your trunk while curling your shoulders forward and lifting your head, shoulders, and upper back. Engage the abdominal muscles further during this action by breathing out as you lift up and breathe in as you lower your body back down to the floor. For maximum results, you can hold each repetition for four to five seconds and repeat for 10 or more repetitions.
Oblique Crunches
Oblique crunches are variations of the basic crunch and work the internal and external oblique muscles that wrap around the sides of your waist. According to All About Abs, these muscles work together during a basic crunch but work more effectively during a twisting crunch or rotation. Perform an oblique crunch by lying on your back with your feet planted flat on the floor and your hands behind your head. As you lift your shoulder blades off the floor, rotate your body when you are about halfway up so your left elbow points toward your right knee. Hold for one second and then twist back to center. Lower your body back down to the starting position and then repeat using the opposite elbow and knee. Focus on rotating and twisting your trunk without actually moving your elbow to engage the oblique muscles.
Reverse Curl
The abdominal reverse curl works the lower abdominal muscles. Lie flat on a bench and reach back to hold on to the top of the bench behind your head. While bending your legs at the knee, raise your feet off the bench to position your knees over your hips. Continue by drawing your abdominal muscles toward your spine, then exhaling and pushing your spine into the bench. Roll the entire length of your spine against the bench, starting with your lower back and moving up your spine until your hips roll up off the bench. Complete the reverse curl by inhaling and returning to the start position while pushing your spine into the bench as you roll back down.
Member Comments