Working your abdominal muscles will provide additional support for your strength training and cardio workouts. Ab workouts will improve your balance and coordination, which can help you whether you are weight lifting or bringing in the groceries. Using free weights as part of your ab workouts will increase the challenge and effectiveness of your exercise program. Your exercise plan should target all six muscles of the abdominal region.
Upper Ab Workouts
Several exercises will target the upper abs using free weights to increase the difficulty level. You can increase the challenge of simple exercises such as the abdominal crunch by performing it while holding a dumbbell plate to your chest. Alternatively, you can take dumbbells in each of your hands and do a variation of the former while stretching your arms behind you. These exercises represent more advanced moves. Therefore, you should proceed slowly when adding weight.
Lower Ab Workouts
Leg raises will focus on the lower abs. To do this exercise, lie on your back. Take a dumbbell in your hand. Extend your legs straight up. Then, pull yourself from the floor using your abdominal muscles to bring the weight toward your legs. Leg raises on their own can be quite difficult. Adding free weights makes this an advanced exercise. Alternatively, you can do this exercise without your back leaving the floor. Grasp a dumbbell between your feet and slowly raise it a few inches off of the floor. Hold briefly before returning to your starting position.
Oblique Workouts
You can target the internal and external obliques using free weights with several exercises. When you begin training with weights, you may want to start with smaller weights, around 5 lb., until you build strength. An effective exercise is the side bend. You can begin by taking a dumbbell in each hand and holding it over your head with your elbows bent. Then, bend to your left side and pause briefly before returning to your starting position. Repeat, bending to the right side. Another exercise to add to your workout routine is the wood chop. Simply take a dumbbell in your hand and replicate the action of chopping wood while twisting from right to left. Repeat while going to the opposite side.
Total Ab Workouts
Some ab exercises with free weights are effective for targeting more than one muscle group in a single move. With the knee drop, you will begin lying on your back with your knees bent. Place a dumbbell between your knees. Then, raise your bent legs until they are parallel with the floor. Lower your legs to the left, then to the right after pausing briefly in the middle. This exercise works both the obliques and lower abs. You can do a similar exercise by holding a dumbbell in your hands as you perform crunches and twisting to each side.
References
- "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology"; G. Tortora et al; 2005
- "The Abs Diet"; D. Zinczenko; 2004
- "Lean, Long and Strong: The 6-Week Strength-Training, Fat-Burning Program for Women"; W. Linguvic; 2004
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