Selecting a safe and effective abdominal exercise can be a challenge for girls. Teen magazines show many stomach exercises and television commercials promote a variety of abdominal-strengthening products. The bicycle crunch is an...
Bicycle crunches specifically target the side abdominal muscles called the internal and external obliques. These muscles are commonly left out of most abdominal and core strengthening routines. Bicycles are one of the most effective exercises to...
Bicycle crunches are so-named because you move your feet in a pedaling motion as you curl and twist your torso. The dual-action of the bicycle crunch makes it an effective exercise for targeting your main abs, as well as your obliques, or side...
The bicycle crunch, also called the air bike, is a strengthening exercise for your abdominal muscles. It is effective in targeting your main ab muscle, the rectus abdominis, and your side abs, the obliques. In order to get the most from the...
The American Council on Exercise ranked bicycle crunches as the most effective abdominal exercise in July 2001. The bicycle crunch helps to strengthen the muscles of your entire core. The bicycle crunch is an exercise made for all fitness levels...
Lay on the floor and clasp your hands behind your head. Lift your feet from the floor with your legs straightened. Raise your head from the floor like you would in a normal crunch. Bend one knee and, as you do, attempt to touch the opposite elbow...
As with conventional crunches, pulling on your neck is a common mistake when doing bicycle crunches. Ideally, your neck should stay still relative to your shoulders. Unfortunately, the twisting motion of your upper body makes it harder to do this...
According to a study conducted by The American Council on Exercise and Peter Francis, director of the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University, bicycle crunches are more effective for working your abs than traditional crunches or sit-ups....
Before you begin any exercise, you need to get the muscles ready and warmed. This wonderful abdominal stretch gets you ready to work out. Get on your hands and knees, keeping both slightly wider than the shoulders. Walk your hands forward a few...
According to a 2001 study by the American Council on Exercise, the bicycle twist is the number one most effective abdominal exercise. However, you cannot simply lose weight by performing bicycle crunches. While you can tone and strengthen the core...
Exercise is an important component of a successful fat-loss program because it increases the total number of calories you burn. However, not all exercise types are effective at burning calories. The lying down bicycle crunch exercise is among the...
Most of the movement in your body originates from your core, including moving your legs. Engaging your legs while performing abdominal exercises can help you strengthen your stomach muscles more efficiently. The key is to let your abs do most of...
Because the abdominal muscles are situated over a cavity rather than over bone, they are the most complex and versatile muscles in the body. Instead of moving a single joint, they are responsible for supporting your upper body in every position...
The lower abdominals are a problem area for many people. This is partially because the upper abs are targeted in common abdominal exercises such as the crunch. The lower abdominals are better worked doing captain's chairs, reverse crunches, and...
There are dozens of ways to emphasize lower ab exercises. To make lower abdominal exercises more effective for fast results, you can add an element to traditional exercises. A Bosu ball creates an unstable surface to sit on, which makes the abs...
Developing the abdominal muscles requires hard work. You shouldn't ask what the easiest way to get a flat belly is because there is no easy way to get a flat belly. Instead, ask what exercises are the most effective. You're going to have to work...
"Strength Training Anatomy" explains that as bipeds, our abdominal muscles became very strong in order to maintain our upright posture. The added strength of these muscles allows them to actively hold in our internal organs and visceral fat. That...
Strengthen your stomach and core muscles to tone your figure and lose weight. Such exercises also are good for your health--they help improve your balance, stability and posture, according to MayoClinic.com. While stomach exercises will help you...
Because the body releases testosterone in response to muscular fatigue, almost any exercise that activates your abdominal muscles will result in an increase in your testosterone levels. However, some exercises cause a significantly greater decree...
When most people think about exercise, aerobic exercise comes to mind. Aerobic activity raises your heart rate and burns calories rapidly, but anaerobic exercise, which focuses on building muscle strength, is also important for your health....
Exercises designed to tone the waist and abdominal muscles concern the core body, from which all movements originate. According to MayoClinic.com, working out the core body has benefits beyond stimulating weight loss and a better figure. Core and...
Getting your body into shape doesn't always require fancy, expensive fitness equipment. All you need is a mat or towel, a bit of floor space and some spare time to perform some of the most basic, effective workouts on the floor in your home.
There are more benefits to core and abdominal exercises than the obvious physical results. In addition to toning muscles and helping reduce belly fat, the Mayo Clinic notes that core exercises help to improve your balance, posture and overall...
To reduce the size of your belly, you must burn more calories than you consume in order to reduce overall body fat, and you must strengthen your core in order to tighten the network of muscles that holds in your internal organs and visceral fat....
The best exercises for the waist are ones that are functional, challenging, and don't require any equipment to perform. Functional exercises are ones that make the body work in a way that the body is used in everyday life. These exercises are so...
Three muscle groups make up your tummy and waist. The waist muscles are the internal and external obliques. The stomach muscles also include the rectus abdominis and the transverse abdominis. The rectus abdominis runs vertically down your stomach...
Having a trim, slender midsection isn't only important for looking good. According to Michael Jensen, M.D., an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic, excess belly fat can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, sleep apnea, some types...
An effective abdominal exercise for toning is one that is best able to recruit the rectus abdominis muscle, which is the primary abdominal muscle that runs down the front of your torso. This is the muscle, that when defined, displays a six pack....
According to American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer Shelby Young, to shrink belly fat requires a combination of cardiovascular work and strength and resistance training. Finding moves that fuse the two are the most...
Bicycle crunches are a standard in abdominal strengthening exercises. Keep constant tension through your midsection, keep your elbows flared out and stay rigid through from elbow to elbow. Learn how to perform this exercise in this training...
Try bicycle crunches to tighten up your abs in this workout routine. Learn about abdominal exercises in this free fitness video.
Bicycle crunches are a standard in abdominal strengthening exercises. Keep constant tension through your midsection, keep your elbows flared out and stay rigid through from elbow to elbow. Learn how to perform this exercise in this training...
