ABDOMINAL EXERCISES

introduction

When training the abdominal muscles, it is important to find exercises that suit your own level of training.

The most famous exercises for training the abdominal muscles are probably sit-ups and crunches. However, there are many other different exercises to bring the abdominal muscles into shape. The following exercises are aimed at beginners, advanced and professionals, because exercises appropriate to the training level are very important for effective training of the abdominal muscles.

Before training the abdominal muscles, a general warm-up program should be carried out so that the body can adjust to an upcoming load. Sufficient breaks between training days should ensure that the body can fully recover after a session. An additional small stretching program after the training can positively influence the recovery phase and prevent injuries.

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Exercises with a low level of difficulty

Are a good beginner exercise Crunches. They are not very demanding and therefore good to start with Abs workouts.
In the Starting position the athlete lies on his back with his legs bent and his hands next to his ears. The Elbow should point outwards. To begin the exercise, the upper body including the head is slowly raised until the Shoulder blades no longer touch the ground. Once this position has been reached, pause for a brief moment and hold the tension before slowly moving back into the Starting position back embarks.
There are a few more to the crunches Modifications and variations.
The side crunches for example, are performed from the same starting position as the classic crunches. However, the foot of one leg with the outer area of the Ankle placed on the knee of the other leg. As the upper body moves upwards, it is rotated so that the elbow is directed towards the upper knee.
Another variant are the Cyclist crunches. The start is again from the classic starting position. Now the legs are raised so that in Hip- and Knee joint a 90 ° angle is created. Then one leg is alternately stretched out without touching the ground. The upper body is raised and always turned towards the knee that is currently bent.
The next exercise is this side leg raises and trains them lateral abdominal muscles. The starting position is a lateral position, whereby the hip is raised from the floor and the upper body is supported on the forearm. Now the entire body forms a line from head to toe and is only supported by the forearm and feet. Now the upper leg is slowly raised and then briefly held in this position. The lowering to the ground is slow and controlled. To ten to 15 repetitions the side is switched and it is the turn of the other leg
Another exercise for exercising the lateral abdominal muscles is this Hip raises. As with the side leg raises, the starting position is similar. At the beginning, the hips are different to the side leg raises on the floor. At the beginning of the exercise, the hips are raised until the body forms a line. The tension is maintained in this position and then the hips are lowered again. Also here is after ten to 15 repetitions changed sides.
Of the half beetles is an exercise that is performed lying on your back and is suitable for beginners. The starting position is Supine position with both arms lying next to the upper body.The upper body is slightly raised so that there is tension on the abdominal muscles. Now alternately one leg is pulled up and the other leg is stretched. The execution takes place slowly and with full leg extension. To avoid cycling movements, the movement should always be carried out slowly and in a controlled manner.

Exercises of medium difficulty

The exercises that follow are no longer that simple and are more appropriate Advanced:

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The Situps are next to the Crunches probably one of the most popular abdominal exercises.
The Starting position is the same as with the crunches. The hands are crossed on the chest so that the entire upper body can be raised. Before lowering, the tension is held at the top position for a moment before the body is lowered again. A variant are the Sit-ups on the incline bench. The bench should be adjusted so that the head is lower than the bottom. This exercise is because you now have to cover another path against gravity more intense and more demanding than normal exercise. The feet should be pinched in order to have a counter pressure point. Otherwise, the exercise is performed like the normal sit-ups.
Another variant are the Negative situps, where the feet get pinched (At home under the couch, otherwise under a barbell). The hands are stretched forward from the body and the back remains straight. Then the body is lowered as far back as possible without touching the ground. In the lowest position, you pause for a few seconds again before slowly leading the body back to the starting position. For the complete execution, the Always keep your back straight being held.
This is an effective exercise Lying leg raises where you lie flat on your back with your arms next to your torso. Now the legs are bent so that hip and knees form a 90 ° angle. Then the legs are slowly lowered until they almost touch the ground. The The knees always stay bent. The tension is maintained in the lowest position before the legs are then raised again.
But leg raises are just as good while sitting carry out.
You need one for this training exercise stable seatsuch as a bench or chair (without backrest). Now sit on the chair and hold it on the sides with your hands. The upper body is tilted backwards by 45 °. Now the legs are raised, the knees are slightly bent and the thighs should be roughly level with the floor. Now the thigh is pulled towards the chest. Again, hold the tension for a little while before going back to the starting position.
Situps Twisting is another exercise and works like normal sit-ups. When lifting the body, the upper body is always rotated alternately to one side.
The Hyperextension, the so-called "Overextension“Is a training exercise that mainly trains the back and only a few parts of it Abdominal muscles. However, this is also useful to prevent muscular differences. For the exercise, lie down on a slightly inclined surface Incline bench and fixes his feet. The arms folded behind the head show them Elbow outward. The upper body hangs down over the bench. Then the upper body is straightened until it forms a straight line. After a short break in which the tension is maintained, the lowering of the upper body begins. The back remains straight throughout the entire exercise. Who doesn't Weight bench available, the exercise can also be done with a Exercise ball carry out. A weight plate or weight can be held at chest level to vary the intensity.

Exercises with a high level of difficulty

This concludes the part with the advanced exercises. The following is about some exercises high degree of complexity and are therefore more suitable for professionals:

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The hanging leg raises is one of the most effective exercises for that Abdominal muscles. This exercise assumes a good general state of training. To do the exercise you need a Chin-up bar.
The starting position is hanging on the bar, with shoulders and elbows not fully stretched, as this can damage the joints. The legs hang down in the starting position and are slowly raised to begin the exercise until the hips and knees each form a right angle. This position should be kept as short as possible before a controlled drop takes place. The Body not sway too much. To further increase the intensity, the legs can be kept straight when lifting.
The next exercise is that Abdominal press. This exercise can be only in the gym perform and works like a kind Folding knife.
You sit in the machine and lower a clip over your shoulders, similar to that of a roller coaster. Now you want to move your upper body towards your thighs against the resistance of the machine. The good thing about the exercise is that you can do the intensity can be set directly through the resistance on the machine. This is much more effective than increasing the number of repetitions.
The Ground pressure is another training exercise for professionals who want to keep their abs in shape. Floor pressing is one of the more unknown exercises and you either need two Dumbbells or a barbell. The starting position is on all fours with both hands on the dumbbell. Then you roll on the dumbbell in front, with the knee stop so that yourself hip and Shoulders stretch. In the lowest position, the tension is held briefly and then rolled back to the starting position. Care should be taken to keep your back straight throughout the exercise.
Jackknife is an exercise that is performed while sitting. The legs are stretched straight ahead at a 45 ° angle above the floor. In order to be able to keep the balance better, the Upper body tilted backwards and arms outstretched forward. Now the upper body and legs are lifted upwards at the same time so that they move towards each other. The feet do not necessarily have to be touched, it is more important that the back is kept straight. The tension is maintained in the top position and then the upper body and legs are brought back to their starting position in a controlled manner.
The so-called "L" is an exercise that requires a certain level of training and is therefore part of the professionals. The starting position is a supine position in which the arms are next to the upper body and the legs are stretched upwards (90 ° angle in the hip). For the execution, the pelvis is now raised a few centimeters and then slowly lowered again. It feels like someone is pulling their legs up on their feet. Very important for a correct and effective execution is that the exercise not with momentum should be run.
It is even more difficult Straighten up. For this you need a partner or one Possibility to fix his feet on the floorso that they can be kept on the ground. The starting position is a stretched side position in which the legs are fixed by a partner or another way (wall bars). When doing this, start lifting your shoulder off the floor without rotating, sliding your upper hand down the upper side of your thigh. Three sets of ten repetitions are sufficient for each side.
A complex one Body stabilization exercise such as the side plank is indeed not a pure abdominal exercise, but the abdominal muscles are also trained to a large extent. For the starting position, the body is lifted into the side forearm support. The torso and legs are raised and in the air. The body is only held by the forearm and feet. This position can now be held for a certain period of time and carried out for 30 seconds on each side, for example.
You should try the Always keep your body straight. To increase the level of difficulty, the upper leg can still be lifted. This affects balance and muscle strength.
You can find more exercises with pictures under Washboard abs exercises.