Monday, June 27, 2011

List of Ab Exercise Moves

By Ruth Meduna


Many exercises can be done to tone your abs. To obtain a toned stomach, you should ensure you work both your upper and lower abdominals, as well as your obliques. It is important to expand your ab workout with a number of moves instead of sticking to one type of crunch. Using a medicine ball or stability ball will increase the intensity of your ab workout and give you faster results.

Standard Crunch

Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent. With your hand crossed over your chest, slowly lift your chest up off the ground. Be sure to keep your chin off your chest to prevent neck pain and look toward the ceiling. Slowly, and in a controlled manner, lower your upper body back down to the floor. You can increase intensity by holding a medicine ball in your hands. The standard crunch works your upper and lower abdominals.

Bicycle

Lie flat on the ground with your legs extended out and hands behind your head. Bring your right knee in toward your chest as you raise your chest off the ground and cross your left shoulder toward your right knee. Be sure to keep your elbows back and cross with your shoulder instead of your elbow. Extend your right leg back to its original position, keeping your leg 6 inches from the ground. Repeat with your left leg and right shoulder. The bicycle crunch works both upper and lower abdominals, as well as your obliques.

Reverse Crunch

Lie flat on your back with your legs at a 90-degree angle and feet up toward the ceiling. Slowly lift your buttocks off the ground, keeping your legs straight up in the air. Your heels should be reaching for the ceiling. Slowly lower your buttocks back down to the ground. The reverse crunch works your lower abdominals.

Stability Ball Twist

The stability ball will help isolate your obliques. Lie with the stability ball under your back and your feet on the floor. Hold a medicine ball at chest level with your arms extended. With your body on the stability ball, rotate your torso to the right, making your arms and medicine ball parallel to the floor. Return to your starting position and repeat the movement on the other side.

Kickboxing

Kickboxing benefits muscles throughout your entire body, including your abdominals. Every time you kick or punch, you are using your abdominals. This workout tones all abdominal muscles, as well as legs and arms.

Considerations

Start off doing 10 crunches with each movement. When this becomes easy for you, increase the number of crunches to 15 or 20. Be sure to consult your doctor before beginning any exercise routine and stop exercising if you feel significant pain.




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