Lower abdominal exercises with a difference - Part 2

Continuing from yesterday, here are some more abdominal exercises for you to include in your workout routines:


The bridged leg extension

Preparation:
Lie down on your back on a floor mat, with your legs bent, and feet flat on the floor.
Set your abs, and imagine your navel trying to touch your spine, and hold.
Lift your hips until you reach the bridge position (your thighs should be in line with your torso)

The exercise:
Hold your hips level, and slowly extend your left leg to full extension, hold at full extension for a couple of seconds.
At all times, make sure you don't "dip" your hips to one side.

Repetitions:
Start with 3 sets of 5 extensions either side, and if you can maintain control, build up to 10 extensions either side.

Tips:
Its critical that you maintain level hips, and this may be tough at first, if your transverse abdominals are weak. Take the weight of one heel and set your hips, before you try and extend the leg.This exercise also works the glutes, and lower back.

Bridged leg extension with exercise ball

A more advanced version of the above exercise, it essentialluy does the same thing but requires you to stabilise your upper body on the exercise ball, rather than it being firmly positioned on the floor.

Preparation:
Sit on the exercise ball, and roll forwards until your shoulders are on the ball.
Place your back at shoulder level on the exercise ball.
Your feet should be flat on the floor and your thighs in line with your torso.

Exercise:
Set your hips level with the navel to spine, technique, and extend your left leg to full extension. Hold there for a couple of seconds. Maintain good control and level hips.

Repetitions:
Start with 3 sets of 5 extensions each leg, building up to 10 each leg.

Tips:
The stability of your torso on the ball will come from your abs, not your shoulders, so work hard on setting your abs and hips, not compensating with your shoulders and upper body.

Thats it for now. More abdominal exercises coming up in Part 3.

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Also, you might want to have a look at this Free report on Losing that stubborn ab flab