An exercise ball (i.e. swiss ball or physio ball) is a great tool for a variety of workouts, and especially core stability and abdominal workouts.
In this post, following the thread of lower ab workouts, I've included a couple of useful lower ab exercises
Rolling crunches
Great for lower abs, but is also a general ab exercise
Preparation:
Roll onto the ball (on your front) and use your arms to walk yourself into a position where your knees are at the centre of the ball. You should now be in a "press up" style position with the ball under your knees. Keep your hands at shoulder width.
The exercise:
Bring your knees towards your chest in a controlled movement, until your feet are on the ball. Hold the crunch for a second or so and release slowly to get back into your original position.
Repetitions:
Start with 3 sets of 6-8 crunches, building up to 4 sets of 10
Tips:
Try and ensure that your body stays horizontal while doing the crunch phase of the exercise. There will be a temptation to lift your butt, but you want to isolate the leg movement. Again focus on crunching your abs to get the movement, rather than lifting your knees.
Hip Rolls
A nice exercise for obliques an lower abs
Preparation:
Lie down on a floormat on your back and place your feet on top of the exercise ball. Your knees should be bent at a ninety degree angle. Place your hands on the ground by the side of your body.
The exercise:
Rotate your hips to your right, you'll feel the ball move slightly. As you roll your hips be sure to squeeze those abs and obliques in the process. Return to the start position and repeat. After one set, you should then assume the position and perform the exercise to the opposite direction.
Repetitions:
Start with 3 sets of 6 reps (either side) and build up to 4 sets of 10
Tips:
Make sure you keep your spine in a neutral position (you should be able to place a hand underneath your lumbar area). As with most ball exercise, really focus on the abs to get the movement rather than compensating by e.g. pressing your hands into the floor to get more purchase.
I've focussed on lower abs several posts in a row, so its time to put down a few general ab workouts, and combo exercises in the next few. I'll get to other workouts in a few posts, but right now I'm trying to list as many useful ab exercises as I feel aren't commonplace in most peoples workouts.
For a selection of general workout information try these free workout routines
You can sign up for a free fat burning report by my favourite workout expert
Technocrati tags:fitness,weight loss,exercise,diet,workouts,health
Thursday, 28 December 2006
Tuesday, 26 December 2006
Ab workouts that improve posture - Abs Part 3
Having started a post on lower ab workouts, it has tempted me to list as many abdominal exercises as I have found effective over the last few years.
So, posts on the ab theme will continue as long as they make sense.
Bench thigh raises
This is a fairly tricky exercise to do well, but it targets an ab area you don't work out very often, and in my opinion has a dramatic effect on your posture.
Preparation:
Find a bench or a table to sit on so that your feet do not touch the ground.
Sit yourself down, ensuring you are sitting upright, with your spine in a neutral position.
Cross your arms over your chest
The exercise:
Contract your abs with the navel to spine technique, and slowly try and lift one knee upwards.
The critical point here is to ensure you do not tilt your hips sideways, or start leaning forwards of backwards. Hold the position for 5 seconds and slowly release. Then perform the same movement with the other leg.
Repetitions:
Start with 1 set of 6 lifts either leg, and build up to 10. If you are able to, increase the hold to 10 seconds.
Tips:
Don't expect to get much movement from the upward knee lift. The key to this exercise is to maintain your position, and avoid leaning, slumping, and tilting your hips. Its harder than it sounds. Try and sit in front of a mirror, so you can see if your hips are level. Slowly get off the bench, and you should feel a strech in the ab area around the sides of your pelvis.
The Sideways plank
Tha plank is a popular static ab exercise which involves you resting on your elbows and toes, while maintaining a "plank" like position. The sideways plank is a variation which helps strengthen your obliques, as well as glutes.
Preparation:
Lie down on your side, on a floormat with your hips vertical, resting on one elbow.
The exercise:
Raise your hips, so that your legs are in line with your torso, and your whole body forms a straight line, resting on one elbow.
Extend your free arm over your head in line with your body.
Repetitions:
Hold the above position for 30 seconds. As you improve, try and keep your free arm down the side of your body rather than over your head, and increase the hold to 1 minute
Tips:
Make sure your hips remain vertical and in line with your torso. Also, during preparation make sure that your elbow is positioned so that your arm is vertical when you start the exercise.
For some of these floor and ball exercises, I recorded music in 30 second and 1 minute intervals to avoid watching the clock.
Thats it for this post, but there are plenty of ab workouts to come.
If you'd like to subscribe to getting notified of future posts, click the feedburner button at the top of the page.
And, although this is not really a plug, to put all this into perspective there's one guy I recommend reading when is comes to losing the ab flab
Technocrati tags:fitness,weight loss,exercise,diet,workouts,health
So, posts on the ab theme will continue as long as they make sense.
Bench thigh raises
This is a fairly tricky exercise to do well, but it targets an ab area you don't work out very often, and in my opinion has a dramatic effect on your posture.
Preparation:
Find a bench or a table to sit on so that your feet do not touch the ground.
Sit yourself down, ensuring you are sitting upright, with your spine in a neutral position.
Cross your arms over your chest
The exercise:
Contract your abs with the navel to spine technique, and slowly try and lift one knee upwards.
The critical point here is to ensure you do not tilt your hips sideways, or start leaning forwards of backwards. Hold the position for 5 seconds and slowly release. Then perform the same movement with the other leg.
Repetitions:
Start with 1 set of 6 lifts either leg, and build up to 10. If you are able to, increase the hold to 10 seconds.
Tips:
Don't expect to get much movement from the upward knee lift. The key to this exercise is to maintain your position, and avoid leaning, slumping, and tilting your hips. Its harder than it sounds. Try and sit in front of a mirror, so you can see if your hips are level. Slowly get off the bench, and you should feel a strech in the ab area around the sides of your pelvis.
The Sideways plank
Tha plank is a popular static ab exercise which involves you resting on your elbows and toes, while maintaining a "plank" like position. The sideways plank is a variation which helps strengthen your obliques, as well as glutes.
Preparation:
Lie down on your side, on a floormat with your hips vertical, resting on one elbow.
The exercise:
Raise your hips, so that your legs are in line with your torso, and your whole body forms a straight line, resting on one elbow.
Extend your free arm over your head in line with your body.
Repetitions:
Hold the above position for 30 seconds. As you improve, try and keep your free arm down the side of your body rather than over your head, and increase the hold to 1 minute
Tips:
Make sure your hips remain vertical and in line with your torso. Also, during preparation make sure that your elbow is positioned so that your arm is vertical when you start the exercise.
For some of these floor and ball exercises, I recorded music in 30 second and 1 minute intervals to avoid watching the clock.
Thats it for this post, but there are plenty of ab workouts to come.
If you'd like to subscribe to getting notified of future posts, click the feedburner button at the top of the page.
And, although this is not really a plug, to put all this into perspective there's one guy I recommend reading when is comes to losing the ab flab
Technocrati tags:fitness,weight loss,exercise,diet,workouts,health
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.
For a selection of workouts and articles visit Workouts4weightloss - Free workout routines
Also, you might want to have a look at this Free report on Losing that stubborn ab flab
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.
For a selection of workouts and articles visit Workouts4weightloss - Free workout routines
Also, you might want to have a look at this Free report on Losing that stubborn ab flab
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