Posts Tagged ‘ab crunches’
5 Great Ab Exercises
Here are 5 great abdominal exercises, you can vary the difficulty, start out at level and then once you feel confident (or it stops hurting the day after!) you can increase the level. Once you have mastered the advanced level it is time to change the exercise. Once your body becomes used to an exercise it will serve no benefit.
1. Abs Crunch
Simple lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, hip width apart, knees should be bent at 90 ̊. With your hands either crossed over your chest or touching your ears slowly bring your upper body up (crunching your abs), slowly lower yourself back down again.
2. Bench Crunch
This is the same as the Abs Crunch but with your legs raised on a box or aerobics stack. These crunches will help the upper abdomen. Make sure your arms are outstretched; almost like you are rubbing your knees with you move up and down.
3. Weighted Crunch
This is the same as the Abs Crunch but with a weight. I usually use a 5kg medicine ball or a 5kg weight and lay it on my chest with my arms crossed over it.
4. Advanced Weighted Crunch
This is the same as a weighted crunch but instead of having the weight rested on your chest; stretch your arms out in front of you. Again this helps with the upper part of your abs.
5. Weighted Side Bends
Holding onto a 5kg dumbbell, stand with your feet hip width apart. Slowly bend from the waist on the side that is holding the dumbbell, once you have gone to the point where you hand is level with your knee return to your starting position. Repeat until you have completed the reps inline with your level. REMEMBER that you must remain in a straight line, try not to bend forwards or backwards.
Levels: -
Beginner = 3 exercises, 2 sets, 15-18 reps, 90 second rest
Intermediate = 4 exercises, 3 sets, 12-18 reps, 90 second rest
Advanced = 5 exercise3 sets, 10-12 reps, 60 second rest
REMEMBER: Never pull or strain your neck, do not use your arms to pull you up make sure you use your stomach muscles, breathe out on the way up and in on the way down.
