easy ab exercises you can do at home

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  • 7/29/2019 Easy Ab Exercises You Can Do at Home

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    Easy Ab Exercises You Can Do At HomeIn order to strengthen the abdominal muscles, sit-ups are great. To be effective, sit-ups must pull the torso upward from alying position toward the knees, using only the abdominal group. For best results, abdominals should be performed slowlywith legs resting on a chair/bench, so that legs are bent at 90. Never push through back pain; stop immediately at eventhe slightest twinge in the lower back

    Checklist:

    Lie on back with knees bent

    Feet flat on the floor close to the buttocks, or raised up on a bench

    No jerking or twisting movements for beginners

    Breathe comfortably throughout the exercise

    Commence curls with the shoulders, then the upper back and finally the lower back

    Bring the torso up no more than 30 degrees; hold momentarily then lower the torso

    Clasp hands behind the neck just to support the weight of the head

    Dont pull on your head when doing the exercise

    Keep your chin off your chest, aim to keep your upper spine straight (neutral)

    Warm up your stomach muscles with easy stomach exercises, before you advance

    Finish off by stretching out the abdominals

    By doing some dorsal raises, this will help stretch out your abdominals

    To start this workout routine, first perform a warm up of 10 minutes with mild jogging & then do cardio exercises forminimum 30 minutes. Perform the above abdominal muscle exercises only after an initial warm up. Follow this routine fora couple of months & you will definitely lose belly fat & notice the building of ab muscles.

    Leg Raises//Lifts Lie down on your back on the floor Place your hands under the hips for supporting the body or belowyour buttocks so as to stabilize your back, palms must face down Without bending your legs, raise them off the floor, so as to form a90 with the upper body Bring the legs back to the floor; take care that your legs do not touchthe floor When they are about 2 inches off it, again raise them, the same way If you find this exercise too tough, then bend your knees & then dothe same workout To increase the difficulty level of this workout, you could lie with yourback flat on a bench, with your hips off the bench & then do the legraises Repeat this exercise 12 times, aim for 3 sets of this exercise

    Leg Drops Raise both begs toward the ceiling Breathe in & tighten your abs Exhale & slowly lower your legs until they're about 4 inchesabove the floor (or as low as you can go without lifting the smallof your back) Pause & breathe in Breathe out as you raise your legs to the starting position Repeat 10 times

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    Scissor Kicks Lie down on the floor on your back Raise both legs toward the ceiling Keep them straight Lower your left leg until its about 6 inches off the floor Lift your head & shoulders off the floor Grasp the back of your right leg, gently pulling it toward you Switch legs & repeat on other side Quickly complete 10 reps with no pauses

    Alternate Toe-touching Lie down on your back on the floor Keep your hands crossed behind your head Without bending your legs, raise them off the floor so that they form a90 with your upper body Raise your upper body towards your feet & at the same time, withyour right hand, touch your left foot Come back to your original position & repeat the same exercise, butthis time, touch your left hand with your right foot Repeat the same exercise, alternating between both the legs, 12timesAim for 3 sets of this exercise

    Roll Up Lie on your back Stretch your arms & extend your legs so you form a straight lineInhale Bring your arms overhead Begin to curl your upper body off the floor Exhale when halfway up & continue rolling forward to reach your toes Inhale & reverse the move, exhaling halfway down, to return to start Repeat 10 times

    Sit Ups/Basic Crunches Lie down on your back Bend your knees, raise them & keep the feet flat on the ground,slightly away from the hips

    Bring your hands at the back of your head, keep them crossed,with your elbows outApply pressure on your abdomen, raise your upper body towardsthe knees (lift your torso towards your knees) Make sure every time you are lifting yourself up, from your torso& not from your neck or shoulders, & ensure that you contract yourab muscles while lifting your torso Go as high as you can & then come back on the floor With each contraction it is important that you keep the chin offyour chest Repeat this exercise 12 times Aim for3 sets of crunches, with 12 repetitions each

    Hip Lifts Raise both legs toward the ceiling & extend your arms on the floor at yoursides, palms down Inhale & tighten your core muscles Curl your hips toward your ribs as you exhale, lifting your hips off the floor &reaching your feet straight up Breathe in as you slowly lower Repeat 10 times

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    Bicycle Exercise Crunch Lie on your exercise mat & place your fingers behind your head Lift your shoulders off the floor & bring in the knees close to thechest Make sure you are not pulling or straining your neck Straighten out the left leg, simultaneously turning the upperbody towards the right side, taking the left elbow towards the rightknee Now switch sides, getting the right elbow towards the left knee Perform this pedaling motion with 16 reps in 3 sets each

    Plank Exercise Place an exercise mat on the floor & lie on your stomach Now, lift your entire body away from the mat To support yourself, use your palms or forearms & toes Keep your body aligned with your buttocks down Tighten your abdominal muscles & breathe normally Keep your abdominal muscles tightened for as long as you can Relax & start again. Do this at least 5 times

    Downward-facing Dog Place an exercise mat on the floor& come down to your hands

    Keep your feet & palms hip-width apart, bring your head down Look through, between your legs & breathe normally Your legs & arms should be straight & facing forward Till you take 3 full breaths, you will remain in this position Release yourself, come back down, & sit for a few seconds beforebeginning Do this exercise 5 times

    Reverse Crunches Lie down on the floor on your back & place your hands either besides yourthighs or behind your head Straighten your legs to keep your body flat

    Now, gently bend your knees, so that, they bend to form a right angle Keep your legs joined while bending the knees Bring your knees close to your chest by tightening your abs & lifting the hipregion Exhale & bring your knees closer to the chest Hold for a second, inhale & bring your legs back to starting position Do 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions every other day

    Side Crunches/Bends Hold a dumbbell in your right hand Keep your feet shoulder width apart Bend sideways on your right hand side, so that the dumbbelllowers down to the knees Return to the original position & repeat the same exercise withthe dumbbell in the left hand & bend on the left hand side Perform 25 reps of this side bending

    Half Curl Lie down on the floor with your knees bent & hands on thighs Contract your abdominal muscles & curl your body in theupward direction Curl in the upward direction, until fingertips reach your knees Go back into your original position & start up with the next curl Keep your head upwards & do not tuck your chin in the chest Perform 15 reps & increase the count every week

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    Alternate Knee-In Sit on the floor with your legs completely straight in front of you Support your upper body with your forearms completely restedon the floor Tighten your ab muscles & bring a bend in your left knee Try to bring the left knee close to your left shoulder Straighten the left leg & repeat the same with other leg Do 10 repetitions for each side

    Raised Leg Crunches Lie flat on your back Keep your legs raised, perpendicular to the ground Do the normal crunches Do this exercise in 3 sets of 15 reps

    Side Plank Lie on your right side with the right arm on your waist, with the forearmresting on the mat Raise your pelvis from the floor Hold it in a straight-line plank position

    The hips should not be allowed to sag toward the floor Hold this position for 20 seconds Work up to one minute holds for 2 to 3 repetitions To increase the challenge, raise the top foot

    Hands to KneesThis is great for the side abs & to narrow down your waist Rest your hands on your thighs Slowly slide your hands along your leg, up towards your knees Control the movement on the way down The slower you work, the harder the exercise Keep your chin off your chest

    If your neck aches, support your head with one hand Concentrate on controlled smaller movement Feel your abs contracting rather than using momentum to forceinto the movementAim for 15+ lifts, repeat 2 times

    Bridging Exercise Lie with your knees bent & feet flat on the floor, arms by your side with palmsdown Tighten your abs, flatten your back Press down into your feet & raise your hips off the floor Squeeze buttocks tight then straighten out one leg Bring leg back up to bent-knee position, then switch legs Slowly lower your back to the floor, keeping your hips tight

    Aim for 3 sets of 12 reps+

    Roman Twist You need to go a little bit blower with this one as compared to the basiccrunches Lay in the same position that you would for the basic crunches Raise your shoulders as you would for the basic crunches Before going down, twist your torso from one side to another one time Go back down Start off with around 50 & then graduate

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    Alternating Supine Leg Walks Lie flat on your back Place your hands under your buttocks to stabilize your back Raise your legs as you did while performing leg lifts When your legs are perpendicular to your body, it is the initial position Contract your abs & lower one leg so that your foot is a few inches offthe ground Hold this position for a 2-3 seconds & raise it back to initial positionAlternate your leg & perform same movement Perform 20 reps & relax You must perform 3 sets of this workout to achieve the best results

    Boat Pose Place an exercise mat on the floor& sit straight on it with your legsextended Lift your feet off the floor, bend your knees, & bring your hands on eitherside Concentrate on your abdominal muscles & breathe normally Relax your shoulders, back straight, head relaxed, & eyes forward Release the pose & sit cross-legged for a few seconds before beginning Do this exercise 5 times

    Roman Twist You need to go a little bit blower with this one as compared to the basiccrunches Lay in the same position that you would for the basic crunches Raise your shoulders as you would for the basic crunches Before going down, twist your torso from one side to another one time Go back down Start off with around 50 & then graduate

    Vertical Leg Crunches

    Lie on the floor & extend the legs straight up with knees crossed Place your hands behind the head for support, but avoid pulling on the neck Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reachingyour chest towards your feet Keep the legs in a fixed position & imagine bringing your belly button towardsyour spine at the top of the movement Lower & repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps

    V Crunches Lie flat on a mat Keep your legs close to each other with your hands at your sideswith palms facing down

    Be in a position so that your head & shoulder are placed 2 inchesabove the floor & your feet are also 2 inches above the floor Raise yourself in this position, bending your knees to form 90angle Try to bring them near your chest Hold the position for 2 seconds & slowly return to the initial position& repeat Perform 15 reps & 3 sets

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    Knees to Chest Lie flat on the floor, keeping your lower back & head in contact withthe flower Use your arms to push yourself down Lift both feet off the floor, keeping your ankles & knees togetherthroughout the movement, whilst keeping your lower back pulled into the floor Inhale & smoothly pull your knees towards your chestAvoid letting the legs come up or go out to far, as this can cause

    injury to the lower back Squeezing a soft ball between your knees during the movementcan make the exercise harder Focus on keeping your abs contracted throughout, especially onthe outward phase, where your feet should not touch the floorAim for 12-20 reps full movement, repeated twice after 20 secondsrest

    Torso Twists Sit with your backbone stretched & upright (or sit cross-legged on theground) Hold the edge ofa desk with your fingers & thumbs Keep your feet flat against the ground (adjust your chairs height so thatyour feet do not dangle loosely, they should be firmly set on the floor)

    Suck your stomach in & use your core as the axis to swivel the chairfrom left to right & vice versa Stretch your arms out in front of you, with your fingertips touching Imagine yourself to be the rotating tub of a washing machine Breathe in With your hips square & abs tight, breathe out as you slowly rotate yourupper body about 45 to the right Return to the center & repeat on your left side Do at least 4-5 sets of 20 rotations (1 rotation equaling 1 left-right-leftset)