Build your abs with these 3 exercises
“How do I best work my abs?”…
is one of the most asked questions I get as a fitness trainer…
Since I get this all the time, I’m going to try in this article to address a lot of these questions at once and give you a quick rundown on three of my personal favorite simple floor exercises for working out your abs.
- Full Vertical Crunch. This one is great because it recruits all your ab muscles by getting your upper body and your lower body into the action.Lie on your back and lift your legs up toward the ceiling. Put your hands behind your head and lift your shoulder blades a little of the floor – this will contract your abs. While you do this, stretch your legs upward as if you’re trying to get your heels on the ceiling.What you want to aim for is to make your body into a “u” shape. Lower yourself back to starting position. This should be done for between 10 and fifteen reps each time.
- “Long Arm Crunch”. This easy to perform exercise will focus on your upper abs. Start out by Lying on your back (on a mat if you have one) with your arms stretched out in a straight line behind your head.You’ll know you’re doing it right if your arms are near or touching your ears! Contract your abs to lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Perform 10-15 reps per set.
- Vertical Leg Crunch, Here’s a good one for your obliques. Start by Lying face up on the floor, legs straight up and cross your knees.contract your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the floor – in this exercise, imagine that you’re trying to touch your chest to your feet (this will make sure you’re doing it right).Lower your body and do this 10 to fifteen times for each set.
So yeah, those are three of my top ab exercises, hit your abs just as hard as you would any other muscle group… don’t forget to train the rest of your body for proper hormonal response… and watch them grow!
