Best exercises for abs (and it’s not sit-ups)

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The center of power of your body is your abdominal muscles or simply called abs. It provides core strength, balance, help prevent lower back injuries, an promote good posture, When you regularly perform abs workout for an average of 10 to 15 minutes thrice or four times a week reaps benefits when done correctly. This type of exercises not only improves your physical well-being but also makes you feel and look good.

Secrets on sculpting your abs

We spill the beans on how to make the most out of sculpting your mid section. The long lasting secret to achieve the benefits on doing abs exercises is to treat your body as a complete unit. Don’t fall into a belief that hundreds of repetitions of abdominal exercises will guarantee a flat abdominal region. The truth of the matter is that abdominal muscles are not the largest muscles in the body. To put it simply, it means that your body does not burn too many calories from abdominal exercises. It does firm and tone the muscles but does not efficiently burn and target the abdominal muscles. The fact that you perform hundreds of repetitions of sit ups does not mean you will have abs worthy enough to be shown off by wearing a midrib top. Another secret is to lower body fat to show off your toned and sculpted abs. Cardiovascular exercises such as walking, cycling, swimming and jogging are most effective on reducing lower body fat. The suggested cardio exercises targets the gluteal muscles, quadriceps and calves. The largest muscle is known to be the gluteus maximus or buttocks thus it burns a lot of calories. The more calories you burn, the lower the body fat. Strength training of the back and shoulders also improve and boost the rate of metabolism. Whenever the metabolism is boosted, it enables your body to burn stored fat. In short, your tight abdominal muscles can only be recognized and visible when no layer of fat covers them. This is why you need a routine consisting of exercise for lower abdominal muscles to give you that chiseled and “to-envy” look.

A recent study showed that the classic sit-up is not the most recommended exercise for stronger, flatter abdominals. This exercise is only limited to the use of hip muscles instead of the abdominals. In most cases, strains your neck and lower back. That is why the ‘crunch’ is a better option.

The top three best abdominal exercises are bicycle maneuver, captain’s chair, and crunch on exercise ball. Follow these easy steps on how to firm up and tone your abdominal muscles. Make sure to complement these routines with cardio exercises to maximize your fitness program.

Bicycle Maneuver

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place your fingers on the side of your head just behind your ears.
• Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold.
• Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion.
• Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee in a slow and controlled manner and with full extension of each leg on every repetition.
• Breathe evenly throughout the exercise.
• Perform 20-30 repetitions (up to three sets).

Captain’s Chair

The second most effective move that targets the rectus abdominis and obliques is the Captain’s Chair Aim to perform this exercise properly or you can increase your risk of developing injuries.

Instructions:

• Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
• Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.
• Don’t arch the back and remember to breathe smoothly.
• Slowly lower back down and repeat for 12-16 reps.

Crunch on exercise ball

Last but not the least is the crunch on exercise ball. The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and works out your rectus abdominis.

Instructions:
• Lie face-up with the ball resting under your mid/lower back.
• Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
• Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
• As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., you shouldn’t roll).
• Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 12-16 reps.

Complement these three abdominal muscle exercises by eating a healthy diet along with regular aerobic exercise thrice a week. Watch what you feed your body and lose that extra body fat. The best abdominal muscles in the world may all be hidden under a stubborn layer of body fat.

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