Best Work Out Concerning Muscles That Make Up The Abs

By Joseph S. Bettencourt


Many fitness enthusiasts desire to develop their abdomen more than any other area. Some fail to realize that the abdominal area is not merely one muscle. The abdomen is made up of a group of muscles. Because of this fact, one should utilize a group of different exercises in order to get the best work out for this group of muscles. There are many different exercises to choose from that are excellent for developing the abs.

The abs exercise with the highest popularity is the crunch. This exercise is executed by lying face up on the floor with the knees slightly bent and then lifting the upper-body off of the floor towards the thighs. To deepen this exercise, one can execute the crunch while holding an exercise ball between ones legs.

There are many variations to the crunch exercise. One variation is to bring one leg across the body and place the foot on the knee as the crunch is executed. After a few crunches, one would then alternate by placing the other foot on the opposite knee. By lifting each leg, the abdominal muscles are stimulated different which provides a better work out for the abs.

One more variation of the crunch is referred to as the reverse crunch. To perform the reverse crunch, one would lift the bottom half of ones body off of the floor instead of lifting the torso while lying on ones back. Swift motions is incorrect Slow, strong movements is proper form for the highest level of effectiveness in this as well as other abdominal exercises.

The hanging knee lift is an exercise that is also excellent for the abdominal muscles. The hanging knee lift is executed by holding a chin-up bar and elevating the bottom half of the body bringing the knees into the chest. To perform this exercise properly, one should refrain from moving the upper body and lift the lower body at the pelvis, not the hip. Bending at the hip is a good hip flexor exercise, but does little for the abdomen.

Another good abdominal exercise is the bicycle. The bicycle is done by lying face-up on the floor and lifting the legs at a 45 degree angle above the ground. With hands held tightly behind the head, one would motion the legs as if riding on a bike. To get the best results form this exercise, the upper body should twist so that ones elbows can alternately touch the opposite knees as the legs contract and extend keeping the abdomen tight throughout this exercise.

An alteration to the bicycle is to change the pace during the exercise. Moving from a fast pace to a slow pace alternates the resistance presented to the abs which improves this exercise greatly. One more alteration would be to stop during this exercise while ones feet was still in the air and then extend each leg one at a time 3 or 4 inches above the floor. Each leg should be allowed to hover above the floor for a few seconds before switching.

Alternate the days when performing these exercises and alterations. One should not work the same muscle group with the same exercise too consecutively. Also, keeping the movements slow and controlled is the best way to avoid the risk of injuring ones abdomen. The best work out for the abs can be obtained by using a group of the best abdominal exercises.




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