“How To” Exercise Videos

How to do Side Plank

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxFNqRAvqkI[/youtube]

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Place your exercise mat on the floor and kneel down.
  2. Extend your right arm so that your palm is pushing up against the floor and your left arm is resting straight on your side.
  3. Push both feet outward until your left foot is resting on top of your right. At this point, the only parts of your body that are touching the mat are your right hand and the outer part of your right foot.

Execution

1.     Keep your legs and upper body as straight as possible.

2.     Extend your left arm outward so that it forms a straight line with your right arm.

3.     Hold this position for as long as you can.

Return

Relax your arms and legs, face the other way, and prop yourself up on your left hand and left feet this time.

Repeat

How to do Seated Leg Raise Advance

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPTQYeteK9U[/youtube]

 

Are you frustrated with all the attempts you have done to getting more shapely hips? Do you want to start fitting in your old pair of jeans again or be able to confidently buy tighter jeans? The seated leg raise advance will surely not disappoint you.

Do not let the word “advance” intimidate you. If it helps, you can start out with the seated leg exercise (steps 1-3 of the execution below) without engaging the use of your hands first. This movement in itself is already a good muscle workout for your hip flexors.

As soon as you get the hang of it, the seated leg raise advance could be done with a “twist”-literally and figuratively, as you raise your hands and twist your body while performing the crunch movement. From the upper thigh muscles all the way to your abdominals and obliques, this exercise can greatly boost your efforts to tighten your core muscles.

As long as you do this exercise right, seated leg raise advance can also be used to improve back pains and problems. Many athletes also benefit from the twisting and crunch movements that allow for more flexibility of your abdominal muscles while maximizing its strength potential at the same time.

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Sit down on the edge of a workout bench or any elevated sturdy ledge.
  2. Grab hold of the edge with both hands on each side of your hips for added support.

Execution

  1. Lean back slightly until your torso is at a 45 degree angle to the bench.
  2. Raise both feet slightly off the floor, keeping your knees bent and close together at all times.
  3. Crunch forward without sitting up completely, keeping your abdominal muscles tight, while simultaneously pulling in both your knees inward by lifting your feet higher off the floor. Repeat this step several times.
  4. Raise your hands and touch the sides of your face lightly, bending at the elbows, while still performing step 3 straight on repeatedly.
  5. Twist your upper body to the right while continuously crunching and pulling your legs in so that your left elbow lightly touches your right knee each time they meet in the middle. Repeat this step a few times on the same side.
  6. Twist your upper body to the left and do the same on that side a few times.
  7. Twist your torso back to the center, make fists and lower your hands down to your chin but still keep your elbows bent, and do the same crunch-and-leg-raise movement straight on.

 

Return

Sit up straight and touch your feet back to the ground.

Repeat

Is this part of your usual abs workout? Share your experience by inputting your insights below.

How to do Russian Twist

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC5nI0hDt50[/youtube]

From the name of the exercise, the Russian twist’s main movement would involve primarily twisting your torso to develop muscles mostly in your obliques. Not all stomach exercises give your obliques equal opportunity as your abs to be strengthened. This exercise is certainly one of those that do.

The great thing about this workout is that you have the freedom not just to choose your desired weight but you can use whatever weights you are most comfortable with. Whatever added weight you put in while performing this twisting motion across your abdomen serves to increase challenge and resistance to this exercise.

Because your back should be kept straight while doing the twist, the Russian Twist is also able to further apply pressure on your lower back, effectively strengthening it and helping improve your posture over time.

Do not be tempted to do this exercise in quick motions as you move from left to right. The secret to getting the Russian Twist to work fully is to do it slowly and deliberately while focusing on your breathing. This gives your obliques sufficient time to deeply contract.

The Russian Twist is certainly a good complement to your other abs exercises that provides overall upper body conditioning.

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Choose a challenging weight you’d like to work with (e.g. barbell weight plate, dumbbell, exercise ball, medicine ball) and hold it with both hands directly in front of your chest, elbows bent.
  2. Sit down on the edge of an exercise bench or any other similar elevated flat surface.

Execution

1.     Lean back slightly while keeping your abdominal muscles taut.

2.     Raise both feet off the floor, keeping your knees bent and close together at all times.

3.     Twist your upper body from left to right, twisting your hand-held weight toward the same direction simultaneously.

Return

Sit up straight and touch your feet back to the ground.

Repeat

 
Got alternative steps? Share your expertise by leaving your comments below.

How to do Reverse Crunch

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WnuSu4Td4g[/youtube]

If there is one exercise that almost always makes it on the list of the top 10 abs exercises, it is the crunch. The crunch has often been mentioned to build and tighten abs muscles. And indeed they do.

If your target is your lower abs, then reverse crunches can do so much more. Unlike the usual crunches, your upper body remains stationary and it is both legs that initiate the lift with the lower back slightly raised, providing the muscles in your lowers abs with maximum contraction. Hence, the reverse crunch also makes your quadriceps stronger due to the resistance it brings while doing it repeatedly.

To bring out the real benefits of reverse crunches, it is crucial that the legs are raised primarily because of the contraction you do with your abs muscles and not due to any movement on your upper back or spine.

Quality is highly important over quantity so controlled movements of the abs muscles must be experienced to gauge that the exercise is working for you.

Once you are able to do reverse crunches in perfect form, you will understand why this is one of the highly recommended lower abs exercises to include in your training.

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Lie flat on your back on the floor or an exercise bench.
  2. Place hands on your sides so that they are barely touching the outsides of your hips, thumbs pointing upward.
  3. Flex your feet so that your toes are facing the ceiling.
  4. Lift your legs slightly off the ground while keeping your abdominal muscles taut.

Execution

1.     Lift both your legs up further with your knees slightly bent at first.

2.     Lift your feet further off the ground until your hamstrings are perpendicular to the floor and your knees are at the top. Remember to keep your feet flexed and your upper body flat on the floor at all times.

Return

1.     Lower your legs back down to its original position without them completely touching the floor.

Repeat

 
Has reverse crunch helped your abs training? In what way? Let us know by adding your comments below.

How to do Pull-ups

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enzqOb3N1DE[/youtube]

If all back exercises would be ranked in a list according to how well they build muscle mass, pulls ups would definitely make it on top.

Pull ups are very effective in targeting your back muscles, specifically your lats to gain optimum strength and conditioning. Aside from your lats, the powerful movements required of this exercise as you pull your weight up an exercise bar ensure they can also work on your middle back, shoulders and biceps.

If this is your first time to try pulls ups and think they are challenging to do just by reading the instructions below, you are not mistaken. Many beginners have started out being able to do only halfway, if at all, but this is no reason to be frustrated. They are difficult but not impossible.

Rather than seeing them as hard, think of them as a way of challenging you and your target muscles as well. And because of the tremendous strength and endurance needed to perform them, just think what they can actually do to help burn fat, shed extra pounds and boost your metabolism even with a few tries! No wonder many fitness pros attribute their muscle gain in a just a short span of time to pull ups.

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Stand directly below an overhead exercise bar.
  2. Extend your arms and grasp the bar with both hands using a wide grip.

Execution

  1. Pull your body upward with your arms until your chin is about the same level as the bar.
  2. Simultaneously bend your knees and cross your legs at the ankles behind you.

Return

Lower your body down by extending your arms and relaxing your shoulders.

Repeat

 
Have these steps helped you perform pull ups better? Share your experience and add your comments below.