abdominal exercises

The Best Excerises for Lower Abs

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The best exercises for lower absdon’t require going to the gym, buying equipment, or hiring a trainer. The secret is so simple that you can do it right now, in your home.

You just need to do these 3 things to get great abs:

  1. Know your abs and what works them
  2. Follow a healthy diet
  3. Work your cardiovascular system

Before you begin, you should know that technically, there are no separate upper and lower abdominal muscles; they are a group of muscles that are all connected.

So, does targeting your upper and lower abs differently matter?

Experts disagree on the answer, but science has proven that some movements target the lower abs more effectively than others.

The best excerises for lower abs are:

  1. Curls
  2. Crunches
  3. Bicycles
  4. Knee to Chest Stretch

1. Curl

  • Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat.
  • Place your hands on your abdomen.
  • Tighten your abdominal muscles and press your lower back against the floor.
  • Slowly curl yourself up, raising your head and shoulders.
  • Uncurl back down, slowly lowering yourself back to the floor.

2. Crunches

  • Lie down on the floor.
  • Bend your knees and place your hands across your chest.
  • Contract your abdominal muscles.
  • Bring your shoulder blades up off of the floor several inches while bringing your knees up at the same time.
  • Hold this position for a few seconds and then lower yourself.

3. Bicycle

  • Lie flat on the floor.
  • Rest your hands up next to your head and bring your knees halfway up.
  • Begin a bicycling motion with your legs.
  • Alternate between touching your left elbow to your right knee and your right elbow to your left knee and repeat.

4. Knee to Chest Stretch

  • Lie on the floor with your knees bent and flat feet.
  • Bring one knee toward your chest. You can use your hands if you need to.
  • Hold your knee near your chest for ten seconds and lower your leg slowly.
  • Repeat with your other knee.
  • Hold the stretch for as long as you feel comfortable and then repeat.

Perform these 2-3 times per week with at least one day of rest between each workout session. Start with 5-10 repetitions for each exercise and move up to 3 sets of 20 repetitions with you feel stronger.

Also, remember that following a low fat diet and performing regular cardio workouts, such as walking or running is a significant part of any ab training routine.

By performing these excerises for lower abs as part of a healthy fitness routine, you will become stronger, fitter, and see your abs like you’ve never seen them before.

6 Pack Abs Exercises For Everyone

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Some people think that 6 pack abs exercises are hard, or require a personal trainer, but that’s not the case at all. Getting 6 pack abs is not as difficult as you may think. You don’t even need to go to the gym.

What part of your body attracts the most attention? According to surveys of both men and women, sexy, toned abs are the biggest show stopper. That’s not really surprising – even art from 2,000 years ago showcased the abs. A finely sculpted midsection is a work of art in itself.

What exercises will give you the look of a Greek god? Read on to find out.

But before we discuss exercises, you should know that exercise alone won’t give you the abs you want. Fat burning, a healthy diet, and cardio exercise are all important facets of an abdominal workout program.

The four primary 6 pack abs exercises are:

  1. Ball Crunches
  2. Weighted Sit Ups
  3. Bicycles
  4. Full Body Crunches

Ball Crunches

Note that this exercise requires the use of an exercise ball.

Place your feet flat on the floor and sit on the exercise ball. Lie back slowly, letting the ball gently roll until your thighs and torso are in a parallel line with the floor. Begin raising your torso halfway up, while contracting your abdominal muscles. When you reach a 45 degree incline, stop and lie back down slowly.

Weighted Sit Ups

This exercise requires the use of a small weight. If you do not have a small weight, any similarly sized object, such as a hardcover book or bag of flour will do.

Lie down on the floor with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent. Place the weight on your chest and hold it in place with both hands. Contract your abdominal muscles. Slowly lift your head and back up from the floor, while keeping your feet on the ground. Go up as high as you can and hold it for a second. Then slowly return down and repeat.

Bicycle

Lie flat on the floor. Rest your hands up next to your head and bring your knees halfway up. Begin a bicycling motion with your legs. Alternate between touching your left elbow to your right knee and your right elbow to your left knee. Repeat.

Full Body Crunches

Lie down on the floor. Bend your knees and place your hands across your chest. Contract your abdominal muscles. Bring your shoulder blades up off of the floor several inches while bringing your knees up at the same time. Hold this position for a few seconds and then lower yourself.

These four exercises can all be performed in your home with inexpensive equipment.

Begin with 5 repetitions of each exercise and gradually work up to 20. After exercising, you should feel like you have worked out, but if you feel burning or tingling, lessen your workout time and step up gradually. This will reduce your risk of injury or strain.

By performing these 6 pack abs exercises, and following a sensible workout program, you are already on your way to the abs of your dreams.

What other techniques can you add to make these exercises effective? Share your expertise below.

Choosing Great Lower Abs Workouts

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If you need some lower abs workouts that you can do in the privacy and comfort of your own home, here are some exercises that don’t take any expensive equipment or immense time investments.

If you want to get great lower abs, you just need to learn the answers to these three questions:

  • How do I work my abs?
  • How can I choose the right foods for exercising?
  • How can I ensure a good cardio workout?

One thing to know is that your abdominals are a connected group of muscles, not distinct muscles as commonly thought.

Some experts believe that, because of this, there isn’t much reason for training a specific part of the abs. This may be true, but there are some exercises that have been scientifically proven to target the lower abdominals effectively.

Which are they?

  • Curls
  • Crunches
  • Bicycles
  • Knee to Chest Stretch

Knowledge is half the battle, but being able to do them is the other half. All of these can be done in your own home, so here’s how to do them.

How to do a Curl

Lie flat on the floor, bend your knees and plant your feet. Put both of your hands on your abdomen. Push your lower back against the floor while you tense your abs. Curl your body, slowly raising your head and shoulders toward your knees. Gently uncurl yourself slowly back to the floor.

How to do a Crunch

Lie down on the floor. Bend your knees and place your hands across your chest. Contract your abdominal muscles. Bring your shoulder blades up off of the floor several inches while bringing your knees up at the same time. Hold this position for a few seconds and then lower yourself.

How to do a Bicycle

Lie flat on the floor. Rest your hands up next to your head and bring your knees halfway up. Begin a bicycling motion with your legs. Alternate between touching your left elbow to your right knee and your right elbow to your left knee and repeat.

How to do the Knee to Chest Stretch

Lie down and bend your knees and keep your feet flat, just like a curl. Pull one of your knees as close to your chest as is comfortable, you can use your hands if you need to. Keep that position for about ten seconds. Slowly lower your knee, and put your foot back on the floor. Repeat with your other knee. Rest for a moment and then repeat the exercise.

Try each of these on alternating days of the week, and don’t worry if you miss a day here and there. Complete 5 to 10 of each, and when that’s a breeze, try a few more. Go as slowly as you need to – rushing could lead to injury.

A healthy, low fat diet is an important part of the fitness process. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins. Avoid fatty foods and processed grains.

A good cardio workout is just as important as lower abs workouts. Walking, bicycle riding, running, jogging, and aerobics are all great cardio exercises which will make your body respond better to the other, targeted, ab exercises.

A complete exercise program has many elements to it. Eat the right foods, do regular cardio workouts, and targeted lower abs workouts. Sooner than later, you will have the abs you want.

How about you? What is your personal preference to build your lower abs? Leave your choices below.

How to Get and Keep a Flat Sexy Stomach

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Weight gain has always been a nagging issue…no wonder weight loss fads are surfacing every day; it’s hard to even keep track. People who try all these may be concerned about their health, while others just want to look great. I mean, let’s be real; who wouldn’t want a flat sexy stomach.

However, you should always be aware of your eating habits. You can’t allow yourself to sign up with a dieting fad that ultimately does more harm than good. You wouldn’t want your health to suffer, do you? Start educating yourself about the benefits of balanced nutrition and healthy meals. You may have not realized it yet, but some foods and drinks out in the market today contain empty calories. A good example of this is canned sodas which mainly contain artificial flavoring and sugar. Both have calories, but they don’t actually provide any nutritional value.

To be able to get a flat sexy stomach, some would even opt for an extreme diet fad – crash diets. Surely, they will lose a few pounds at first, but the weight will just come back soon after. The reason for this is that our bodies are conditioned to store more fat when it experiences starvation. Crash dieting will also signal the body to activate a considerably slow metabolism, keeping you farther away from getting a flat sexy stomach.

You should always eat a healthy breakfast because the first meal of the day boosts metabolism after a slow down during the sleep state. If you’re fond of going on fast food sprees, start limiting it. Or better yet, take them out completely.

And finally, if you really want to have that flat sexy stomach, you should get active through regular exercise, or perhaps engage in sports and activities that you enjoy. As long as you keep tabs on your weight loss regimen, you can be assured that you’re still getting the nutrition you need while keeping a healthy and active body.

What is your own flat sexy stomach secret? Share them with us by providing your insights below.

4 Great Tips to Getting Ripped Abs Quick

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There is no magic formula to getting ripped abs quick, but it does require commitment and some research to understand what you can do to get those abdominal muscles into shape.

The best way to get six pack abs is to utilize what you already have and not spend on things that are not even necessary. I’m talking about really expensive ab machines, electronic tummy belts, and prestigious gym memberships. Sure enough, these may contribute to your success, but without any definite guarantees.

The only “machine” you really need is your very own body. With the right information, a positive and proactive frame of mind, and the implementation of best practices, there’s really no stopping you from getting ripped abs quick.

Check out these 4 valuable tips that will help you build your abdominals and get rid of excess tummy fat:

1. Do regular crunches and reverse crunches.

Crunches have become very popular since the dawn of bodybuilding (and the birth of midriff shirts). These superior versions of the sit up target your abdominal muscles, especially the  rectus abdominis and lower abs, like no other basic ab exercise.

Unlike full sit ups, crunches zone in on your abs and work it harder, relying very minimally on other body parts or muscle groups for support. Instead of distributing the work among your back muscles, legs, and shoulders, your abs do most, if not all, of the work, and that’s what you must aim for if you want ripped abs quick.

2. Don’t work your abs too hard!

I know you want to see results fast. But working your abdominal muscles every single day can actually be more harmful than you think. You want to sculpt your abs, not work them to death!

Performing abdominal muscle training not more than 4 times a week should be plenty. This ensures that your abs are getting enough exercise without overworking them. Injuries brought about by carelessness and over-eagerness will only set you back.

3. Know That Crunches Won’t Ever Be Enough.

For you to get ripped abs quick, you must also burn excess body fat and build overall body muscle. In between the days you allotted for abs training, it would be best to concentrate on the rest of your body by doing full cardio workouts. That way, you get to work other muscle groups as well.

4. Eat right.

The food you eat says a lot about what your body is capable of losing…or gaining. If you eat junk and highly processed food a lot, then you’re bombarding your body with unnecessary fats and chemicals. That means, you will need to work extra hard to lose all that excess body fat.

Imagine if you stuck to healthier options like fresh vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, high-protein snacks, nuts, and fruits – you can only get that sexy body faster.

So you see, getting ripped abs quick can be achieved by simply following these 4 simple guidelines. Stick to them and you’ll rock a slamming body in no time.

Help build the list by adding a 5th tip you know of. Share your experience by adding a comment below.