building muscle mass

9 Great Ways to Work Out Abs

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Finding the best ways to work out abscan be a challenge especially if you can’t shell out any more cash on gym memberships and personal trainers. The good news is that you can do any of these 9 great exercises without even leaving your home or using any complicated equipment.

1. Crunches. Lie on the floor and put your hands across your chest. With your legs a few inches apart, bend those knees and plant both feet firmly on the ground. Curl your shoulders upward and hold it when you get to a 45-degree angle. Slowly go back down and start all over.

2. Frog Leg Crunches. There are many ways to work out abs than just regular crunches, and this is one of them. Place your hands across your chest and lie flat on the floor with the soles of your feet touching each other, forming a diamond. Try to keep your outer thighs, knees and calves as close to the floor as possible. Lift your torso slowly while curling your pelvis and hold that position, then slowly go back down and begin again.

3. Crossover Crunches. Assume the crunch position. Instead of going up vertically, try moving diagonally, doing both sides interchangeably. This will give your obliques a really good workout.

4. Raised Leg Crunches. Different crunch variations are great ways to work out abs, so utilize as many as possible. Lie on the floor and rest both legs up on a chair or bench, keeping your thighs perpendicular to the ground. With both hands across your chest, lift your upper body toward your knees and hold it there. Slowly go back down and start over.

5. Raised Leg Knee-ins. Lie on the floor and tuck your palms beneath your hips. Keep your legs straight out and suspended a few inches above the floor. Lift one knee toward your torso, hold it there, straighten it back out, and then do the same with the other knee.

6. Hanging Single Knee Raises. These raises, although a little more challenging than the rest, are effective ways to work out abs. Hold on to a chin-up bar, your body dangling, with both hands shoulder-width apart and palms facing away from your body. Raise one knee as high as you can while trusting forward slightly. Repeat with the other knee.

7. V-Spread Toe Touches. Lie back on the floor, raise your legs up to 90 degrees, and spread them to form a V. Lift your shoulders toward the direction of one leg, reach out, and hold it for a second. Go back down and repeat on the other side.

8. Hanging Knee Raise Crossovers. This works a lot like #6, but instead of lifting one knee at a time, you lift both. Twist your pelvis as you lift your knees. These added moves are great ways to work out abs.

9. Vacuums. While keeping your upper body upright, place your hands on your hips, kneel down, cross your feet from behind, and sit on them. Exhale as you suck in your gut. Hold for a few seconds, breath in, and then repeat. Not only is this exercise effective, it’s also very relaxing.

Use these 9 great ways to work out abs and you won’t have to worry about flab ever again!

Build Lower Abs Fast – 3 Steps to a Full-proof Exercise Plan

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People come up to me all the time and tell me how hard it is for them to build lower abs. As I probed into their fitness regimen, I learned they all had one common mistake – they’ve got the abdominal exercises down, but they either leave out the cardio or neglect to eat the right kinds of food.

Any successful fitness plan would involve working the whole body and not just your abs. Also, exercising your butt off is never enough; eating healthy plays a big part as well.

You can have all the workout equipment on the planet, hire the best trainers, join all the prestigious gyms, and still not build lower abs if you don’t include ALL 3 steps in your exercise plan:

  1. Follow a low fat diet;
  2. Perform regular cardiovascular exercise; and
  3. Execute targeted lower abs exercises.

Doing one without the other two will do you some good. But that wouldn’t be enough, would it. Imagine what you can achieve when you do all three.

Cutting down on your fat intake will allow your body to burn stored body fat. Before your muscles appear to be cut and well-defined, you need to get rid of the layers of fat that are covering them.

To build lower abs effectively, include a lot of whole grains, lean meats, and a few good fats in your meals. Here are some food items that you can stock up on the next time you go to the supermarket:

  • Leafy greens
  • Colorful veggies (e.g. carrots, peas, cauliflower, bell peppers, asparagus)
  • Brown rice
  • Tofu
  • Fresh fruits (e.g. berries, apples, bananas, oranges)
  • Beans
  • Nuts

Stay away from fatty, processed, and starchy foods; they can only set you back from your goal. Here are some things you must avoid in your diet:

  • Junk food
  • Deep-fried foods
  • Soda
  • Candy
  • Beer

To reinforce your diet, you must stick to a good cardiovascular routine. Doing cardio 2 to 3 times a week will definitely help you build lower abs fast. These holistic exercises help build muscle mass and increase metabolism.

Full cardio workouts include running, walking, swimming, and yoga. If you feel like doing something new, try out a workout video. There are so many to choose from.

The last and final step to build lower abs is directly targeting the muscle group itself.

Standard crunches and full body crunches are two of the easiest, most effective core-specific exercises you can do. Performing these exercises 3 to 5 times a week at 20 to 25 reps per exercise will definitely speed things up.

If you’re really serious about your exercise plan, you can successfully build lower abs by including all three steps. Besides, it only takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete your cardio and abs exercises, and even less to think about what to eat everyday. Stick to your program and you’ll get ripped abs sooner than you think.

4 Great Exercises for Building Washboard Abs

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Building washboard abs seems like a very difficult task, but, really, it’s not. It only seems that way because you’ve made up your mind without even trying first.

I remember when I got started with this whole six pack abs thing; I didn’t really get it right away. After much reading, however, I realized ANYONE who had determination and dedication can get totally ripped abs.

Doing targeted abs exercises can certainly get you the abs of your dreams. Combined with a well-balanced diet and frequent fat-burning workouts, targeted abs exercises will get rid of that unwanted flab and sculpt your ab muscles.

As you load up on a good eating strategy and do exercises like running and swimming, remember to do targeted abs exercises 3 to 4 times a week. Building washboard abs can be easy if you follow these simple exercises:

Weighted Sit Ups

You won’t need much for this exercise except for small weights:

  1. Lie down on your exercise mat, bend your knees slightly, and keep your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Put the weights on your chest and keep them in place with both hands.
  3. Lift your upper body slowly while keeping your lower half still.
  4. Go up to a 45-degree angle and hold that position for as long as you can.
  5. Slowly lower yourself back down and start all over.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcHkaMnjz-g[/youtube]

Full Body Crunches

Building washboard abs with full body crunches can get to your goal faster because it works the entire midsection.

  1. Lie back down on the floor and begin doing regular crunches.
  2. As your upper body comes up for the crunch, keep your ab muscles tight, and lift your legs off the ground.
  3. Gradually lower both your torso and legs back to the floor.

double-crunches-abs-anatomy-man

Ball Crunches

For this one, you won’t need anything except for an exercise ball.

  1. Sit on the ball and plant your feet firmly on the ground.
  2. Without moving your feet, slowly roll back on the ball until your upper body and thighs are parallel to the floor.
  3. Go up for a crunch while balancing your body with your feet and abdominal muscles.
  4. Remember to keep those muscles taut.
  5. Go back down to your original position and repeat the exercise.
woman-doing-abs-cruches-on-exercise-ball-starting-position woman-doing-abs-cruches-on-exercise-ball-end-position

Bicycle

  1. Again, lie flat on the floor.
  2. Place your hands behind each ear and bring your legs halfway up.
  3. Begin a cycling motion with your legs, alternately bringing in each leg closer to your pelvis.
  4. As your right knee comes up, twist your torso so your left elbow touches it. Then, do the same with the other side.
  • Once you’ve completed 10 to 15 reps, perform the same exercise while “pedaling” backwards.
woman-doing-bicycle-abs-crunches-1 woman-doing-bicycle-abs-crunches-2

20 to 25 reps of each exercise will give both your upper and lower abdominals a great workout. Remember to keep your abdominal muscles tight and drink plenty of water. You’ll soon realize that building washboard abs with these 4 great exercises will become a great habit!

4 Tips to Remember When Buying Abdominal Fitness Equipment

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Buying abdominal fitness equipment is like shopping for any other item at the store. I must admit, it can be intimidating at times. But with these 4 points to ponder on, shopping could be a breeze.

1. How exactly do you fulfill your “want?”

Think about it: you’re not exactly walking into a store to buy a bag of chips. We’re talking moderately expensive, high-tech equipment over here. You have to think these things through.

You definitely would want something that would get you those six pack abs WITHOUT breaking the bank. You probably would also want something you can easily store.

Think in terms of LONG TERM USAGE. Abdominal fitness equipment may cost next to nothing, but more often than not, they don’t last too long either.

Cost will always be a factor. But keep in mind that, as with anything you buy (e.g. clothes, food), quality is of the essence. You must consider the brand of a product, extended warranty offers, and customer testimonials.

Payment plans can also help you make up your mind on a potential buy. There are so many choices out there, it can be overwhelming. But factoring in the price and available payment plans, either by the store or your credit card company, can help you decide which one you can actually go for.

2. What do you REALLY need?

Are you really going for results or the fancy brand of the equipment? Abdominal fitness equipment with off-the-roof prices don’t necessarily mean they work.

Basically, you need to balance “flash” with “function.”

What you need is a piece of equipment that works for YOU. If you’re just starting out, go for a more basic, user-friendly item. As you build abdominal muscle through time, you can eventually go up a grade higher and go for the more complicated ones.

You can always start with an exercise ball. Those hardly cost anything, but the results you can get by using them regularly can be astounding.

3. Compare, compare, compare!

Looking around before purchasing anything is always the way to go. You shouldn’t buy the first piece of abdominal fitness equipment you see because you MIGHT just find something better. Window shopping can take a while, but think about how much you can save.

Nothing is worse than buyer’s remorse, believe you me.

If you have a particular kind of equipment in mind, check with different brands. Compare prices, warranties, and product specifications to get a good deal. If you’re spending on equipment, you might as well score the best one.

4. Product Guarantees

Expect only great things from the items you purchase. Ask yourself, are you actually getting the latest model? Will the cost still be acceptable if you factor in shipping fees? What if it breaks down? Can you have it replaced or repaired at once? Is there even an option for extended warranties?

Keep these 4 tips in mind and you can’t go wrong. With just a little bit of homework and some product canvassing, you can absolutely score the best deals in abdominal fitness equipment.

Got any abdominal fitness equipment advice? Share them by adding a comment below.