Everyone wants great abs, like those six-packs you see on some athletes and celebrities. To get abs that you can be proud of your need to exercise and eat right. Whether or not you want great abs to show off, abdominal training can yield great health benefits. It strengths the stomach muscles, helps in weight loss and improves your over all fitness level.
Functions of the abdominal muscles
Abdominal muscles are the stomach muscles, they are found between the thorax and the pelvis. There are four different muscles that make up the abs: the upper rectus abdominus, lower rectus abdominus, the internal oblique and the external oblique. The abdominal muscles support our back and spine when we bend and lift objects. They assist us to breathe properly as well as serve a most basic function, keeping our intestines and organs located in the abdomen securely place.
Types of abdominal exercises
If you are overweight, the first step to getting great abs is not abdominal training but fat reduction. Abdominal fat loss does not require tons of crunches, sit-ups or side bends. All you need is a treadmill and a good pair of sneakers. Crunches, sit-ups, etc. will not cause abdominal fat loss, no matter how many repetitions you do. This is because the problem isn't the muscles in your abdomen, which are what gets worked when you do crunches, side-bends, etc.
The problem is the fat in your belly. Think of this belly fat as stored energy. That's what body fat is: stored energy. Thousands of sit-ups and crunches do not require enough energy to burn away at this fat. This is why crunches, leg raises, and other abs exercises by it self just don't work if you’ve got an extra layer of fat around your abdomen.
You would need to engage in a routine that requires so much energy, that your body will take energy from the fat that's stored in your abdominal area. One such routine is high intensity interval training: the key to abdominal fat loss. The concept behind this is simple: Alternate very intense, all out bursts of effort, lasting about one minute or less, with one minute of easy, relaxing effort.
This means you can walk one minute easily on the treadmill, then run your fastest on it for about 60 seconds, then slow down to the walk, then ramp back up to the sprint, and keep doing this for 20 minutes. The running portion should be your fastest. For some people, this will be the treadmill's fastest speed, which might be 10 mph, 12 mph, or even faster, depending on the make and model of the machine.
Another way to get super intense for that one minute is to use the highest incline and jog it for 6 mph, 7 mph, or 4 mph, whatever you can barely do. Or, you can use a moderate incline and faster speed, maybe 8 percent angle and 8 mph. If you can't run, then just walk: For instance, walk easy for one minute, then walk your fastest (4 mph at 5 percent incline? 4.5 mph at 2 percent incline? 5 mph at zero incline?) for one minute. The easy intervals can be 90 seconds if you need the extra rest.
This form of training is so intense, that it requires a lot of energy to pull off. Your body, forced into an energy starved state, will grab at the fat deposits in your abdomen meaning, abdominal fat loss!
Some abdominal exercises worth trying are:
The best types of abdominal training exercises are those that push the sternum (breastbone) towards your pelvis, thus the popularity of crunches, sit-ups and leg raises in abs training.
Crunches
There are many different types of crunches that can be used in abdominal training. Some of the most common ones are: incline crunches, floor crunches, reverse crunches and cable crunches (both one arm and two-arm). The simplest crunch is this:
Lie flat on your back on the floor; bend your knees; place your hands behind your neck to provide support for your head; lift your head and shoulders off the ground, about one or two inches is good; hold for five seconds and lower yourself. Repeat
Hip and Leg Raises
Leg and hip raises are great for abdominal training because they work the muscles of the stomach. Some variation of leg raises are hanging leg and knee raises and medicine ball leg rises. The lying leg raise is easy to do:
Lie on your back on the floor; support your buttocks with your palms; now raise your legs ten to twelve inches off the floor; hold this position; try to lift your legs another six or so inches using only your lower abdominal muscles. (This exercise is easier and less stressful on the back for persons who are not extremely overweight)
Sit-ups
While there is controversy about the benefits of sit-ups for abs training doing some variations, such as a chair sit-up does work the abs.
Abdominal training summary
For most abdominal training exercises you only need to do two or three sets of around ten to fifteen repetitions. To safely do most abdominal training exercises you should not arch your back, as this can result in injuries. Try to use the natural bend of the spine instead of forcing it to arch unnaturally. Like with all other exercises, once you begin to feel pain it is time to stop as pain is an indication that something is wrong.
Functions of the abdominal muscles
Abdominal muscles are the stomach muscles, they are found between the thorax and the pelvis. There are four different muscles that make up the abs: the upper rectus abdominus, lower rectus abdominus, the internal oblique and the external oblique. The abdominal muscles support our back and spine when we bend and lift objects. They assist us to breathe properly as well as serve a most basic function, keeping our intestines and organs located in the abdomen securely place.
Types of abdominal exercises
If you are overweight, the first step to getting great abs is not abdominal training but fat reduction. Abdominal fat loss does not require tons of crunches, sit-ups or side bends. All you need is a treadmill and a good pair of sneakers. Crunches, sit-ups, etc. will not cause abdominal fat loss, no matter how many repetitions you do. This is because the problem isn't the muscles in your abdomen, which are what gets worked when you do crunches, side-bends, etc.
The problem is the fat in your belly. Think of this belly fat as stored energy. That's what body fat is: stored energy. Thousands of sit-ups and crunches do not require enough energy to burn away at this fat. This is why crunches, leg raises, and other abs exercises by it self just don't work if you’ve got an extra layer of fat around your abdomen.
You would need to engage in a routine that requires so much energy, that your body will take energy from the fat that's stored in your abdominal area. One such routine is high intensity interval training: the key to abdominal fat loss. The concept behind this is simple: Alternate very intense, all out bursts of effort, lasting about one minute or less, with one minute of easy, relaxing effort.
This means you can walk one minute easily on the treadmill, then run your fastest on it for about 60 seconds, then slow down to the walk, then ramp back up to the sprint, and keep doing this for 20 minutes. The running portion should be your fastest. For some people, this will be the treadmill's fastest speed, which might be 10 mph, 12 mph, or even faster, depending on the make and model of the machine.
Another way to get super intense for that one minute is to use the highest incline and jog it for 6 mph, 7 mph, or 4 mph, whatever you can barely do. Or, you can use a moderate incline and faster speed, maybe 8 percent angle and 8 mph. If you can't run, then just walk: For instance, walk easy for one minute, then walk your fastest (4 mph at 5 percent incline? 4.5 mph at 2 percent incline? 5 mph at zero incline?) for one minute. The easy intervals can be 90 seconds if you need the extra rest.
This form of training is so intense, that it requires a lot of energy to pull off. Your body, forced into an energy starved state, will grab at the fat deposits in your abdomen meaning, abdominal fat loss!
Some abdominal exercises worth trying are:
The best types of abdominal training exercises are those that push the sternum (breastbone) towards your pelvis, thus the popularity of crunches, sit-ups and leg raises in abs training.
Crunches
There are many different types of crunches that can be used in abdominal training. Some of the most common ones are: incline crunches, floor crunches, reverse crunches and cable crunches (both one arm and two-arm). The simplest crunch is this:
Lie flat on your back on the floor; bend your knees; place your hands behind your neck to provide support for your head; lift your head and shoulders off the ground, about one or two inches is good; hold for five seconds and lower yourself. Repeat
Hip and Leg Raises
Leg and hip raises are great for abdominal training because they work the muscles of the stomach. Some variation of leg raises are hanging leg and knee raises and medicine ball leg rises. The lying leg raise is easy to do:
Lie on your back on the floor; support your buttocks with your palms; now raise your legs ten to twelve inches off the floor; hold this position; try to lift your legs another six or so inches using only your lower abdominal muscles. (This exercise is easier and less stressful on the back for persons who are not extremely overweight)
Sit-ups
While there is controversy about the benefits of sit-ups for abs training doing some variations, such as a chair sit-up does work the abs.
Abdominal training summary
For most abdominal training exercises you only need to do two or three sets of around ten to fifteen repetitions. To safely do most abdominal training exercises you should not arch your back, as this can result in injuries. Try to use the natural bend of the spine instead of forcing it to arch unnaturally. Like with all other exercises, once you begin to feel pain it is time to stop as pain is an indication that something is wrong.
For more information on how to meet your physical goals visit: Chiseled To Perfection
