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 crunch is by far the most popular and well-know abdominal exercise. This exercise is performed by lying on ones back and gently lifting the upper torso off the floor towards the lower half of ones body. This exercise can also be modified by utilizing an exercise ball. One would place the 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.
Another variation to the crunch exercise is the reverse crunch. In this exercise, one would lie on ones back and engage the abs by lifting the lower body upwards towards the chest instead of lifting the upper torso off of the floor towards the knees. Utilize slow and controlled motion to optimize the workout. As with most exercises, the effectiveness comes from using proper form.
Another exercise which is excellent for abs is the hanging knee lift. This exercise is done by hanging from a pull-up bar and bending at the pelvis to lift your knees towards your upper torso. People sometimes execute this exercise incorrectly because they allow there upper body to sway and bend at the hip. By swaying and bending at the hip, one works out the hip flexor, not the abdomen. The way to execute this exercise correctly is to keep ones upper body as still as possible and lift at the pelvis moving the legs and knees as one unit.
Another workout for the abdominal muscles is known as the bicycle. In this exercise, one would lie on ones back and motions the legs in the same motion as one would when riding a bike. The hands should be interlocked and rest comfortably behind the head and the abs should be contracted the whole time in order to get the maximum benefit from this exercise. Also, one should twist the body while moving the legs to cause each elbow to alternately touch the opposite knee in the bicycle motion.
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.
To get the best effect, the same exercise should not be executed every day. One should do different exercises to avoid working-out the same group of muscles in the exact same way on consecutive days. By using different exercises, one can potentially obtain the best work out for the abdominal muscles.
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