Stomach Exercises to Work off Those Love Handles:
A major complaint of people who want to look more fit is belly fat. Specifically, a large number of people have trouble with "love handles." Far from lovely or lovable, these are deposits of fat that take up residence on the sides of one's lower torso, around the external oblique muscles. Traditional crunches and sit-ups will not do much for this sort of chub, as they mainly work the abdominal muscles and not the obliques. The good news, however, is that there are a few stomach exercises which specifically target the obliques, helping trim love handles. As with any new physical activity, consult a professional before beginning and be sure to properly warm up to avoid injury.
Side Bend
A simple exercise, side bends are also probably the most effective method for losing love handles. Start by standing upright. Position your feet shoulder width apart and bend your knees slightly. Lower your whole torso to one side, then back to the other. Lean only side to side, not backwards or forwards.
Torso Twist
This stomach exercise is also effective at reducing love handles, and is good to do right after the side bends in your routine, as it is also done in a standing position. Again, with feet shoulder width apart, slowly twist the body to one side, then to the other. The key here is to twist from your torso, not from the hips. As much of the twisting work as possible should be done by your oblique muscles, not your hip flexors. Keep your torso upright with no bending.
Side Crunch
The next two stomach exercises require you to get off your feet and lie down, preferably on the floor or other flat surface. Use a mat or towel as a cushion if you have a particularly hard floor to work with. Lie down on one side. For simplicity, let us say you are on your right side to start. Bring your right arm across your waist so that your right hand comes to rest on your left side. Touch your ear with the fingertips of your left hand, so that your left elbows winds up pointing straight upward. Lift your shoulders up off the floor while simultaneously raising your left leg to height of about twelve inches (30 cm). Contract your obliques as you do this. Hold for a few seconds, then gently lie back down. Do this for an entire set, then switch to the right side.
Seated Knee Drop
First, position yourself on the floor so that you are resting on your hipbones (not sitting on your butt). You can put your hands on the floor behind you to keep yourself stable in this position. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Put your ankles together. Now lower your knees to the right. Your feet will roll on to their sides, but should remain on the floor. Continue this lowering move until your knees are about six inches above the floor. Hold for one second, then go back up and down to the left side. Move slowly and under control, using your stomach muscles rather than momentum to raise and lower your legs.
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Showing posts with label crunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crunch. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Using Resistance Bands In Stomach Exercises
Using Resistance Bands In Stomach Exercises:
Using resistance bands can be an effective component of any workout routine, and stomach exercises are no exception. There are a number of exercises targeting the midsection that incorporate resistance bands. Resistance bands come in a variety of difficulties, usually indicated by the color of the band itself (e.g., green can be little resistance, yellow may be medium, red for difficult, etc.). Choose a resistance level that is appropriate for you, then move up as necessary. Do not overdo it by immediately grabbing the most advanced band you can find, as this can lead to injury. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.
Seated Crunch
This exercise provides the same benefits as the basic abdominal crunch, but with less neck strain and without the possible discomfort that comes with lying on the floor, since it uses a band rather than gravity to provide resistance. For this stomach exercise, you will need to be sitting in a straight back chair which you can somehow loop your band through. Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and about as wide apart as your hips. Contract your abdominal muscles, and slowly bend forward to about a forty-five degree angle. Repeat for an entire set. Be sure to keep your feet on the floor and your back as straight as possible.
One-Arm Band Pull
Put the chair away and stand up, again with feet hip width apart. Put your hands above your head, holding the band about eighteen inches apart. Keeping your left hand overhead, bring your right hand out to the side, elbow bent at about a ninety degree angle. Hold your left arm still as you contract your abdominals and lower your right arm until your hand is in line with your chest. Hold this position, then slowly return. Repeat for an entire set, then switch hands. Keep your back straight and avoid bending or leaning at the waist. For an additional challenge, do this exercise standing on one foot. Perform the exercise with both hands while standing on your left foot, then do it all again on your right foot.
Twisting Roll-Back
For this stomach exercise, you will need to sit on a flat surface, preferably the floor. Use a mat or towel for cushioning to ease possible strain on your tail bone. Sit down with your legs bent and heels on the floor. Your toes should be pointing up-- do not put your feet flat on the floor. Loop the band around your feet, put one end in each hand and put your hands together. In a rolling motion, lower your torso toward the floor about forty-five degrees. As you do this, twist to the right and spread your hands to the sides. Hold for a second, then rotate back to the middle and raise your torso back to start. Your heels should remain on the floor throughout the exercise. Do a full set, then switch to the left side.
Using resistance bands can be an effective component of any workout routine, and stomach exercises are no exception. There are a number of exercises targeting the midsection that incorporate resistance bands. Resistance bands come in a variety of difficulties, usually indicated by the color of the band itself (e.g., green can be little resistance, yellow may be medium, red for difficult, etc.). Choose a resistance level that is appropriate for you, then move up as necessary. Do not overdo it by immediately grabbing the most advanced band you can find, as this can lead to injury. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.
Seated Crunch
This exercise provides the same benefits as the basic abdominal crunch, but with less neck strain and without the possible discomfort that comes with lying on the floor, since it uses a band rather than gravity to provide resistance. For this stomach exercise, you will need to be sitting in a straight back chair which you can somehow loop your band through. Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and about as wide apart as your hips. Contract your abdominal muscles, and slowly bend forward to about a forty-five degree angle. Repeat for an entire set. Be sure to keep your feet on the floor and your back as straight as possible.
One-Arm Band Pull
Put the chair away and stand up, again with feet hip width apart. Put your hands above your head, holding the band about eighteen inches apart. Keeping your left hand overhead, bring your right hand out to the side, elbow bent at about a ninety degree angle. Hold your left arm still as you contract your abdominals and lower your right arm until your hand is in line with your chest. Hold this position, then slowly return. Repeat for an entire set, then switch hands. Keep your back straight and avoid bending or leaning at the waist. For an additional challenge, do this exercise standing on one foot. Perform the exercise with both hands while standing on your left foot, then do it all again on your right foot.
Twisting Roll-Back
For this stomach exercise, you will need to sit on a flat surface, preferably the floor. Use a mat or towel for cushioning to ease possible strain on your tail bone. Sit down with your legs bent and heels on the floor. Your toes should be pointing up-- do not put your feet flat on the floor. Loop the band around your feet, put one end in each hand and put your hands together. In a rolling motion, lower your torso toward the floor about forty-five degrees. As you do this, twist to the right and spread your hands to the sides. Hold for a second, then rotate back to the middle and raise your torso back to start. Your heels should remain on the floor throughout the exercise. Do a full set, then switch to the left side.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Six Poor Stomach Exercise Habits
Six Poor Stomach Exercise Habits:
As with all things, there is a right way to go about working for a flatter midsection, and several wrong ways. Working out the wrong way can lead to no physical improvement or worse, serious injury. When doing stomach exercises or any other exercise, be sure to consult a professional, warm up properly, and remember the following tips.
Keep Your Knees Up
When doing crunches, you want your knees to bent and your feet flat on the floor so that your knees are centered and pointed upward. Keep them centered and up, not to one side. If you drop your knees to one side, you are unnecessarily compressing your vertebrae, which can lead to a painful back injury.
Sit-Ups
Traditional sit-ups actually do very little for the abdominal muscles. Even when done properly, the strain is mostly on the hip muscles. There is also the tendency to pull the torso up with the arms, which of course is not the point of the exercise. Further, when sit-ups are done very quickly, as people have a tendency to do, it is momentum that mostly forces the torso up and down, rather than any muscle groups. The crunch is a good alternative to old school sit-ups.
Straight Leg Lift
Another traditional "stomach exercise," this move actually works the lower back more than any muscles in the midsection. This is also another way to put strain on your back, possibly leading to injury.
Too Many Reps
There is never a need to do more fifty reps of a stomach exercise. If fifty reps is not giving you results, doing more than that will not help either. As you build strength, if you feel the need for a bigger challenge, try a more difficult exercise as an alternative to adding reps.
Sleeping
Believe it or not, how you sleep has an effect on your stomach exercise routine. If you sleep in a position that cause back pain, it will make it much more difficult to work on your midsection in the morning. Sleeping mostly on your stomach is one of the best ways to cause back pain, as it forces your back to arch, often resulting in annoying back pain. The best way to avoid this is to sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees. This will help keep your vertebrae in line, prevent back pain and allowing you work out pain free in the morning.
No Resistance
All stomach exercises need resistance to be effective, whether it comes from a resistance band, an exercise ball, or just gravity. Exercises that do not use any resistance, such as standing broomstick twists, will not be beneficial to your midsection. The good news is that this particular exercise will not do any harm and is actually a good warm up for your trunk. Just do not expect it to flatten out your stomach.
Proper exercise technique is important. These are just a few tips to help you avoid wasting time and potential injury. Be sure to research thoroughly before beginning a new exercise, and always consult your physician before beginning any physical fitness routine.
As with all things, there is a right way to go about working for a flatter midsection, and several wrong ways. Working out the wrong way can lead to no physical improvement or worse, serious injury. When doing stomach exercises or any other exercise, be sure to consult a professional, warm up properly, and remember the following tips.
Keep Your Knees Up
When doing crunches, you want your knees to bent and your feet flat on the floor so that your knees are centered and pointed upward. Keep them centered and up, not to one side. If you drop your knees to one side, you are unnecessarily compressing your vertebrae, which can lead to a painful back injury.
Sit-Ups
Traditional sit-ups actually do very little for the abdominal muscles. Even when done properly, the strain is mostly on the hip muscles. There is also the tendency to pull the torso up with the arms, which of course is not the point of the exercise. Further, when sit-ups are done very quickly, as people have a tendency to do, it is momentum that mostly forces the torso up and down, rather than any muscle groups. The crunch is a good alternative to old school sit-ups.
Straight Leg Lift
Another traditional "stomach exercise," this move actually works the lower back more than any muscles in the midsection. This is also another way to put strain on your back, possibly leading to injury.
Too Many Reps
There is never a need to do more fifty reps of a stomach exercise. If fifty reps is not giving you results, doing more than that will not help either. As you build strength, if you feel the need for a bigger challenge, try a more difficult exercise as an alternative to adding reps.
Sleeping
Believe it or not, how you sleep has an effect on your stomach exercise routine. If you sleep in a position that cause back pain, it will make it much more difficult to work on your midsection in the morning. Sleeping mostly on your stomach is one of the best ways to cause back pain, as it forces your back to arch, often resulting in annoying back pain. The best way to avoid this is to sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees. This will help keep your vertebrae in line, prevent back pain and allowing you work out pain free in the morning.
No Resistance
All stomach exercises need resistance to be effective, whether it comes from a resistance band, an exercise ball, or just gravity. Exercises that do not use any resistance, such as standing broomstick twists, will not be beneficial to your midsection. The good news is that this particular exercise will not do any harm and is actually a good warm up for your trunk. Just do not expect it to flatten out your stomach.
Proper exercise technique is important. These are just a few tips to help you avoid wasting time and potential injury. Be sure to research thoroughly before beginning a new exercise, and always consult your physician before beginning any physical fitness routine.
Different Exercises To Get A Flat Stomach
Different Exercises To Get A Flat Stomach:
There are many different exercises to get a flat stomach. Some require machines or special equipment; others simply require a floor to lie on and a little motivation and determination. There are some that are performed while also exercising other groups of muscles such as in Pilate's moves, where every exercise will work the stomach muscles even if the focus is the legs, arms or other area of the body.
There are a couple of movements that are very basic and yet give many people the results they are looking for. The first movement is the basic crunch. These exercises are better for the body then sit ups because they do not strain the back as much. A crunch is performed simply by lying on your back and raising the upper portion of your body a few inches off the ground, just enough to feel the strain in the stomach muscles. The key to these movements is to be sure your stomach is doing the work and not your head, or arms. Also, it is important to keep everything straight, do not lift the head more then the shoulders or back, for more information and detail on performing this movement properly there are many resources available on the internet, in books and also in videos. Another movement which is also great and should be done in conjunction with the basic crunch is a side crunch which works the oblique, or as some people call them "love handles" This exercises are performed the same way as the crunch, only the body is twisted slightly to one side. Again to get a more accurate description of how to properly perform this movement there are many resources available.
Along with working out the mid section of the stomach and sides, a person should include several different exercises to get a flat stomach by way of exercising the whole stomach, which includes the lower section and upper section of their stomach as well. It will do a person no good to only focus on one specific muscle group of their stomach. There are many places to find exercises to get a flat stomach including the internet, library, book store and in videos. With so many different options a person may have trouble deciding which exercises would benefit them the most while trying to get a flat stomach. The best suggestion in this case is to try several different ones and decide what works for the individual. One exercise may work great for one person, but be too strenuous for another. Or, one person may be in better shape and be able to do several different exercises that a beginner can not do, at least in the beginning and may just need to concentrate on one movement, instead of a series of different movements in one workout session.
While some exercises to get a flat stomach may work better then others, no exercise will work if not properly performed and done regularly. A person should decide which exercises they are both capable of doing and also can do for an extended period of time while working to get the flat stomach they want. If they exercise is too complicated, takes too much time or can only be done on a special type of equipment, the person may not be able to stick with it long term. Remember, getting a flat stomach will not happen overnight, it takes time, dedication and patience, regardless of the exercise used.
There are many different exercises to get a flat stomach. Some require machines or special equipment; others simply require a floor to lie on and a little motivation and determination. There are some that are performed while also exercising other groups of muscles such as in Pilate's moves, where every exercise will work the stomach muscles even if the focus is the legs, arms or other area of the body.
There are a couple of movements that are very basic and yet give many people the results they are looking for. The first movement is the basic crunch. These exercises are better for the body then sit ups because they do not strain the back as much. A crunch is performed simply by lying on your back and raising the upper portion of your body a few inches off the ground, just enough to feel the strain in the stomach muscles. The key to these movements is to be sure your stomach is doing the work and not your head, or arms. Also, it is important to keep everything straight, do not lift the head more then the shoulders or back, for more information and detail on performing this movement properly there are many resources available on the internet, in books and also in videos. Another movement which is also great and should be done in conjunction with the basic crunch is a side crunch which works the oblique, or as some people call them "love handles" This exercises are performed the same way as the crunch, only the body is twisted slightly to one side. Again to get a more accurate description of how to properly perform this movement there are many resources available.
Along with working out the mid section of the stomach and sides, a person should include several different exercises to get a flat stomach by way of exercising the whole stomach, which includes the lower section and upper section of their stomach as well. It will do a person no good to only focus on one specific muscle group of their stomach. There are many places to find exercises to get a flat stomach including the internet, library, book store and in videos. With so many different options a person may have trouble deciding which exercises would benefit them the most while trying to get a flat stomach. The best suggestion in this case is to try several different ones and decide what works for the individual. One exercise may work great for one person, but be too strenuous for another. Or, one person may be in better shape and be able to do several different exercises that a beginner can not do, at least in the beginning and may just need to concentrate on one movement, instead of a series of different movements in one workout session.
While some exercises to get a flat stomach may work better then others, no exercise will work if not properly performed and done regularly. A person should decide which exercises they are both capable of doing and also can do for an extended period of time while working to get the flat stomach they want. If they exercise is too complicated, takes too much time or can only be done on a special type of equipment, the person may not be able to stick with it long term. Remember, getting a flat stomach will not happen overnight, it takes time, dedication and patience, regardless of the exercise used.
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