A VARIETY OF AB’S

Have you ever got tired of doing the same old ab exercises time and a time again? You wouldn’t be the only one if you answered yes to this question. The key to keeping an actively fit mid section is to spice it up a bit. There are many ways to do this, however some people get stuck doing the same mundane exercises over and over. The first way this can be done is to incorporate weights into the core exercise. This creates an intense workout that strengthens and tones. Adding other workout equipment will also increase the difficulty of the exercise and help to break the monotony. Another strategy is to switch up how you count the reps in a workout. Creating a circuit of ab exercises is always challenging and sets up a high intensity cardio session. Lastly, I will show you a variety of core exercises that you may not have known about or had just forgotten. Use your imagination when planning a workout and spend some time doing your own research as well.

Incorporating weights into a core exercise program creates many challenges for your body: balance, strength, flexibility and endurance are all traits that are tested when utilizing this method. Here is some abs exercise equipment that will be useful to get you started: medicine ball, dumbbells, weighted vest, and weighted plates. The Russian Twist is a type of exercise that is used to work the abdomen muscles by performing a twisting motion on the abdomen. Those who practice it to build explosiveness in the upper torso believe the exercise.

Technique

Sit on the floor with knees bent like in a “sit-up” position. The feet should be kept together and slightly above the ground or put under a stable surface. The torso should be kept straight with the back kept off the ground at a 45-degree angle. Hold a medicine ball or weight away from the body in a straight fashion. The arms should be swung from one side to another in a twisting motion, with each swing to a side counting as one repetition. The slower one moves the arms from side to side, the harder the exercise becomes, working the abdomen that much better. When moving one’s arms during the exercise, it is crucial to not stop between repetitions or else you will lose the effect of working the abdomen. Constant breathing in and out during the exercise is important as one should not hold one’s breathe.

Since counting repetitions during crunches can get old after a while, a good way to mix things up is to time your core exercises instead. Some ideas for doing this would be to choose four exercises for your core that you like the best. For beginners I would recommend four thirty second intervals. Do these exercises with 10 seconds of rest in between each one and repeat this 2-3 times. For advanced core I would do either thirty seconds with no rest and three sets or forty five seconds with fifteen seconds of rest 2-3 times.

While working your abs it doesn’t always have to be about just abs! Try throwing in some thirty to forty five second cardio exercises in between. Here is a list of some ideas: quick feet, treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, burpees, squat jumps, bunny hops, high knees, jogging in place and mountain climbers. This format will enable you to burn more calories as well as get a killer sweat going, which in return makes that abs shine through!

Now it’s time to dive into our vault of core exercises to keep you twisting, crunching and turning as much as you would like. Here is a list of abs exercise equipment and ab workout that can be used by beginners and advanced exercisers: crunches, sit ups, planks, planks with one leg raised, weighted planks, side planks on elbow, side planks in hand, side plank with pulses, leg lifts, leg lifts with resistance, leg throws, bicycles, lemon squeezers, accordions, teasers, heel touches, v-ups, reverse planks, inch worms, reverse crunches, leg lifts, crunches with arms to ceiling, weighted crunches, Russian twists, decline crunches/ sit ups, wood chops with cables, wood chops with medicine ball, bosu crunches/ sit ups, ab wheel and scissor kicks. Each of these variations can be used with or without weights as well as adding balls or benches.

Doing core should be fun and challenging. Mixing up your workouts weekly or even daily will allow you to grow as an exercise enthusiast as well as develop the physique you’ve been wanting. Just remember technique is always key to success. Always use your imagination and don’t be afraid to try new things to advance your workouts.