By far the most common area of the body that people want to work on these days is their tummy. This is true for both men and women and for men, a six pack is the ultimate item on their body wish list. For women it is a flat tummy that they are after. In either case, it is important to review the various ab workout routines and identify the one that suits your needs and your body type the best. Crunches The first type of ab workout that is discussed here are crunches. To perform these, you should place a mat on the floor and lie on it on your back. Place your feet flat on the floor and raise your knees a little. Put your hands behind your head a slowly raise your head from the mat crunching your stomach muscles as you do so. This should be done in a smooth motion without pulling your neck. Maintain the position for two seconds before slowly releasing back to the mat. You should aim to do about three sets of thirty reps. Knee Ups To perform this routine, sit on the side of bench and old on to the sides with your hands. Now extend your legs outward and pull your knees up to your chest. You should feel your stomach muscles contract as you do so. Hold this for two seconds and repeat. Again this should be done in a smooth steady motion. Aim to do three sets of twenty five reps. Knee Raises This routine is for those who are a little more advanced and not everyone will be able to perform it on their first attempt. It is a very effective ab exercise however. First of all you will need an overhead chin up bar. Grasp it with your hands at a position slightly wider than shoulder width. Without rocking or swinging, bring your knees slowly up until you have achieved a 90 degree angle. Allow your abs to contract and maintain the position for two seconds before slowly bringing your legs back done. You should aim for three sets of ten to fifteen reps and again, this should be performed in a steady fluid motion. You can perform this exercise straight or at an angle. You should try to do at least one of these routines twice a week to start noticing an improvement in your abs. |
