"Ab"out those Abs!
Do you have an area of your body or “problem zone” that you are sensitive about and want to improve? Thighs?
Arm jiggle?
For many women, it’s their stomach and mid-section.
The dreaded muffin top, love handles, spare tires.
Whatever you want to call them.
You hate it.
It is one of the hardest areas to address.
There is no such thing as “spot reduction”.
Sorry, there's not.
A combination of correct eating and fitness is essential to get results in any of these areas.
What you eat is the major component! It’s actually 70-80%
However, there are some excellent abdominal exercises you can do to achieve optimal results.
A question I hear all the time is, How often can I work my “abs”?
Well, your abdominals involve a unit of muscles. They should be treated like every other muscle group. To get the best results you need adequate rest between workouts for recovery and building. The recommended time is 72 hours.
If you do abs with every workout, they will be overworked.
Keep in mind that total body exercises incorporate the core. Try to include a variety of them in your routine. For example, squats are an excellent compound exercise that works the abs
Do abs the at the end of your workout for no more than 15 minutes. Also, try to select a variety of moves that work in all directions.
Overworking a muscle group can lead to injury and in-proper development.
My favourite is the plank.
Yes, the plank. It can be done anywhere, requires no equipment and is amazing for your abs!
Here are ab exercises I use all the time
Plank – Strengthens entire body including lower back and shoulders.
- Get into an a pushup position on the floor
- Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle and put your body weight onto your forearms. Elbows should be inline with your shoulders. Your body should be in a straight line. Don’t hike or cave your pelvis.
- Hold for 20 seconds, work your way up to 30, 60 and 90 seconds.
To increase the challenge, lift an arm or leg, widen your stance or move up to your hands.
You drop your knees to make it easier if you are a beginner.
Side Plank
- Lie on your left side with legs extended. Your hips and feet should be stacked on top of each other, resting on the ground.
- Prop up your torso by placing your elbow on the floor under your shoulder.
- Lift your hips and knees off the floor, contracting your core and making sure your head is in line with your spine.
- Hold for 20 seconds, work your way up to 30, 60 and 90 seconds.
Repeat on right side.
Lying leg raises – Works lower abs and hip flexors
- Lie on your back on the floor or flat bench
- Place your hands under your glutes, with palms facing down
- Keeping your legs as straight as possible, raise them perpendicular to the floor.
- Hold at the top and slowly lower down to the start position
You can add a dumbbell between feet to add resistance.
If you are advanced, you can move up to a hanging leg raise.
Stay tuned for my upcoming blog on Hypopressive ab training and Diastasis Recti.
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