Summer is on its way and we all
know that with summer comes bathing suit season. We all hate taking off our winter clothes to
see what is lurking underneath. The
midsection is where most people will see the winter warmth.
Your abdominal muscles are the core
of your entire body. The abdominals are
used in every motion that you do. They
are centered in the midsection or “core” of your body. Every breath you take is accomplished by
expanding and contracting the abdominal muscles. This is why core training is the most
important part of your workouts.
There are four main sections of the
abdominal region that need to be focused on.
There are the rectus abdominus, external obliques, internal obliques and
the transverse abdominal muscles.
The rectus
abdominus are the muscles in the middle that you may know as the “six
pack”. These muscles are all connected
and are therefore just one group of muscles.
When a person is very lean in that region, it may look as though they
have moguls to ski on. The rectus abdominus muscles are worked most
frequently. You can lie down on the
floor or on any hard flat surface and work your “abs”. Small crunches up and down are best. Isolate the muscles as you lift up and hold
it for a few seconds. Release back
down. Exhale as you lift up or contract
a muscle and inhale on the extension or as you relax the muscle. Do as many crunches as you can for three
sets. Each week add a few more repetitions
to each set.
The external and internal obliques
are used when you twist or bend. These
are the muscles on the side of your core that are often called “love handles”
if there is a layer of fat on them that we do not want. Working your obliques gives you the illusion
of having a smaller and tighter waistline.
Lie on your back with one leg on the other. Place your hands behind your head and twist
your shoulder to the knee that is up on the opposite leg. Do a set of 15-20 repetitions on each side.
The transverse abdominal muscles
are the muscles deep below the rectus abdominus muscles by your belly
button. These muscles are harder to
work. The best way to work these muscles
is to concentrate on pulling in your belly button when you are doing crunches. Think about tightening all of the muscles in
the pelvic region and pulling your abdominals through your back. Another way to work the “lower region” is to
do reverse crunches. A reverse crunch is
done by lying on the ground and keeping your head down. Raise your legs to your
chest with bent or straight legs depending on your abdominal strength. Bring
the legs back down to the ground and repeat.
To keep the back protected, place your hands underneath your lower back.
There are many other exercises to
work your midsection. If you see people
doing various exercises at the gym, ask a professional how to do them
properly. Many exercises can be
dangerous if done incorrectly.
If you work your abdominals two to
three times a week along with a healthy diet plan and a little cardiovascular
work, you will see results before summer.
Your muscles should have 24 hours of rest in between each workout, so
plan accordingly.
More abdominal exercises
Rectus Abdominus- Start sitting up with your knees slightly
bent. Lower yourself halfway down and
hold for two to three seconds and come back up. Keep your pelvic tilted up and
your arms across your chest. Try 10-15
repetitions
Obliques- Standing twists- Stand with your feet hip distance
apart and your hands by your shoulders. Twist your torso from left to right and
back again without moving your hips. Try
to twist enough that your can see behind you.
Make sure this moving is done smoothly and not in a jerking motion.
Transverse abdominals- Isolations- Lie on your back with
your knees up and your feet down. Place
one finger on your belly button and pull all of your muscles tight through to
your back . Keep your pelvic tilted up without raising
your hips off the ground. Hold for five
to 10 seconds and release. Repeat 15
times.
Cut one high calorie drink from your diet a day and replace
it with something else. Ex. Replace a regular soda with a diet soda or
ask for nonfat milk in your coffee instead of buying a double mocha latte.
FitTip
If you notice your waistline increasing as you start
increasing your abdominal work, you may be building muscle. You need to be patient as well as know that
if you do not lose the layer of fat over the muscle, you will not see the
muscles coming in.
by: Michelle Rotellowner Sweat Cardio and Yoga
No comments:
Post a Comment