Lets face it girls You need to get in shape, if you want to have a waist line. Exercise = in shape. With your cardio workout the best exercise is abdominals. You need to have a solid core, it stabilizes and supports the back. Strong supporting muscles around the spine also reduce lower back pain, as well as the risk for lower-back injury. Your Ab workout should consist of machines (if available) and non machine exercises. Below I have listed exercises that are good for your abs. My personal preferences are the ones with the medicine ball. You don't have to do them all. Just pick a few and remember good abs...great shape...a win win..workout! Get Great Abs See How Click Here!
MACHINES:
Ab Crunch Machine
Exercise Data: Isolation
This is like a crunch, but the machine helps you to add resistance. Always follow the directions on the machine that you choose. Be sure to go slow and concentrate on using your abs to push the weight while relaxing your legs and feet. Exhale on the crunch and inhale on way back up. 3 sets/12-15 reps increase to 25 reps
Knee / Hip Raise On Parallel Bars
Exercise Data: Isolation
This exercise is great because it works your lower abs. Use your abs to pull your legs up.Then rotate your pelvis fore ward to really "crunch" your abs. Try not to swing. Using momentum in any exercise is cheating! Exhale and squeeze your abs at the top! Keep your legs together. 3 sets/12-15 reps
NON-MACHINE
Ab Roller
Exercise Data: Compound
Using the ab roller, start on the floor on your hands and knees. Slowly roll the ab roller forward, stretching your body into a straight position. Go down as far as you can without touching the floor with your body. Pause and pull yourself back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of reps. Go slow and do not touch the ground! 3 sets/10 reps increase gradually
Light Weight Side Bend
Exercise Data: Isolation
Works your obliques. Stand straight up with your feet shoulder width apart. Place a light weight (start out with 3-5 lb weight increase gradually) on your shoulders. Keep your back straight and your head up. Bend to the right as far as possible then bend to the left as far as possible. Bend at your waist only, not at your hips or knees. You can also do this seated, or with light weights or a medicine ball in your hands. 3 sets/12-15 reps
Seated Light Weight Twist
Exercise Data: Isolation
Another workout for your obliques. Place a light weight (start out with 3-5lb weight) on your shoulders and sit at the end of a flat bench with your feet firmly on the floor. Twist your torso to the right, then to the left by twisting at your waist only. Do not move your head from side to side. Keep your back straight and your head up. Can also be done standing or by holding a light weight or medicine ball close to your chest. 3 sets/12-15 reps
Seated Flat Bench Leg Pull-In
Exercise Data: Compound
Sit on the end of a flat bench. Place your hands behind you and grab the sides of the bench. Extend your legs straight out. Bend your knees and pull your legs into your midsection. Return to the starting position Concentrate on working the abs. Another position is to lie down. Place your hand above your head and grab the sides of the bench. 3sets/12-15 reps
Side Bridge
Exercise Data: Compound
Works your obliques and helps stabilize your spine. Lie on your side and support your body between your forearm and knee to your feet. Hold position for two to four seconds. Repeat on the other side. Build up to at least 60 seconds on each side of your body! 3 sets/12-15 reps
Sit-Up
Exercise Data: Isolation
Lie on your back on the floor with your feet about shoulder width apart. You may find it easier to put your feet under something. While you lift up exhale then bend at the waist, until you're sitting up vertically. Keep your arms at your sides, crossed in front of you, or behind your head. Do not raise your feet off of the ground. Smoothly lower your body back to the floor. Repeat. 3 sets/12-15 reps
Toe Touches
Exercise Data: Isolation
Lie back on the floor and elevate your legs up into the air. Make sure you keep your lower back pressed flat into the ground. Exhale and crunch forward to touch your toes. Remember, don't pull your chin down towards your chest. Keep your head in a neutral position. 3 sets/12-15 reps
Tuck Crunch
Exercise Data: Isolation
Lie on the floor with your hands either crossed over your chest or behind your head. Bend your knees and hips to form a right angle. Keep your lower legs parallel to the floor and your feet crossed. Lift your shoulder blades a few inches off the floor by curling up. Slowly return to the starting position after squeezing your abs. 3 sets/12-15 reps
Weighted Sit Ups - With Bands
Exercise Data: Isolation
This one is for the gym, while using a decline bench, you can fix the band around the base of the bench and perform weighted decline sit-ups on that. Otherwise at home, fix the band around a stationary post and lie on the floor facing away from the post. Holding you hands by your head, perform sit-ups or crunches. 3 sets/12-15 reps.
Russian Twist
Exercise Data: Compound
Secure your feet either by placing them under something or by having a partner hold them. Lean slightly back and clasp your hands in front of you. Moving only at the midsection, rotate to one side. At the end of your range of motion, quickly reverse the movement and rotate to the opposite side. Repeat. You can also hold a weight or medicine ball to increase the difficulty. 3 sets/12-15 reps
Exercise Ball Pull-In
Exercise Data: Compound
Cross Body Crunch
Exercise Data: Compound
Lie on your back and bend your knees about 60 degrees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands loosely behind your head. Curl up and bring your right elbow and shoulder across your body while bring your left knee in toward your left shoulder at the same time. Reach with your elbow and try to touch your knee. Do one side for all your reps, then switch to the other side. Try to bring your shoulder up towards your knee rather than just your elbow for an extra crunch. This was a favorite of my trainer. 3 sets/12-15 reps.
Exercise Data: Isolation
Crunches
Exercise Data: Isolation
Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, or resting on a bench with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. If you are resting your feet on a bench, place them three to four inches apart and point your toes inward so they touch. Place your hands lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in. Push the small of your back down in the floor to isolate your ab muscles. Begin to roll your shoulders off the floor. Continue to push down as hard as you can with your lower back. Your shoulders should come up off the floor only about four inches, and your lower back should remain on the floor. Focus on slow, controlled movement. 3 sets/12-15 reps increase to 25 reps.
Exercise Data: Isolation
Sit on top of an exercise ball with your feet placed firmly on the floor. Roll until your lower back is centered on top of the ball. Place your hands on the sides of your head, but don't use your hands to pull. Crunch your upper body forward and roll your shoulders towards your hips. Squeeze at the top! Then lower back to the starting position and repeat. You can hold a weight or medicine on your chest or above your head to increase the difficulty. My trainer suggests 3-6 sets/25 reps each and holding a 8lb. medicine ball.
Get Sexy Legs and Abs in One Easy Move
JORGE'S DAILY FIT TIP
The leg lift is a simple exercise that works your front and inner thigh muscles… with a bonus: It also tones your abdominal muscles. One easy exercise can help chisel down two problem areas – what could be better? Here’s the leg lift in its most basic form:
Step 1: Lie on your back with your palms down and hands underneath your behind. Crunch up and hold your upper abs tight so that your shoulder blades are off the ground. Lift your legs about 2 inches off the ground.
Step 3: Hold and squeeze at the maximum tension point for 2 seconds.
Step 4: Lower your legs to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 5: Repeat three times without resting.
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