Introduction
Abs are made in the kitchen, we all know that. If you have a lot of belly fat, no amount of direct ab training will uncover your six pack. However, even if you have stomach fat which most of us do, the reasons to train abs are not only visual. These muscles play a central role in stabilization and their strength translates well into all other exercises. Plus, strengthening our abs is the foundation of explosiveness, which is extremely useful in most sports. In this article, we will give you three ab exercises you should try today, so let’s get started.
#1: Hanging Leg Raises For Tighter Abs
Hanging leg raises are one of the hardest exercises you can do, and not only for abs but in general. This is by far the hardest variation of any ab movement, and even the strongest guys at the gym sometimes struggle with it.
Yet, it is so simple – you are supposed to bring your knees to your chest while hanging from a pull-up bar. Easier said than done, trust us.
You can do them with your legs extended in front of you or rotate them to hit obliques more. If you are strong enough, you can do windshield wipers, or fully pull your feet over the bar above you. But for most beginners, just trying to touch your chest with your knees will be more than enough to get sore the next day.
#2: Russian Twists
To perform this exercise you will need a weight plate. The idea here is to sit on the floor with your legs and torso forming a V. Your knees should be bent and your torso slightly leaning towards the floor. What you want to do is to rapidly move the plate across your body, from side to side, holding it with both hands. The speed and the inertia you create while doing this is what makes the exercise challenging for the abs. Remember, you are not rotating the torso left and right, only the plate is moving and you just stare straight in front of you. After a few reps, you will feel an enormous burn in your abs. The best way to do this exercise is on time, in 20-second increments.
#3: Planks For A Stronger Core
Planks are a simple, yet a very effective ab exercise you should try. Here there is no spinal flexion, which makes planks a favorite exercise even for people with back pain. Planks force your abs to work against the gravity, stabilizing the spine. This stability is very useful in other exercises and in sports, which is why planks have their place in any type of workout. Use different hand position to make them more challenging and of course, rotate and do some side planks too.
Conclusion
So there are a few of the ab exercises you should try. As you can see, ab training is not only about counting hundreds of crunches, it can be so much more than that. Trainers at Fit and Psyched located in West Palm Beach, make sure that your abs are trained directly, as well as you doing regular cardio and following a healthy diet plan. Only by doing all of that will you be able to see the results and feel better than ever before. Visit us today and see why we are the #1 training facility in Palm Beach County.
