Workout Those AbsBy Chelsea Cooper, MPA, CPT Today many people talk about abs and "core" and wanting to get a sexier, slimmer waistline and who wouldn't ? So I decided to give you my top five ab blasters . So get ready to use these awesome ab blasters, so you can get the waistline you desire. I have worked in the fitness industry for almost eight years and I've seen a lot of gimmicks, exercises and contraptions that promise to deliver great abs. But for the most part they don't deliver, so the following exercises work only if you do. But before I go into the five exercises lets discuss a few things. Many of the traditional abdominal exercises like crunches and sit ups put unimaginable strain on your neck and spine with little or minimal impact to the abdominal muscles. In addition, it does nothing to strengthen your lower back and can cause more injury if you do not do these exercises perfectly. On the other hand these five exercises that I reveal will strengthen your lower back and "core" and at the same time give you sleek and strong abs you want and deserve. I've mention the word "core" a few times and it's a new buzz word in the fitness world but many people have no clue what it is and why it's important so let me give you some information on the "core." Your Core The core is more than just your abdominals, though that is what many people associate with the word. The glutes and lower back muscles, called the erector spinae, may come to mind as well. But even these three groups are not all of the core muscles. There is also the psoas muscle of the hips and the multifidus of the spine. All of these fun names are basically muscles that stabilize the trunk, including the spine and pelvis, which protects and strengthens the lower back and really work all of your abdominal muscles, not just the top layer. Exercises designed specifically to target one or all of these muscles are called core exercises. Now that you have more of an idea of what your core consists of and why it's so important when we are talking about abdominal exercises, let's go on to the next crucial step to get flat ,firmer abs. As a fitness professional, I have to tell you that just doing ab/core exercises alone WILL NOT get you a flat stomach, I don't care what those infomercials tell you. You must couple the ab exercises with nutrition and exercise - strength and conditioning programs like: circuit training and cardio strength training, programs that have a cardio and (body or weight) resistant component to them for maximum results. Yes, I did mention nutrition, 80-90 percent of getting a slimmer waist line, and losing weight in general is determined by your eating habits. I did not say a diet and I could actually write a whole article on nutrition alone and how it plays an important part of our daily lives. But for the sake of getting to the five ab blasters, I'll just say eat real food from real animal and plant life. Like fruits, vegetables, and meat that looks like the animal it came from and avoid processed foods and junk food as much as possible. Okay now to the good stuff. The Five Ab Blasters 1. Plank-to-Pushup
2. V twist w/ med ball (med ball optional)
3. Heels to Heaven
4. Push Up Reaches
5. Mountain Climbers
For a demonstration of these exercises, watch this video http://youtu.be/iyRgJ8Ykhi8 Most of these ab exercises require upper body strength. So don't get discouraged if you can't do them all right away. Start on your knees and work your way up. That's why these exercise are so great because you are using upper body strength as well as you abs and core …gotta love it! Enjoy! Chelsea Cooper, MPA, CPT, is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer, performance enhancement specialist, and rehab and exercise specialist. To learn more, visit www.trainwithchelsea.com. |