Strengthen your most important muscles

Three Interesting Facts About Abdominal Muscles

• You can strengthen your core muscles without even moving them. While most muscles move you, your core muscles create resistance to movement – for example, they protect your spine when you twist your torso. So don’t be surprised if you have a hard time maintaining your balance during our exercises. You must learn to train your core muscles to make your entire body work more efficiently.
• Slouching prevents you from building up your abdominal muscles. Abdominal exercises can help correct poor posture. But one hour of exercise a week won’t make up for 50 hours spent hunched over a keyboard. The solution: Keep your back straight, your chin up, and your shoulder blades back throughout the day.
• When you perform any exercise, your core muscles contract first. All the energy you use when performing exercises comes from your core. When you hit a plateau when doing presses, squats, or any other strength movements, make sure you are engaging your abdominal muscles as hard as possible.

Side bridge

Lying on your side, place your elbow on the floor for support and keep your feet together. Tighten your abdominal muscles and, pushing off the floor with your hand, lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Hold for 15 to 45 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Use force to tighten your abdominal and gluteal muscles to maintain a level position.

Plank with diagonal arm raises

Get into a push-up position, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your elbows on the floor. Keeping your body stable, raise your right arm parallel to the floor and move it 15 degrees to the right. Hold this position for 2 seconds, then lower your arm and repeat the movement with your left arm. This counts as one repetition. Your arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle.

Lowering the leg

Lying on your back, straight legs raised up. Without bending your legs, lower your left leg 5-7 cm from the floor. Return to the starting position. Then repeat the movement with your right leg; this is one repetition. As you lower your leg, imagine that you are trying to move your heel as far away from your hip as possible. Do not point your toes; your heel should point up.

Emphasis lying on a fitball

Get into a push-up position with your shins on the fitball and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Tighten your abdominal muscles and tuck your legs under you until your toes rest on the ball. Slowly straighten your legs, rolling the ball back to the starting position. As you tuck your legs under you, lift your hips so that your shins are off the ball.

Kneeling Lat Pulldown

Anchor the rope to a high pulley, grab the ends of the rope with both hands. Drop to your right knee, with your left shoulder facing the pulley; this is the starting position. Move your body away from the pulley, pressing your arms to your chest, then move them down and away from you. Repeat the movements in reverse order to return to the starting position. Keep your body straight as you move your arms away from you.

Simulate walking in a lying position with a raised pelvis

Lie on your back with your legs bent and your hands and feet on the floor. Press into your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your torso, creating a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Then, bring your knee to your chest. Lower your knee and repeat with the other leg. Don’t let your hips sag as you move.

Choose an exercise plan that suits you

• 3 Daily Exercise Programs That Will Help You Achieve Your Desired Results

A series of exercises for rapid muscle mass gain

Start your workout with abdominal exercises. This will help improve your posture. It will also help you improve your technique and lift more weight each time, which means faster muscle growth. The good news is that these exercises will only take you 3 minutes.

How to do it: Do a side bridge (1), then a plank with a diagonal arm raise (2). Hold the bridge for 15-45 seconds on each side for the first exercise, and repeat the second exercise 4-12 times. Do these exercises at the beginning of a strength training program.

Painless Circuit Training

Do you have problems with your spine? Then this exercise is for you. It improves the endurance of the abdominal muscles, which in turn removes excess stress from the back muscles and promotes a more even distribution of muscle mass throughout the body.

How it works: Perform lying walks (6), plank with diagonal arm raises (2), kneeling lat pulldowns (5), and side bridges (1) as a circuit. That is, perform one exercise after another without resting. Perform 6-12 reps of exercise 6, 4-12 reps of exercise 2, 6-10 reps of exercise 5, and 15-45 reps of exercise 1 on each side. Rest for 60 seconds, then repeat the circuit once or twice. Perform these exercises 2-3 days a week at the end of your training program.

Exercises for maximum results

When you improve the shape of your abdominal muscles, your athletic performance will improve, too – no matter what sport you play. Use the following 5-exercise program, and you will move faster, with more power, and with less effort. In other words, you will achieve better results in any sport, including in the gym.

How to do it: Perform the plank with diagonal arm raise (2), lying down walking imitation (6), lying down on a stability ball (4), lat pulldown (5), side bridge (1) and leg lower (3) as a circuit training, i.e. without rest one after another. Perform 4-12 reps of the second exercise, then 6-12 reps of the sixth exercise, 6-12 reps of the fourth exercise, 6-10 reps of the fifth exercise. Hold the bridge for 15-45 seconds, then perform 6-12 reps of the third exercise. Rest for 60 seconds, then repeat the circuit. Try doing these exercises at the end of your training program, 2-3 days a week.

The more complex the movements, the harder your muscles are.

Squats strengthen your core more than many abdominal and lower back exercises. Single-leg exercises will create even more tension in the abdominal area. Try these exercises at the end of your workouts.

Horizontal block pulls with leg raises

Secure the rope at a medium height, grab the handle with your right hand, arm straight, palm facing left. Left leg slightly bent, right leg straight and back, foot slightly off the floor. This is the starting position. Pull the rope toward you, straighten your body and lift your right knee. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps with each leg.

Pull the handle towards the side of your body so that your elbows are pulled back.

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