Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Killer Ab Workouts You Can Do At Home

By John Alvino

When most people attempt to perform ab workouts at home, they usually just lie on the floor and engage in a marathon of crunch repetitions. This all too common approach will never lead to a well-balanced set of six pack abs.

First of all, the crunch can only serve a purpose to some beginners. Once you become strong enough to bang out sets of 50 or more, the resistance the crunch provides is just too little to cause a training effect.

And secondly, the crunch only works the abs in one movement pattern: trunk flexion. Trunk flexion is just one of the many different abdominal functions that must be developed in a good ab routine. Therefore, you can't achieve a complete ab workout by using a single exercise, like the crunch, in isolation.

What you need to do is perform several different ab exercises, with each on working your abs in a different plane of motion. This is not as confusing as it may sound. With a basic understanding of how your abs work, this concept is quite simple.

I'm not about to bore you with an anatomy lesson. I know you want an effective ab workout and you want it now! So that's what I'm going to give to you. I'm going to lay out a ready to use ab workout that you can begin using immediately. This workout is result producing and requires absolutely no equipment, making it perfect for a training session at home.

1a) Reverse Crunch On Floor 3x20-25 30 sec rest 1b) Straight Body Side Crunch On Floor 3x12 (5sec hold) 30 sec rest 2a) Plank 3x60 sec 30 sec rest 2b) Seated Russian Twists With Leg Cycle 3x20-25 30 sec rest

Here is a description on how each exercise should be performed for maximal results:

Reverse Crunch On Floor- Lie on your back. Flex both knees and hips to 90 degree angles. Bring knees toward chest by rolling your pelvis back like a wheel. You must maintain a constant knee angle. Return until hips are again extended to a 90 degree angle. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Straight Body Side Crunch On Floor- Lie on your side on the floor. Keep your hands straight out above your head, in line with your body. Keep legs straight. Lock your hands together. Simultaneously raise your arms and legs up so that neither are in contact with the floor. Hold this position for the prescribed number of seconds.

Plank- Get on the floor in a push up position. Support your body on your forearms and your toes. Be sure to keep the abs tight and hold your body in a straight line. Do not let hips sag or hike them up too high. Hold for the prescribed number of seconds.

Seated Russian Twists With Leg Cycle- Sit on floor and cross your arms across your chest, grabbing the opposite shoulders. Lean back until your upper torso makes a 45 degree angle to the floor. Rotate trunk to the right while simultaneously bringing your right knee towards your chest. At this point your left elbow will be touching your right knee. In a fsmooth motion rotate to the left and repeat on the other side. Continue to alternate until you finish the prescribed number of reps. One full rotation equals one rep.

There it is folks! You now have a simple yet effective ab workout you can perform anywhere/anytime. Use this three times per week for up to one month. After completing this outine, you will be ready to move on to a more advance workout.

A nice set of abs is in YOUR future! Begin this routine and start getting results today! - 15255

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