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How To Tone Your Stomach In Time For Summer
Lynn Bode
One of the most common fitness questions this time of year is
"How can I tone my stomach for swimsuit season"? Typically,
people believe that the guaranteed quick route to obtaining a rock-
solid six-pack is a path packed with hundreds of sit-ups or abdominal
crunches. Wrong!
The reality is that even if you do crunches every day you aren't
guaranteed to get the stomach you desire. Getting those highly sought
after, toned abs requires more work than just abdominal exercises.
Plus, as far as stomach exercises go, sit-ups or crunches alone are
not the solution.
We won't go into detail about the muscles that make up the
abdominal wall, but it's good to know the basic information. At a
high-level the abdominal/trunk area consists of 5 major muscles.
It's necessary that all of these muscles be exercised. It's also
important to utilize different types of training techniques like
concentric, eccentric and isometric.
In addition to training those muscles, it is imperative that you also
reduce the fat in your stomach area. If you don't decrease the
fat in this area, then you'll never see well-defined abdominal
muscles not matter how long and hard you train them.
The key to reducing body fat is a comprehensive workout program that
consists of cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility exercises.
Plus, don't forget a healthy diet. Good examples of cardio
exercises are: walking, swimming, aerobics, and jogging. Strength
training can be done with dumbbells, resistance bands and even just
your own body weight. Flexibility can be as simple as a few stretches
held in place for about 20 seconds.
Now, back to the specifics of abdominal training. Traditional
crunches can be a part of your abdominal training, but should be
limited and certainly shouldn't be the only part. To most
effectively work your stomach area, it's necessary to include
about 80% rotational work. Rotational exercises are those that
include twisting-type methods. Simple crunches do not fall into the
rotational category because you simply lift your body straight up and
down.
To most effectively train your abs, incorporate a lot of variety,
including different positions and equipment. This will allow your
muscles to continually be challenged, which is what will help make
them stronger and more defined. Remember that you don't have to
lie on your back in the supine position to work your stomach area.
There are hundreds of different ways to work them, including
exercises in a standing position, on your side, raised on a ball,
hanging from a bar, etc.
Don't forget the importance of form. If you don't use correct
form when performing abdominal exercises, you'll severely limit
the effectiveness not to mention possibly cause an injury. Tips for
correct form include:
¡¤ Don't ever pull on your neck or head
¡¤ Don't allow your legs to move, they should remain still --
let your abs do all the work
¡¤ Try to keep your belly button pulled in toward the floor
throughout the entire move.
To get you started, below are a few sample exercises* with
instructions. Start working out today, and you can show-off your
toned abs in time for summer.
Basic Crunch: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet
flat on the floor. Place your hands lightly behind your head for
support. Using your abdominal muscles lift your shoulders a few
inches off the ground, pause briefly and return to start position.
Complete at least one set of 10-12 reps.
Standing Towel Circle: Stand tall and hold a small towel (or
resistance band) taut overhead. Contract abs and slowly draw a
large, wide circle over your head and around your torso with your
hands. Keep towel pulled taut throughout. Return to beginning
position and reverse the circular direction. Complete at least one
set of 8-10 reps in each direction.
Oblique Twist With Ball: Begin by sitting on the ball. Walk feet
forward until ball is resting under your back -- body is now parallel
to the floor. Place hands lightly behind head for support. Using
your abdominal muscles slowly crunch up lifting your shoulder blades
off of the ball and rotate left shoulder toward right hip. Return to
starting parallel position and repeat then switch sides.
For access to a huge library of exercises demonstrations (including
demos for the above exercises), visit: http://www.workoutsforyou.com
*You should always consult your physician before trying any new
exercise programs
Lynn Bode, author and certified personal trainer, offers her services
online through WorkoutsForYou.com. Workouts For You helps men and
women of all fitness levels lose weight, build muscle and just get
more fit through customized workout programs. Get a Free sample
workout or register for our Free fitness newsletter at
http://www.workoutsforyou.com
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