The weather is warming up, and for many people, that means it is time to work on that little bulge that has been taking up residence around the midsection since Thanksgiving. These several exercises can help you shed that excess turkey weight and flatten out that abdominal in time for beach season. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.
Plank For this abdominal exercise, you will need to lie on a flat surface, such as the floor. You will be lying in your abdominal, so you may want to use a mat or towel to cushion your knees. Prop your upper body up on your forearms so that your elbows make a ninety degree angle and are positioned directly below your shoulders. Now lift your body up off the floor so that your lower body is supported by your toes, while your upper body remains supported by your elbows. Your body should basically be a straight line, with no arch or drooping through your back. Hold this position for twenty seconds, then lower your body back to the floor. One repetition is sufficient.
Side Plank This abdominal exercise is a variation on the previous one, and begins in the same starting position. Once you are positioned properly, roll to your right side, keeping your torso supported with your right forearm. You will have to raise your hips and roll your feet so that your left foot is on top of your right. As in the plank, your body will be a straight line, but this time you will be on one side. Place your left hand on your hip and hold the plank position for five seconds. Return to start and repeat on the left side.
Ball Roll If you just quickly glanced at the title, you may have gone to find a ball before reading on. If you did, you can go put it away, because in this abdominal exercise, you are the ball! First, sit on the floor and hug your knees to your chest. Roll back slightly so you are balancing on your tail bone and your feet are off the floor, toes pointing downward. Pull your abdominals inward while rolling onto your lower back and the upper part of your butt. Contract your abdominals and pull yourself back to the starting position. Loosening your arms up may help if you find this exercise too difficult at first.
Standing Crossover As the name implies, you will need to stand up for this abdominal exercise. Position your feet a few inches apart. Put your arms out to the sides and bend your elbows at a ninety degree angle so your fingertips are pointing to the ceiling and your palm are facing forward. Contract your abdominals and lift your right knee toward your left elbow, while at the same time bringing your left elbow down toward your right knee. Touch the two joints together, pause, then return to start. Switch sides and repeat for an entire set.
If you caught my last article then you would have read about the two exercises that are essential for your abdominal workout and training programme. In this article, I outline three more abdominal exercises that are important, yet not essential, in order to tone up your abdominals and lose the excess abdominal fat around your stomach.
Exercise Number 1 - Sit up Crunches Muscles Worked - Predominantly front abdominal muscles Details - Lie on your back with your hands behind your neck and knees bent with your feet on the floor. Lift your torso so that your elbows gently touch your raised knees, breathe in as you raise, hold that position for a second or two. Revert back to your original position while breathing out. Repeat the process.
Here is an alternative sit-up method. Lie on your back with your hands behind your neck. Lift your legs and knees off the ground and at the same time lift your upper body off the ground. The knees should be permanently off the ground whilst you lift your upper body each repetition.
Exercise Number 2 - Leg Extensions Muscles Worked - External obliques, quadriceps, hamstrings Details - Lie on your back on an exercise mat. Link your hands behind your head, cross your ankles and bring your knees up to your chest as close as possible. Extend your legs out straight and keep your knees together. Breathe out as you straighten. Hold that position then return to the starting position, breathing in as you return. Repeat the exercise.
Exercise Number 3 - Side Bends Muscles Worked - External obliques Details - Stand upright with feet approximately side width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and relax your arms by your waist. Your hands should be around the level of your quadriceps. Gradually lower your left arm so your hand brushes down your left quadricep until the dumbbell reaches your knee. Hold that position for a moment and then return to the original position. Repeat the process but this time lower the right hand with the dumbbell down your leg and to your knee. Remember to breathe in as you bend to the side and breathe out as you return to the initial position.
These exercises, combined with the exercises from my last article, are all the exercises you need to perform in order to get that flat and firm stomach you crave.
All abdominal muscles are worked at some stage in at least one of the exercises and this ensures a more even complexion around the abdominal area and a quicker and healthier loss of excess abdominal fat.
Both Li Ming Wong & James Penn are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Li Ming Wong has sinced written about articles on various topics from Search Engine Marketing, Abdominal and Blogging. To discover over 27 more abdominal fat loss and metabolism-boosting secrets, go to to download a FREE report revealing the strategies of. Li Ming Wong's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.
James Penn has sinced written about articles on various topics from Abdominal, Destinations and Holidays. James Penn is an expert at planning fitness training programs and especially abdominal routines. You can learn exactly what he teaches for free including