Doing The Perfect Abdominal Exercises

Effective abdominal exercises should always be done in a perfect manner, without a ball or machine. Learning to do abdominal exercises perfectly is not that difficult, and you do not need anything ... just your body and the ground! Do not believe all the hype you see on television. The truth is, the best way to do ab exercises is good old fashioned way: flat on the floor with knees bent and arms crossed in front of you :-)

Although crunch machines and exercise balls are very popular, research has shown that the abdominal core is most effective target for a flat stomach when done correctly, without using any equipment at all.

Steps for properly executed abdominal exercises:



1 - Lie on your back with knees bent.

2 - Your feet should be flat on the floor and kept close to your buttocks, so that your legs are at an angle of 90 degrees.

3 - Cross your arms in front of your body, by placing an X on each hand opposite shoulder.

4 - Relax and consciously tighten up your abdominal muscles. To do so, you suck your navel back in toward your spine and push your lower back until it is flat against the floor.

5 - When you start the abdominals, slowly raise your head and shoulders, then lift the upper back and finally lift the lower back until you sit upright. Exhale your breath for this part of the exercises.

6 - Keep your torso as upright as possible - at a 45 degree angle with your legs. Hold for a minute or two before you begin your descent.

7 - Going down, you slowly return to the floor, starting with your lower back, then your upper back, and finally the shoulders and head. Inhale your breath as you lower your starting position.

8 - Fill your breath and relax for a moment before repeating the exercise at the planned number of repetitions.

Things to remember when performing this exercise perfect:
Stay focused on your abdominal muscles throughout the exercise, and use these muscles to do the job.

Do not start with a marathon! It is important to gradually increase the frequency, intensity and duration of your workout. Gradually as your fitness improves, you may want to increase the intensity slowly or duration of your workouts.

Things to avoid:

When the first position, do not lean forward towards the knees. Keep your back as straight as possible and your abs tight as you hold this position for a few seconds.

Lastly, don't overdo it. You use your abs in many daily activities, and if you stretch that muscle group, it can negatively affect most of your daily tasks.