By Darren O'Connell
When it comes to exercises for the abdominal muscles, there are so many to choose from. That’s great, but which ones are the most effective and in what order should they be done? There are many ineffective abdominal exercises out there, so it's important to spend time and energy only on the ones that will actually work.
Try these effective abdominal exercises:
Crunches:
-Lie on an adjustable abs bench with roller pads. Set it to 30°.
-Wrap your legs around the roller pads so that your legs are locked into place.
-Your head should be slightly lower than you legs.
-Keep hands crossed at chest.
-Raise only your head and shoulders off the bench.
-Contract your abs for a count of two at the top position, then return to start.
-Reps – 15/12/10/8/8
Hanging Leg Raises:
-Hang from a chin bar with toes pointing straight ahead.
-Raise legs just above 90° (keeping legs straight).
-Hold for a count of 2.
-Return to start position.
-Don’t use momentum to swing your legs up.
-Reps – 15/12/10/8/8
Lying Leg Raises:
-Lie on a 40° angle bench and grab the bench behind your head with both hands.
-Raises legs quickly to 90° (keeping legs straight).
-Hold the position for a count of 2 while contracting the abs, then return to start.
-Reps – 15/12/10/8/8
Note: You should always check with your GP or Health Practitioner before starting or changing any exercise program.
Here’s how it’s done:
The above three exercises are done as one giant set with no rest in between exercises. The only rest you have is how long it takes you to walk from one exercise to the next.
Do 1 set of Crunches for 15 reps, followed immediately by 1 set of Hanging Leg Raises and 1 set of Lying Leg Raises.
Rest for 1 minute and repeat the giant set above for 12 reps. Rest again for 1 minute and repeat for 10 reps. ... then 8 reps ... then another 8 reps. The reps should be performed slowly and with full concentration on bringing out the abs.
That’s it. Do this twice a week and you should notice a big difference in a few short weeks.
Source: articlecircle.com
