?Today is the day!? you said. ?Starting on Monday I?m going to make a change and lose this gut!?. Sound familiar? We?ve all said these types things and probably the first thing you do is hit the floor, tuck your feet under the bed, hands behind the head and heeeffff upward. Yea, well?pass go and collect two hundred dollars! Those types of ab exercises are long gone. They won?t do much beside hurt your back.
Most of us learned this type of ?old fashion? ab exercise from gym class and to give credit, they produced results. Fortunately, kinesiology has come a long way and the crunch has evolved into a better workout for not only your abs but your entire body. This article will focus on a few but very effective exercises that will help you lose belly fat.
Let?s start off with one of my personal favorites, the exercise ball. I know what you?re thinking?.Really? Well, to that I say?.Yes! Using the ball is great for a couple of reasons. First, it?s cheap for a piece of workout equipment. Second, it?s one of the most effective tools to target your abs without causing injury.
Start off by placing the ball on your mid-lower back and set your feet a little wider than shoulder width. When performing the crunch, go back beyond what you normally would while lying down on the floor. Go slowly and steady reaching back and all the way back up to your rib cage is crunched. It may seem a little awkward at first but after a few you?ll get the hang of it. Knock out four sets of twelve with a thirty second rest in between. After one month, increase the number from 12 to 20. Keep increasing over the coming months until you feel comfortable with your ab workout. You?ll notice that over time this simple exercise becomes so much more than just crunches. You?ll get a full body workout.
You can also improve the way you do crunches. This is where the placement of your arms comes into play. Back in gym class we were taught to place our hands behind our head or across our chest. You can get a more efficient crunch for your upper abs if you place your arms out in front of you. Simply keep your shoulders off the floor and your arms close to both ears.
The beautiful reverse crunch has proven to be one of the best exercises for your abs. Instead of lifting your upper body off the ground, keep your feet together and bring them up to meet your chest. Use the same set number and repetitions when starting out.
Lastly when you?re a little more experienced, try performing what?s called the full vertical crunch. You?ll be using both your upper and lower abs at the same time. Start off by lifting your legs towards the ceiling then bring your upper shoulder off the ground where you?ll be making what looks like a U. Again do the same set number with the same repetitions.
Once you?re on the path to doing regular ab exercises, I would encourage you to expand your repertoire of abdominal workouts. It?s important not to get bored with the same old routine. One final piece of advice, this goes without saying but a health diet is very important when going down the fitness road. You?ll never lose belly fat if you don?t take your diet know account. Good luck!
