.jpg)
A lot of people who exercise regularly strive for a ‘washboard stomach’ or ‘six pack abs’. Along with the arms, the abdominal muscles are one of the muscle groups most focussed upon by exercisers. Toned abdominals are a great focal point for both men and women and can really enhance the look of your whole body. In this article we will discuss The Ab-Wheel, The Bicycle and Hindu Push-Ups. All of these are simple, quick and effective exercises which will help strengthen your abdominals in no time at all.
1) THE AB-WHEEL:- For this exercise you need the equipment of the same name. It is basically just a small wheel with a short bar in the middle, that has hand grips on either side.
- To begin, kneel down on the floor with your knees pushed together and place the wheel on the floor in front of you. Grab the wheel with your hands and lock your arms out straight.
- When you are in position roll the wheel forward slowly until your arms and hands are in front of your head. You should be between three and six inches off the floor but make sure your body doesn’t actually touch the floor.
- After this reverse the motion, arch your back and pull yourself back to the starting point (using your abs).
- Remember to take deep breaths as you start and breathe out as you stretch forward when performing this exercise. One set is represented by between seven to ten repetitions.
2) THE BICYCLE:- For this exercise lay down flat on the floor and make sure you press your lower back downwards.
- To begin, place your hands behind your head, with your fingers laced together.
- Next, bring your knees up to your chest and begin to rotate them at close to 45 degrees. The motion should resemble peddling a bicycle.
- As you are performing the peddling motion, touch your left elbow to your right knee and then your right elbow to your left knee.
3) HINDU PUSH UPS:- For this exercise you need to get on your hands and knees and spread your legs very wide with your rear end up.
- To begin, bend your elbows (like a common push up) and bring your back downward in an arc.
- Then straighten your arms so that your back is arched upwards with your hips just above the ground.
A combination of the above abdominal exercises will help you strengthen your stomach muscles. If you breathe deeply whilst performing these exercises you can also strengthen your lungs, build upper body strength, increase your endurance and improve your flexibility. Perform these exercises for a minimum of five minutes a day and you will notice the change in your abdominal strength.
Remember that strong, toned abdominal muscles are just the first step towards having a great looking stomach. You also need to reduce the layer of fat around your stomach area. Make sure that you incorporate lots of fruit and vegetables into your diet. Also, drink plenty of water. Finally, make sure that you remain active and regularly perform cardiovascular exercise. If you follow these simple steps and incorporate the above three exercises into your daily routine you will be on your way towards having those great looking abs you have always dreamed of.
About Tom
A good toned stomach also will help with your back! The entire core will be strengthed by doing these exercises. But alas, as you mentioned, the muscle can’t be seen if it’s under a roll of fat, so eating healthy is also important to getting those washboard abs!
So true Angie. Core conditioning is something I’m looking to read more about. Currently my abdominal routine is quite limited but there are a whole wealth of core conditioning exercises out there that I would like to try
Great tips for toning those abs. I like the fact that there are alternatives to just doing crunches, even though crunches are an effective way to getting tone abs, it is not the only way. Equipment like the ab-wheel don’t cost alot of money yet can bring good results.
Thanks Lee. Glad you liked the article.