The best exercises for the abs - the results of scientific research. A set of abdominal exercises at home Effective abdominal training

Update your training program these abdominal exercises.

If your belly is a real problem for your self-esteem, then you are not alone. Many people suffer from abdominal obesity, and the average waist size reaches 99 cm!

Belly fat not only spoils appearance and reduces self-confidence. It also causes serious damage to health and requires close attention.

In fact, abdominal fat is very dangerous: its excess leads to the development of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. Fat cells produce substances called cytokines, which are responsible for the development of chronic inflammation, which in turn contributes to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

There are two types of fat in the abdominal area - subcutaneous and visceral.

This type of fat is located just under the skin. Its content in the body can be assessed by measuring the thickness of the skin fold with a caliper.

Although it is unpleasant to look at, it is less harmful than visceral fat. Only 10% is located in the abdominal area subcutaneous fat. And very little fat is found in the internal organs - the liver and muscles.

Visceral fat

Excess visceral fat is harmful to your health.

This fat is found deep in abdominal cavity. It lies around the internal organs and does nothing but harm to your health. Because fat cells release harmful substances in close proximity to vital organs, they can develop significant damage.

This type of fat is called the “metabolic killer” because it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

By losing excess belly fat, you'll be able to do more than just fit into old jeans or strut along the beach in a chic bikini. It's much more than that. This is an opportunity to significantly reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, as well as delay the onset of health problems for years.

There is one “but”: belly fat is one of the most “stubborn” in the human body and, unfortunately, simple crunches, even 100 per day, most likely will not be able to reduce the health risk.

“Belly fat not only spoils your appearance and reduces your self-confidence. It also causes serious health damage and requires close attention.”

In order to increase the effectiveness of your training, you need to add exercises to your program that involve every muscle cell your abs. This approach allows you to engage all the abdominal muscles, not just the “six pack”. This is how you need to work so that they finally show up.

Your abs are made up of three muscles:

Rectus abdominis muscle: the most famous abdominal muscle (“six pack”). It helps support the spine and back during daily activities, such as bending or lifting something from the ground. Crunches are suitable for training.

Lower abdominal muscles : The transverse abdominis muscle is the lower abs. Many studies show that it cannot contract in isolation, so crunches are not suitable for pumping it up. One way to strengthen the transverse abdominal muscle is to “suction” the navel to the spine. The list below describes other exercises that will also help strengthen your lower abs.

Internal and external oblique muscles : The oblique muscles are the lateral parts of the abs. They allow you to rotate your torso and bend it to the sides. The list below includes exercises that strengthen the oblique muscles and tone the entire abs. When excess fat collects above the oblique muscles, it is called a “lifeline.”

Effective basic exercises must be included in your program! They will make your stomach flat and help you lose weight. excess weight. It is also very important to make changes to your diet. No matter how effective abdominal exercises are, you won't achieve anything without proper diet. Healthy eating allows you to accumulate less fat and burn it faster, and in a natural way.

Resistance exercise and aerobic exercise together will produce the most optimal results!

All the examples on our list are a combination of Pilates, yoga, barre and core strengthening exercises that will get rid of excess abdominal fat, strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles.

In order to see Full description each exercise, scroll down the article.

The Best Ab Exercises for Women

#1: DeadBug

This exercise strengthens your core and abdominal muscles. As the name suggests, this exercise involves simulating a dead bug by lying on your back with your legs in the air.

This exercise is widely used in Pilates to strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles. DeadBug teaches you to move your hips and shoulders in isolation while keeping your spine still. This helps develop coordination and strength in the abdominal and lower back areas.

How to do:

1. Lie on your back on a yoga mat with your arms and legs raised toward the ceiling.
2. Take a deep breath and tighten your abs. As you exhale, lower your right leg and raise your right arm behind your head.
3. Alternate legs and arms. Do 8-12 reps on each side.

No. 2: Plank

The plank looks deceptively easy. There are no repetitions, let alone movements. You don't need to lift weights. This is an exercise during which no torso movements are needed at all. But for most people, stay in the plank for more than 15 seconds and hold correct posture insanely difficult.

This one is simple but very effective isometric exercise for the abdominal muscles is quite difficult, because every muscle in the body tenses to maintain the pose. This intense exercise Helps develop strength in the muscles of the core, shoulders, arms and buttocks.

Overall, the plank will help you get strong abs of steel and bottom part back, which reduces the likelihood of injury to these areas.

How to do:

1. Lie on your stomach on the floor, legs extended, elbows bent and directly under your shoulders. Clasp your hands.
2. Feet hip-width apart, elbows shoulder-width apart.
3. Tighten your abs and then straighten your toes to lift your body (forearms remaining on the ground) and form a straight line from head to heels.
4. Hold for 30-60 seconds or as long as you can.

No. 3: Plank with push-ups

Plank exercises keep the spine in a neutral position while working the core muscles. Core stabilization during movement is referred to as “dynamic stabilization” in professional environments. Just holding a plank is already a challenge, but stabilizing and maintaining the pose while you move your arms and legs is a whole new level.

These exercises increase the strength of your entire body. Works your arms, chest, shoulders and even gluteal muscles. Since your legs are the only part of your body that remains in constant contact with the floor and supports your entire body weight, your legs work isometrically when moving your arms. This is truly a full body workout.

How to do:

1. Begin the exercise in a plank position, keeping the weight on your forearms.
2. Your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
3. Tighten your core and abs as if you were about to be punched in the stomach.
4. Lift your body up, straightening your arms in turn. Pause and then return back to your forearms. This is one repetition.

No. 4: Russian twist

This exercise works your obliques and abs while also strengthening your core. This dynamic exercise, which is one of the best for rowers. It involves and works the same muscles that are tensed when rowing.

How to do:

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet off the floor. Clasp your hands together and extend them straight in front of your chest.
2. Bend back so that your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor.
3. Tighten your muscles and turn to the right as far as you can. Hold for 1-2 seconds, then return to initial position and repeat the same for the left side.
4. Continue alternating until you've done 8-12 reps on each side. Perform 2-3 approaches.

#5: Bicycle Crunch

This exercise is the best for the abs, and it deserves this title. A study conducted at San Diego State University compared 13 of the most common ab exercises to determine which was most effective. Each exercise was assessed based on the strength of muscle stimulation, which was measured by EMG. The rectus abdominis, external and internal oblique muscles were assessed.

While the standard crunch has proven to be ineffective, the bicycle crunch has proven to be one of the best in all areas of the abdomen, engaging and stimulating most of the abdominal muscles and getting those coveted sculpted six-packs.

How to do:

1. Lie on the floor on a yoga mat with your lower back pressed into the ground and core engaged.
2. Place your hands behind your ears, gently supporting your head. Pull your knees toward your chest to an angle of approximately 45 degrees.
3. Lift up top part back until your shoulder blades leave the floor. Don't strain your neck.
4. Brace your abs and straighten your right leg at a 45-degree angle to the ground, rotating your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow toward your left knee. Move not only your elbows, but also your chest.
5. Alternate legs and arms. Do 8-12 reps for a total of 2-3 sets.

#6: Hand-Touching Toe Crunch

When talking about “fat-burning workouts,” one cannot fail to mention this exercise, which strengthens the oblique and rectus abdominal muscles and lower abs.

How to do:

1. Lie on your back with your arms and legs extended, bend your right leg at an angle of 45 degrees.
2. Tighten your abs, as if twisting, lift left leg up and reach your right hand towards your foot. Slowly touch your toes with your right hand. Stay in this position for 2 seconds, then slowly lower back down to the starting position. This is one repetition.
3. Do 10 to 15 repetitions on one leg and then on the other.

No. 7: Exercise “Climber”

“Climber” is an exercise that involves all the major muscles of the lower body and abs, including the upper one. When done at a fast pace, it is an excellent cardio workout that gets your heart rate up.

How to do:

1. To perform this exercise, get into a push-up position with your shoulders directly over your hands. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels.
2. Tighten your abs and lift one leg, bent at the knee, bring it to your chest. The muscles should be tense, the back straight.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Continue alternating until you reach the desired number of repetitions or 30-45 seconds.

No. 8: Climber with crossover

This exercise strengthens your core muscles. During its execution, the hips, abs, shoulders, chest, buttocks and lower back work.

How to do:

1. Start in a push-up position with your body forming a straight line from head to heels.
2. Tighten your abs, bend your right leg and pull your knee toward your left shoulder. Then return to the starting position.
3. Continue for the specified number of repetitions.

#9: Reverse Crunch

Reverse crunches work the oblique muscles and lower abs.

How to do:

1. Lie down on a yoga mat and lift your legs straight so that your feet are directly above your hips.
2. Place your hands palms down at your sides. Contract your abdominal muscles to lift your hips off the floor.
3. Pull your legs towards chest.
4. Hold for 1-2 seconds, then slowly lower your hips and legs back to the floor. Perform 8 to 12 repetitions.

#10: Crossed Leg Crunch

This exercise is a variation of a crunch with one leg lying across the other. This exercise mainly strengthens the abs, or rectus abdominis. In this case, the muscles of the lower abdomen and obliques work less. Perform an equal number of reps on each side to work your core and abs evenly.

How to do:

1. Lie on your back as shown in the picture. Place your left ankle over your right knee. Support your head with your hands, but do not pull your head towards your stomach, let your abs work.
2. Lift your upper back, shoulders and head off the floor, tighten your abdominal muscles, reaching up towards your legs. Hold for 1-2 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position.
3. The goal is 12 to 15 repetitions on each side, 2-3 sets.

#11: Doggy Leg Raise

#12: Elbow to Knee Twist

#13: Toe Touch Crunch with Both Hands

#14: Scissors

This exercise, borrowed from Pilates, engages the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles.

How to do:

1. Lie on your back. Place your arms at the sides of your body, palms down, and place them on the floor.
2. Bend your knees at a 45-degree angle and pull them toward your chest. This will make the exercise a little easier and keep your lower back flat on the floor.
3. Lift both legs straight up toward the ceiling, squeezing your abs. The lower back remains on the floor.
4. Using your core, slowly lower your right leg down toward the ground until it is a few inches off the floor.
5. Slowly perform “scissors”: lift one leg up, lower the other at this moment.
6. Do 15-20 reps on each leg (or more if you can).

No. 15: Plank with a turn

This exercise works your core, lateral abs (obliques), shoulders, and arms.

How to do:

1. Start in plank on your left side, with your right foot in front of your left. Raise your right hand up.
2. Turn your torso to the right. The right arm is raised to the ceiling while turning outside left foot.
3. Stay longer. Then return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
4. Continue alternating sides. Perform 10-12 repetitions on each side.

№16: Side plank

How to do:

1. In a plank, bend your knees and jump up to place your feet outside your right hand, remaining squatted on the balls of your feet.
2. Jump and extend your legs to the starting position. This is one repetition.
3. Repeat as quickly as you can.
4. Alternate repetitions 12-15 times on each side.

Tip: Hold dumbbells in your hands to make jumping easier. If you have trouble jumping, you can perform this exercise like a modified Mountain Climber.

No. 17: Diagonal strip

Once you've mastered the basic exercises, challenge your abs. Raising your legs and arms diagonally increases the strength and stability of your core muscles, including your lower back. Be prepared that excess fat will simply evaporate. This plank variation works your abs, torso, shoulders, glutes, and lower back.
How to do:

1. Start in a plank position, then place your feet slightly wider than your hips. Make sure your hips are in the air and your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
2. Keeping your torso stable, raise your right arm up and out, slightly diagonally. Hold this position for two seconds, then return to the starting position.
3. Repeat with your left hand. This is one repetition.
4. Do 12-15 reps on each side.

If this exercise is too difficult for you, change it up and do a diagonal plank on your elbows.

No. 17: C

#18: V-Crunch

#19: Lateral Lift

#20: Lateral V-lift

This exercise works the oblique muscles. The rectus abdominis muscle ("pack") is also involved.

How to do:

1. Lie on your right side, hold your head with your left hand, leave your right hand on the floor.
2. Shift your weight to your right hand, lift your legs straight off the floor, and pull your torso toward your legs.
3. Return to the floor. This is one repetition.
4. Perform 12-15 repetitions. Then switch over to the other side and repeat on the other side.

#21: Single Leg Plank

#22: Toe Touch Side Plank

#23: Twisting

No workout would be complete without a classic crunch. The targets this time are the rectus abdominis and lateral (oblique) muscles.

How to do:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Feet on the floor shoulder width apart.
2. Place your hands behind your head, fingers behind your ears. Don't clasp your fingers together.
3. Keep your arms out to your sides, slightly rounded at the elbows. Tilt your chin, leaving a few centimeters of space between your chin and chest.
4. Gently tighten your muscles abdominals.
5. Twist forward so that your head, neck and shoulder blades lift off the floor.
6. Pause for 1-2 seconds at the top of the movement, then slowly lower. Repeat 12-15 times.

No. 24: Boat

Morning complex for the press

Based on materials:

http://www.fitwirr.com/fitness/-ab-exercises-women

Women love relaxing on the seashore - the sound of the waves calms them down and gives them the opportunity to take a break from pressing problems. But the desired vacation turns into a complete disappointment when a slender, fit girl with a perfect pumped up tummy walks by - of course, her gaze involuntarily falls on her own, far from ideal .

The most important thing at such a moment is not to lose heart, but to pull yourself together and achieve the same result by your next vacation. And for this, our tips and effective abdominal exercises for women will help you.

The abdominal muscles are the most difficult to train. This muscle group is most often left without proper attention.

Lifestyle dictates its own rules to us, and most often an active lifestyle is not included in them - as a result, the abs are not in at its best and has a rounded relief.

Abdominal muscles require grueling and regular training! They need to be given Special attention in training.

The rectus abdominis muscle is responsible for direct and lower inclination of the body.

It also serves as a corset for internal organs. The external oblique muscle is responsible for turning the body and flexing the spine when bending and turning.

For a beautiful and firm abdomen, you need to perform a certain set of exercises, taking into account the characteristics of each muscle. The most difficult part to train is the lower abs in women. This is due to the fact that a woman’s body stores fat reserves for bearing a child in this area of ​​the abdomen.

A set of abdominal exercises mainly involves the hip flexor muscles, while the abdominal muscles do not receive the proper load. If the exercises are performed incorrectly, the abdominal muscles do not actually work, which ultimately does not give you the desired result.

For getting maximum results You need to bend at the torso; to do this, you need to reach for the pelvis, not the knees.

In order for only the abdominal muscles to be involved when performing the exercise, it is necessary to reduce the amplitude of the exercise, it should be very small, and most importantly, not involve the flexor muscles.

The number of approaches must be done as much as possible. A burning sensation in your abdominal muscles will be a signal to you that you are doing the exercises correctly.

First you need to familiarize yourself with the theory. Surely few people know how to correctly perform a number of exercises in order to remove belly fat.

A person who monitors his health pays special attention to training his muscles. The female abs deserve the most attention, but it is important to take into account the fact that the female body is not capable of six-pack abs and this is due to the fact that the fat layer on the abdomen is higher than necessary for this abs.

Professional athletes achieve this result (packed abs) before competitions by resorting to special diets and training; we emphasize that they take such harsh measures for a short period of time. If she really wants, a girl can tighten her tummy and make it perfectly flat. The most important thing is to choose a set of exercises that are right for you. Otherwise, your efforts will not give the desired result.

To get results in the form of a flat stomach, you don’t have to torture yourself at all. grueling workouts. the main task The challenge in front of you is to get rid of belly fat.

It is important to remember that the desire to get rid of extra centimeters on the stomach can lead to unwanted changes in breast shape and menstrual irregularities. To avoid such problems, you need to remember that body fat should not be less than 18%; a decrease to 10% and below will lead to the problems described above. This is due to the special physiological functions of the female body.

uprazhnenija dlja pressa dlja zhenshhin photo_25

Who among us doesn’t want to have a sporty, toned tummy? However, not everyone knows that “pumped up abs” are not only beautiful, but also useful!

Well-developed abdominal muscles are a matter of aesthetics and general health of the body.

Strong muscles The cortex, which, along with others, includes the transverse, rectus and oblique abdominal muscles, helps protect the back and spine from excessive stress and protects the internal organs. Strong abs are the key to a healthy back and beautiful posture.

But first things first. In this article we will look at the top popular abdominal exercises and evaluate their effectiveness, as well as find out which are correct, tough and simple complexes must be done to build muscles.

Why is it needed: functions

Remember that the abdominal and back muscles are the muscular corset of your body. Strong muscles will only prevent problems with the health of the spine and internal organs and give the body strength, speed of movement, and flexibility. Load your muscles correctly and if you have even minimal problems, be sure to consult your doctor.

And most importantly, listen carefully to your feelings during and after training, without being afraid to adjust your individual program in accordance with the recommendations of a specialist and your own well-being.

Complex of insulating

Abdominal isolation exercises– these are all isolated (cap) bending/twisting, associated only with flexion of the spine, without movements in hip joints. Yes, you thought correctly, you took the traditional “basic” exercises and simply excluded the phase of work of the hip flexors from them - it turned out to be single-joint, isolated exercise.

As a result, there is only one phase in the exercises - bringing the chest and pelvis closer together through flexion of the spine, in its short range of motion. Only the muscles of the anterolateral abdominal wall work. Accordingly, the possibility of injury is virtually eliminated!

Crunches

In this exercise, no movements occur in the hip joints, and the lower back remains pressed to the floor all the time, which means only the abdominal muscles work.

The rectus abdominis, pectoral (pectoralis major), external/internal oblique, transverse muscles abdominal press.

Twisting technique:

Lie on your back and bend your knees at right angles. Twisting (crunches) can be done with both straight legs and bent legs. It’s more difficult to do with bent ones, because when you bend your legs, the press automatically contracts a little. Place your feet on the floor and your hands behind your head. A weight (for example, a barbell disc) can be held either on the chest or behind the head.

note that isolated crunches on the floor with a barbell disc on the chest are the only and most effective abdominal exercises that are absolutely safe for the spine and really effective for increasing strength and hypertrophy of the abdominal muscles;

As you exhale, lift your shoulder blades off the floor by tensing your abdominal muscles; at the end point of the trajectory, hold for 1-2 counts, holding the muscle contraction. Try not to straighten your back, but rather to bring two imaginary points above and below your abdomen closer together.

Don’t fibble, try to twist as much as possible, as if you want to touch your forehead to your knees. But remember, the more you lift your lower back off the floor, the more your iliopsoas muscle will be involved in the work;

while inhaling, smoothly return to the starting position. Remember: when doing crunches, your head does not lie on the floor (it doesn’t even touch it), it is always raised from the floor, i.e. you return to your starting position DO NOT LOW YOUR HEAD ON THE FLOOR, keep constant tension, this is very important.

Otherwise, it may create a deflection (gap) in the lower back, and therefore discomfort.

Important point: do not clasp your hands behind your head and don't pull yourself by the neck, helping the body rise from a lying position. And also remember, when throwing your legs onto the surface or holding them in weight, the hip flexor muscles are activated, and the load is spread out.

This abdominal exercise is good for home. Besides, crunches are the most best exercise for the press for one reason: this is a very variable exercise, they can be performed: on a Roman chair, with legs raised up, on a fitball, on a block with a rope handle - the essence is generally the same.

Reverse crunches on the floor/bench

IN this exercise the lower back lifts off the floor, and the upper torso remains pressed to the surface, but as before, almost no movement in the hip joints (they and the knees are bent and motionless) occurs - only flexion of the spine.

The main work is done by: rectus (especially the lower part) and oblique abdominal muscles. Additionally included: iliopsoas muscle, quadriceps, back muscles.

Reverse crunch technique:

Lie on your back on the mat/bench. Bend your knees at an angle of 90 degrees. Place your arms along your body, palms down. This is the starting position. Of course, the position of the legs and arms has no bearing on the contraction of the abdominal muscles.

inhale and as you exhale, lift your hips off the floor and bring your legs toward your chest. In order to effectively carry out reverse crunches imagine that the body “ends at the buttocks” and you need to roll it into a tube from the buttocks to the head.

Those. do not lift your pelvis up, but twist it towards your head. Lightly touch your knees to your chest and hold this shortened position for 1-2 counts. Return to the starting position.

You can perform crunches either simply on the floor at home or while lying on incline bench, lying on a fitball or with a ball between your legs. Do not forget to use the principle of progression of loads - over time, complicate this exercise, and then move on to a more advanced level - hanging leg raises.

Reverse crunches while hanging on the bar

Top, middle and bottom

Regarding training and exercises for the lower and middle, as well as for the upper part of the rectus abdominis muscle.

Purely theoretically, it is possible to contract different parts of the rectus muscle (for this purpose the muscle is separated by tendon bridges), however, in practice, when performing any exercises on the rectus abdominis muscle in full amplitude, regardless of what is brought together - the chest and pelvis or the pelvis and chest ( torso or leg raises/crunches or reverse abdominal crunches), the entire muscle contracts and it is almost impossible to achieve isolation of the top, bottom or middle.

Yes, this is not necessary, because... Contrary to traditional misconception, the only way to get six-pack belly fat is to reduce subcutaneous fat in this area, which can only be achieved through “general” exercise and diet.

Hand position

Placing your hands behind your head creates unnecessary tension on the lower back and neck muscles.

When performing any lifting or twisting of the torso with your hands behind your head, do not stand no need to clasp your fingers in a lock at the back of your head– with general tension during the exercise, people use their last strength to perform the last repetition and pull themselves by the neck with their hands (helping themselves) and thereby injure the vertebrae. Hands should be held loosely at the head, fingers touching behind the ears.

Burning in the muscles

We perform all abdominal exercises in 3-4 approaches. But not 20-30 repetitions, as all sorts of stupid public pages on VK advise, not 6-8 times after burning in the press, 8-15 high-quality, thoughtful repetitions are enough. Most are confident that burning in the muscles is a sign of successful growth and productivity of training.

The burning sensation is caused by lactic acid, a byproduct of glycogen metabolism in muscle tissue, which has nothing to do with muscle growth and is a consequence of performing a large number of repetitions.

The more repetitions you perform, the more acid accumulates in the working muscle. Not only does all this prevent the creation of a sufficient overload, but the high concentration of acid also causes catabolic processes in muscle tissue, which ultimately leads to a delay in recovery processes.

This is a common mistake that happens all the time in gyms. People try to include a “burning” set in each of their workouts and do not know that this is harmful to the muscles and they achieve the opposite effect from their desire.

Do you like the burn? Light a match.

Conclusion

There are tons of abdominal exercises, each more sophisticated than the other. It is important to understand their anatomical and biomechanical essence, i.e. the theoretical basis on which they are all built. Then the essential and insignificant differences, ways and means of performing the same or different exercises.

Abdominal training is rewarding in all respects, because... it supports and preserves the health of the spine and correct position internal organs.

Everyone has six packs on their stomachs and a smile on their faces 😉

Beach season is just around the corner, but you still can’t see the sculpted abs on your belly? Don't be upset! We will help you quickly and effectively pump up your abs without the help of a professional fitness trainer.

Where to start working on an aesthetically pleasing belly?

Each successfully achieved result is based on a developed plan and analysis of its implementation. This approach applies not only to sports education, but to absolutely all areas of life.

Before drawing up an action plan for pumping up your abdominal muscles, let's touch on physiology a little.

What we call “abs” is classified by anatomy as “abdominal muscles”. The ideal belly shape is created by:

• Rectus abdominal muscles;
• Oblique abdominal muscles.

Sports trainers look at the press in slightly different aspects:

• Upper press;
• Oblique muscles;
• Lower press.

It is necessary to know these nuances in order to determine which area to focus on, because various exercises only certain muscle groups are involved, and only in some cases the entire muscle corset in a comprehensive manner.

Let us explain in more detail how muscles are visualized when looking at the abdominal part of the body.

• What is commonly called “cubes” is the upper part of the longitudinal abdominal muscle. Great news for those who are worried that they won’t have time to get their figure in proper shape before the season of tops and T-shirts, there will be a message that this part is the easiest to train and after literally two to three weeks of systematic training, you will be able to boast of the looming relief in the zone from the ribs to the navel.
• The most difficult part to perfect is the lower abdomen. This is due to the following reasons:

• physiologically, the largest fat deposits are located here, which, when losing weight, do not want to “say goodbye” to the body longer than all other deposits;
• The lower rectus muscle can be toned only by direct exercises with high intensity;
• correct implementation of the necessary complexes is achieved exclusively as a result of long-term practice.

• The oblique muscles define the waist and act as a barrier to the internal organs of the abdominal cavity. They are used when turning the body and are a support when lifting weights.

Thus, after studying the “mat part”, you can start choosing abdominal exercises.

Types of loads on the abdominal muscles

Men - masculinity, women - femininity

In order for the entire abdomen to look aesthetically pleasing, it is necessary to work on it comprehensively.

With any type of training, the load must be distributed over the entire body, otherwise the result will not be noticeable even after a year of backbreaking work. This doesn't mean that if you want to build a six-pack, you need to do barbell squats for an hour. This is to draw attention to the fact that you need to work out the whole body, but direct the greatest effort to the most problem area(in our case - the stomach).

The arsenal of exercises that can help make your abs enviable cannot fit into several volumes of a sports manual. Despite the fact that not all loads give quick results, anyone can achieve it by choosing a program that best suits their goals and capabilities.

Among the abdominal exercises you will find:

• Strength exercises (just you and your abs);
• Exercises with weights (dumbbells, plates, etc.);
• Exercises with sports equipment (bar, gymnastic bands or rollers, fitball, etc.);
• Exercises on simulators.

All opinions are that working with specialized devices will bring greater results than practicing at home. According to observations, among the most effective exercises the majority are basic ones, for which they do not use any additional items.

Depending on the type of load, it is performed in a lying position, sitting, reclining, with a negative angle of inclination (for example, hanging on a horizontal bar or placing a pillow under the pelvis), as well as standing.

If you like any exercise with equipment that you don’t have, don’t immediately run to the sports store or Gym. Many devices can be easily replaced with improvised means.

Instead of dumbbells they will work well plastic bottles with different fillings (sand, water, etc.). Owners of scrap metal can easily replace the bar with it, and pancakes at home can be presented in thick rectangular plastic bags filled with sand (or, for example, any cereal).

In a word, if you want to achieve results, look for all possible means, and not excuses to postpone training indefinitely.

TOP 10 abdominal exercises for home

Let us present the exercises that, through numerous observations, have been recognized as the most effective in the fight for slim stomach and give the fastest results.

Full crunches

Basic moments:

• Performed in a horizontal position on the back;
• To perform this you need an even horizontal surface and a mat (any thick rug can be used);
• During execution, the rectus abdominis muscles are worked.

Execution technique

Take the position indicated in paragraph 1 of the main points, legs shoulder-width apart, bend at the knees, feet and pelvis firmly pressed to the floor, arms bent at the elbows, palms touching the back of the head.

At the count of one, we begin to smoothly rise up until the chin touches the knees (or to the maximum height available in your case). On the count of two, we lower ourselves to the position where the lower back touches the floor (Not to the starting position! The shoulder blades should not lie on the surface!).

We do at least 10 twists, after which we return to the starting position for a minute, straighten our legs, relax the muscles as much as possible and proceed to the second approach.

For beginners, three approaches of 10 times are enough. We increase the amount when we stop feeling the load.

Partial amplitude crunches

The main points are identical to the first exercise, only the upper part of the rectus muscle is worked more intensively.

Execution technique

We take the starting position as in exercise 1.

On the count of times, we raise the body to the height at which the maximum burning sensation is felt in the upper part of the abs (we tear the lower back 10-15 centimeters from the floor). On the count of two, lower the lumbar region into horizontal position(shoulder blades still remain in the air).

We repeat the twist 10 times, rest, and do two more approaches.

Exercise “Scissors” (horizontal)

Key points: see exercise 1. Works the abdominal part of the abdomen (bottom of the rectus muscle).

Execution technique

We take the starting position lying on our back, legs straight, arms straight along the body, palms down.

We lift our legs off the floor by 10-15 centimeters and spread them apart. On the count of times, we bring our legs together, lifting the left over the right, spreading our legs. On the count of two we bring it together again, bringing the right over the left.

Breeding and mixing must be done quickly.

We repeat the exercise for 20 seconds, then lower our legs, rest, repeat two more times.

Bicycle (or ladder)

Key points: see exercise 1. The entire rectus muscle is worked out, and coordination of movements is also improved.

Execution technique

Starting position: lying on your back, legs straight, arms behind your head, elbows bent.

We lift the shoulder blades off the floor. We raise our legs by 10-15 centimeters. Alternately bend your legs at the knee and reach for the opposite elbow until they touch. We also repeat with the second leg.

Repeat the exercise for 30 seconds - break - two more approaches.

"Scissors" vertical or "Diver"

Key points: see exercise 1. We work the lower abs.

Execution technique

Lying on your back, arms along your body, palms touching your hips, legs straight. We lift our legs off the floor to a height of 10 centimeters. On the count of one, we raise the right leg up 20-30 centimeters, on the count of two, we switch legs (raise the left one, and lower the right one to the original level).

We continue to perform such swings for 30 seconds. We rest for 1.5 - 2 minutes, and do two more approaches.

Basic moments:

• Performed in a resting position on the elbows;
• To perform, you need a flat surface and a mat;
• During the exercise, the load is distributed over all the muscles of the body (due to this effect, the plank is the favorite type of load for most trainers and is included in almost all training programs in the gym).

Execution technique

We take a lying position on our stomach, leaning on bent elbows and toes. The whole body should be in the same plane (this is the most important point of the exercise!) - legs, buttocks, back, head - one straight line.

The plank is performed for endurance. We start with 20 seconds, every day we increase all approaches by 10 seconds. The execution time is not limited. You can stand for 10 minutes - great, 12 - even better. Every minute spent in the plank forges your perfect body.

Oblique crunches with bent legs

Basic moments : see exercise 1. The main effort is directed to the rectus abdominis muscles.

Execution technique

Starting position: lying on your back, arms bent at the elbows, palms touching the back of the head, chin pointing up, legs bent at the knees at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the body.

For 30 seconds, stretch your right elbow towards your left knee, while keeping your right leg in a bent position. For the next 30 seconds we change hands and feet. We perform the exercise two approaches for each pair of arms and legs.

Straight crunches with bent legs

Key points: see exercise 1. The lower section of the rectus abdominal muscle is worked.

Execution technique

Starting position: lying on your back, legs bent and raised up at right angles to the body. Arms straight, extended forward. On the count of one, we raise the body towards the knees, on the count of two, we lower our back to the floor to the area of ​​the shoulder blades.

We repeat the exercise 15 times, rest for 1.5 minutes, and do two more approaches.

Basic moments:

• A hard, flat, horizontal surface and a thick mat are required;
• Performed in a supine position;
• The oblique abdominal muscles are worked.

Execution technique

Starting position: lying on your back, legs bent at the knees, feet pressed firmly to the floor, arms bent at the elbows, elbows apart, palms at the back of the head.

On the count of times, lift your shoulder blades 10 centimeters from the floor and stretch your right elbow to the side of your right knee. On the count of two we return to a level position. On the count of three, stretch your left elbow to the side of your left knee, and on the count of four, straighten up.

We do only three approaches of 16 times.

Key points: see exercise 6. The entire muscle corset is worked out.

Execution technique

We take the position of support, lying on our elbows, feet on toes. On the count of times, lift your right hand off the floor and pull it up. In this case, the body must be in the same plane. Right leg lies on the left (support is the left elbow and the side of the left foot).

On the count of two we return to the prone position. On the count of three we raise up left hand. We return to the count of four. We repeat the exercise three sets of 20 times.

To achieve results, exercises must be performed in combination. However, it is not necessary to complete the entire complex at once. You can practice in the morning and evening, doing five different exercises. Or load one and another muscle alternately.

Things to consider before starting a lesson

When starting training, you need to perform some “preludes”:

• Before any type of sports activity, it is necessary to warm up the muscles to avoid injury. To do this, you can jump rope for five minutes, run a couple of kilometers (you can do all this on the spot at home, and you can jump without using a rope), and also use an elliptical trainer and a bicycle to warm up. This rule should not be neglected. If you receive injuries (even minor ones), your exercise will have to be postponed until the microcracks in the abdominal muscles are completely healed.
• It is not recommended to exercise on an empty stomach. However, you should not overeat before doing exercises (it can cause heaviness, nausea and vomiting). The ideal meal would be 1.5-2 hours before the start of the training (it is advisable to consume carbohydrates - porridge, fruits, they will provide the body with the necessary energy).
• When performing exercises you should feel the load. And the sensations should be exactly in the place where the technique is aimed at tension. Otherwise, you are working in vain or even to the detriment of the body (the most common mistake when doing crunches is tension lumbar region, and not the press, you can avoid this situation if you make sure that your back is in a slightly bent (hunched) position during execution).

• If you exercise regularly over a long period of time, you will begin to notice that the feeling of fatigue sets in faster. No matter how strange it may be, this is a direct indication that you are going in the right direction - rapid fatigue is an indicator of drying out and “defatting” of the muscle.
• You need to drink during training. This does not mean that after each approach you should drink 0.5 water. 200 grams of liquid in small sips is enough for the entire workout, but without fail! Only with water do all harmful substances come out (with sweat), and you also need to remember that every molecule of water that leaves the body during exercise removes two molecules of fat with it.
• After training, you should not eat food for 1.5 hours. However, if your main goal is not weight loss, 20-30 minutes after the end of the lesson you can drink a glass of juice or eat some fruit to close “ carbohydrate window" Its occurrence is a consequence of high energy consumption. When working on relief, after 1.5 hours it is recommended to eat a portion of protein foods.
• In order for the effect to be noticeable as quickly as possible, classes must be regular. But you need to remember that there is “woe from mind” and not to overdo it. If you are not aiming for a fitness bikini competition, 3-4 workouts per week will be enough.

Various techniques to achieve specific results

Above we have listed the TOP 10 most effective abdominal exercises. The description contains standard techniques. However, sports science does not stand still and through numerous studies, experiments and observations it was concluded that if you perform the same exercises using different methods, you can achieve different results.

Thus, if you have decided on the goal, check out the “means”:

• If you have a fairly large layer of fat, the first thing to do to get visual visibility of the cubes is to get rid of it. The best fat-burning effect is to perform any exercise intensively, when you feel a slightly painful burning sensation in the area being worked on.
• Also overcome excess fat deposits Exercises using weights will help. For example, for simple crunches, pick up a dumbbell (or a half-liter bottle of sand) and perform the technique with your arms crossed over your chest with a weight.
• Is your goal to increase strength and endurance? Perform the entire complex slowly, holding for 5-7 seconds at the peaks of muscle tension.
• The enemy of extra centimeters is also considered circuit training– when all exercises are performed in a circle in one approach with a minimum break between changing positions. A minimum of five laps must be performed, and it is advisable that each subsequent lap be completed faster than the previous one.

Breathing is the key to success

One of the main aspects of performing exercises to achieve results is correct breathing. No wonder some professional athletes devote special time to training on breathing techniques.

The importance of inhaling and exhaling in time is due to the following:

• During intense exercise, the body's consumption of oxygen sharply increases and the content of carbon dioxide increases. For normal gas exchange, it is necessary to inhale and exhale while tensing and relaxing the muscles accordingly.
• Oxygen is directly involved in the destruction of fat deposits.
• An excess of carbon dioxide can lead to oxygen starvation, weakness and loss of consciousness.
• One of the main goals sports activities– accelerate metabolism. If there is a lack of oxygen, you will get a directly proportional effect - a slowdown in metabolic processes.
• High levels of CO2 in the blood lead to increased blood pressure with all the ensuing consequences.

Thus, breathe correctly during sports loads It’s not just recommended, but necessary so as not to cause irreparable harm to your body.

So, for complete saturation with oxygen, breaths should be uniform, full (not gusty), maximally using lower sections lungs.

In all complexes, inhalations are made through the nose and exhalations through the mouth. The most common breathing technique is 4 counts for each fraction.

When working with weights, it is strictly forbidden to hold your breath. Such recklessness leads to sudden surges in blood pressure and stress on the heart.

During exercise, do not forget to listen to your body. Nature is smarter than all sciences. If you feel that, despite breathing correctly, you still don’t have enough air and feel like you can’t breathe, you need to stop and rest. It is allowed to continue training only at a pace reduced to a comfortable state.

Before you start exercising, ventilate the room where your activities will take place well. If the weather permits, practice outside, in the open air. IN stuffy rooms Training is strictly prohibited. From a lack of oxygen, the heart rate increases significantly and performance decreases.

We offer 6 abdominal exercise schemes that will help you build beautiful abs, regardless of your level of training and experience!

The abs are a muscle that requires you to do your best during training, but you may never get a visible result. This is because serious work on the abdominal muscles can be leveled out due to poor nutrition and a high percentage of subcutaneous fat in the body.

When training the press, you need to monitor not only the quality and quantity of loads. Also, eat right and do cardio exercises, which will help make you thin. Later in the article we will cover the basics correct execution abdominal exercises, rest periods, volume, intensity and frequency of training, so you can show off your six-pack abs.

Not everyone starts from the same place and wants to get different results when starting to train the abdominal muscles, so it would be reckless to use the same approach in training for everyone. Below are 6 sets of abdominal exercises that can help you tap into your physical weak points, tap into deep neuromuscular connections, and increase the strength of your abs, no matter your fitness level.

“When we want to pump up our abs, we must remember that there is no universal complex for everyone. Everyone has their own goals and their own initial data, which require an individual approach to training the abs and selecting abdominal exercises.”

All about the press and features of pumping up cubes

First, some scientific facts about the press.

The press is one continuous muscle, which is divided into upper and lower parts only conditionally. And it is not possible to pump each part of the abs separately in isolation. However, certain exercises will help you target a specific area of ​​your abdominal muscles.

• Perform cable crunches with your knees on your knees and your legs locked, so the upper part of the rectus abdominis muscle (upper abs) swings much better.
• To better target your lower rectus abdominis (lower abs), hang from a pull-up bar to stabilize your torso and perform leg raises with your knees bent. This way you will better pump up your lower abdominal muscles.
• Additionally, bending your torso helps engage the internal and external obliques, so perform twisting or rotating movements.
• Some exercises can target different areas of the same movement, depending on whether the upper or lower body is stabilized. For example, a crossover crunch can work both your upper abs and your obliques.

Because your abdominal muscles work all day long to keep your body upright, they contain more slow fibers. Therefore, they fatigue more slowly than other muscle groups with a high content of fast-twitch fibers (i.e. pectoral muscles, biceps, etc.).

Fast twitch fibers are the most capable of growth, but you want to target a muscle group like the abs, which is the most stubborn muscle group to grow. Therefore, you cannot use the typical method for training them, such as for the arms, chest or back.

Until you decide which exercises are best for you, use several in various ways training at varying exercise intensities (from moderate to high) to challenge different types of fibers to grow.

Finally, don't forget about progression when it comes to your abdominal muscles. Just doing 20 reps all the time is not enough. You need to increase the load, every workout, try to do a little more than last time. Try to add weight or number of repetitions for each repetition or set in each subsequent workout, or slightly reduce the rest time between sets. You will grow faster if you increase the intensity from workout to workout.

Exercises and programs for training sculpted abs

Remember, there are hundreds of abdominal exercises and each has many variations, so use these standard ones as starters. Use our exercise database to change exercises or create new combinations to continually challenge your abs. This will push him to grow and make him stronger.

Your skill level doesn't matter. Start now with standard exercises based on your goals and abilities. Just make sure you don't stick to any exercise routine for more than two months. Otherwise, your abs will stop responding.

Abdominal training

A low body fat percentage may help your waistline appear, but it doesn't mean your abs have the bulges and valleys that make them look sculpted and defined.

Here are standard exercises used to add more resistance than just lifting your body weight. Increasing the load stimulates muscle growth and helps turn a regular flat stomach into a washboard with 3D six-pack abs. The workout is also balanced for the three planes of the abdomen - upper press, lower and oblique muscles, which guarantees development from top to bottom and from side to side.

To increase the size of the rectus abdominal muscle, you need to choose a load that will allow you to overwork the muscles with a small number of repetitions, 8-12. This one is relatively heavy weight is essential for building muscle, compared to heavy weight exercises that require high repetitions. Also, if you want to increase your oblique muscle, continue to use fairly low reps. Many weightlifters aren't looking to build abdominal muscles, so instead they choose slightly lighter weights to target their obliques.

Exercises with a medium number of repetitions combined with movements with a large number repetitions ensure that all fibers are fully engaged. Start with more difficult exercises and move on to lighter ones when your abdominal muscles get tired. Many people find that slow ab exercises are more challenging, so they start with them. Although the rectus abdominis is one solid muscle, you can add more definition to your lower region by bracing your upper body and lifting your hips and pelvis toward your ribcage. Instead, brace your lower body and twist your torso toward your hips, squeezing your upper abs harder.

Just because you build and strengthen your abs doesn't necessarily mean you'll make them more visible if you neglect to rid your body of fat through diet and cardio. You also need to work on this to get leaner and really make your six-pack stand out.

NOTES

• For slow rep sets, use deliberate movements and focus on strong contractions rather than increasing speed during the set.
• Choose a weight that will fatigue the strained muscles. Some movements may require you to change position instead of simply changing the weight (eg, hanging leg raises, bending knees) to increase the degree of difficulty if you are unable to reach your rep goal.
• Whenever possible, perform the last set of each exercise after the muscles have fatigued, including drop sets, pauses, or the partial set method, which will allow you to extend the set to increase the burn in the muscles.
• Perform this workout three times a week with at least 48 hours between workouts for 6-8 weeks.

A set of exercises for the press for mass

	Hanging leg raises 3 sets of 10-12 reps
	Cable crunches 3 sets of 10-12 reps
	Deadlift standing on a block 3 sets of 15-20 reps
	Ab roller3 sets to failure

Standard exercises for sculpted abs

If your goal is to lose weight, then diet and cardio exercises are what you need. But if you want sculpted and massive abs, then you need to plan your workouts to increase definition.

You can do more work in less time - and really increase the burn in your muscles. Add supersets to your training program, doing two abdominal exercises at the same time without rest. And also gradually reduce the rest interval between supersets. This will increase the intensity of your workout, challenge your abdominal muscles, and ultimately burn more calories.

Note

• Perform all exercises until the muscles are fatigued, however, you will need to monitor the intensity of the load, increasing or decreasing (for example, bending the knees during hanging leg raises, if this is difficult) depending on how many repetitions you perform. Swap out for an easier or harder option so that your workouts contain more reps.
• When performing a superset of a pair of exercises, rest only after completing both movements.
• Try to work a little harder each workout by doing a little more reps, increasing the difficulty level slightly, or reducing the rest time between sets.
• Train until your muscles burn, not just for the reps. Because you have to work on getting more definition (and burning more calories) using standard exercises. These workouts can even be done every day.

A set of exercises to improve the definition of the abdominal muscles

SUPERSET

	Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 15-20 reps
	Jackknife Sit-Up3 sets of 15-20 reps

SUPERSET

SUPERSET

Abdominal exercises for beginners

This is a low-intensity workout that combines lower abs moves, upper abs moves, and combination moves to target larger areas of the abdomen. Although this workout lacks volume and intensity, it should be used as a starting point for building.

NOTES

• Perform the exercises in order until almost the point of muscle fatigue. If you are able to perform more than 15 repetitions, find small variations to increase the degree of difficulty in each movement.
• If you increase strength, it is important to increase the additional load ( more load or more reps), then you will continue to make progress. You should feel muscle pain in the next day or two, then do the workout every other day.
• In addition to increasing additional loads, continue to develop by increasing volume over time. After four weeks, add other sets to each movement, add other exercises to increase your training volume, or do both.
• Don't speed up your reps, but do them slowly and deliberately, squeezing your abdominal muscles hard with each movement.

Abs workout for beginners

	Reverse crunches 2 sets of 15 reps
	Crunches 2 sets of 15 reps
	Lateral crunch 2 sets of 15 reps

How to pump up your upper abs

As mentioned above, you can choose exercises that work the upper abs more (that is, this part of the rectus abdominis muscle will contract to a greater extent than the lower abs). While you certainly may not want to focus every workout on six-pack abs, you can achieve great intensity by occasionally focusing on a few. special exercises, which are clearly aimed at them. You can also alternate between standard exercises that target each area, or work on tightening up your lagging upper abs by following this workout for 4-6 weeks.

NOTES

• Start with more difficult movements first, then as you get tired, choose something a little easier. Organize weight training exercises if the exercises on the list are too easy or too difficult.
• Choose a weight that will fatigue the stretched muscles for a healthy rep list. Perform the last set of each exercise after the muscles have fatigued, including drop sets, pauses, partial sets, or other methods to increase the burn in the muscles.
• Once again, try to continually increase the extra load from one workout to the next, either by doing an extra rep or two or by choosing slightly more challenging movement variations.

Upper abs exercises

	Crunches on upper block standing 4 sets of 10 reps
	Crunches 4 sets of 12 reps
	Incline crunches 3 sets of 15 reps
	Fitball crunches 3 sets of 20 reps

How to pump up your lower abs

As mentioned, this workout can alternate with an upper abs workout, or you can focus on your lower abs for 4-6 weeks to help tone them. If your lower abs are lagging a lot, you can stagger your workouts, doing two for your lower abs and one workout for your upper abs. You can also emphasize your lower abs in a variety of basic routine exercises, breaking them up when needed.

NOTES

• Start with more difficult movements, then as you get tired, choose a little easier. Organize weight training exercises if the exercises on the list are too easy or too difficult.
• This workout combines several sets of repetitions so that you work at different relative intensities. Start with the bottom row of reps and work your way up to the top reps with each workout you do.

Lower abs exercises

	Hanging Leg Raises4 sets of 10 reps
	Reverse cable crunch 4 sets of 12 reps
	Decline Leg Raises 3 sets of 15 reps
	Scissors3 sets of 60 seconds

How to pump up your oblique abdominal muscles

Although the rectus abdominis muscle is the visible part of the six-pack that is involved in the flexion of the lower back, it is not all abdominal muscles. The fibers of the external oblique muscles are located diagonally, and sit above the internal oblique muscles. They are involved in the bending movements of the torso along with the abdominal muscles, as well as the torsion, rotation, twisting of your front side along planes.

Often bodybuilders prefer a little more reps (with less rest) when training the obliques, consciously trying to avoid increasing waist width. Oblique exercises can also be added to an upper or lower ab workout, or performed on a separate day, as shown below. A series of movements on the block simultaneously pumps several parts of the abs.

“When training your oblique abdominal muscles, try to take minimal breaks and pump your abs at an accelerated pace to avoid increasing the width of the waist."

NOTES

• Start with movements that require more strength, then as you get tired, choose something a little easier. Organize weight training exercises if the exercises on the list are too easy or too difficult.
• This workout combines several sets of repetitions so that you work at different relative intensities. Start with the bottom row of reps and work your way up to the top reps with each workout you do.
• Choose a weight that will fatigue the strained muscles for a smart rep list (or use a lighter or heavier ball). Perform the last set of each exercise after the muscles have fatigued, including drop sets, pauses, partial sets, or other methods to increase the burn in the muscles.
• Aim to continually increase the extra load from one workout to the next, either by doing an extra rep or two or by choosing slightly more challenging movement variations.

Exercises for oblique abdominal muscles

	One-arm side rows 4 sets of 12 reps
	“Lumberjack” with standing block 4 sets of 15 reps
	Bicycle4 sets of 60 seconds

The best abdominal exercises - video complex

A set of exercises for the abdominal muscles at home