At-Home Ab Workouts

07:56am - July 02, 2013

At-Home Ab Workouts

The abs are some of the most difficult and confusing muscles to work out. Far too many people take the wrong approach by doing a ridiculous number of sit-ups. The truth is that you can do all the sit-ups you want, but unless you are focusing on ALL of your ab muscles rather than a select few, you can’t expect a six-pack to develop. Before you throw in the towel or look to hire a professional trainer, check out some of the at-home ab workouts listed below. These are simple yet highly effective workouts that anyone can do from the comfort of their home.

Leg Raises

Arguably, one of the easiest and most effective ab workouts is a simple leg raise. You might be surprised at just how much of an effect raising your legs can have on your abdominal muscles. If you haven’t done so already, try performing some basic leg raises. Start by laying completely flat, stomach up, on the floor and raise both of your legs about 2-3 feet up. Hold them for 15-20 seconds before lowering them back down to the ground. Continue doing this for as many reps as you can handle. While you are holding your feet up in the air, you’ll notice how nearly every muscle in your stomach constricts, which means you are getting a full abdominal workout.

Planks

Another incredibly easy ab workout that can be performed at home are planks. This workout uses your body weight to constrict your ab muscles. Face the floor and lower your body all the way down while holding out your forearms. You should now have your forearms resting on the floor, essentially holding your body up along with the tips of your toes. This is position is similar to a traditional pushup, the only difference is that you are holding your body up with your forearms rather than your hands. Continue to hold this position for as long as possible before dropping your body back down to the ground. Some people might be able to hold the plank position for 60 seconds, while others can go for minutes.

Side Planks

Side planks are an alternate form of the planks listed above. Basically, you perform them by aligning your body sideways while holding it up with one forearm pressed against the ground. The advantage of performing side planks is that it works out the side abdominal muscles, which are oftentimes overlooked in a workout routine.