Killer Ab Workouts For a Strong, Firm Core

May 22 2014

Killer Ab Workouts For a Strong, Firm Core

Tired of doing a countless number of situps and crunches until you’re blue in the face without seeing any real benefits in your abdominal muscles? Unfortunately, developing those chiseled rock-hard abs you’ve always dreamed of having isn’t as easy as performing X amount of situps each day. There are three different abdominal sections — the lower, middle and upper abs — each of which must be engaged to promote greater muscle growth.

Why Traditional Ab Exercises Fail

The reason why most people with with their ab workouts is because they focus on exercises that bend the spine. Each time you perform a situp, for instance, the lower vertebrae are forced to bend. Over time, this can lead to cartilage degradation while placing you at risk for disc herniation while placing you at risk for developing a painful hernia or other back problems.

The golden rule when performing ab workouts is to keep your spine as straight as possible. This may or may not be an easy task depending on how you typically work out your abdominal muscles. If you’re used to performing spine-bending situps, you must kick this bad habit and focus on safer, more effective exercises.

Planks

Planks are a powerful ab-building workout that’s not going to contribute to back pain. To perform a plank, get down on the ground and place your body in a modified push-up position with your forearms resting on the ground and your body fully extended. Hold this position for as long as possible before releasing and performing a second bout.

Side planks are performed in a similar manner, the only difference being that you are on your side rather. Perform a couple side planks on each side of your body, holding them for as long as possible. Side planks engage the side muscles more than the middle core muscles, making them a great way to compliment your regular workout routine.

Leg Raises

Sometimes it’s the simple workouts, such as leg raises, that yield the greatest muscle-building benefits. From the moment you first lift your legs into the air, you’ll feel nearly every muscle in your core contract, which is a direct indication that it’s working.

To perform a set of leg raises, lay down with your back on the ground and lift your legs about 2-3 feet into the air. Hold this position for 1-2 minutes, lower your legs down to ground, and repeat.

Other Killer Ab Workouts:

• Bicycle crunches
• Lunge twist with dumbbell
• Crunch on exercise ball
• Vertical leg crunch
• Mountain climbers