One of the biggest areas people talk about hitting during workouts are abs. Having a 6 pack is something many people desire but in reality it is very hard to achieve. Your workouts are not all that matter here because your diet plays a huge part in this achievement as well. With all of that said this is still something I hear about often so lets talk about it.
There are so many ab workouts out there. I'm sure as your reading this the dreaded sit ups and crunches come to mind from school gym days! While those are both efficient ways to work those muscles there also a ton of other ways to do the same. Your ab muscles are something you use all the time to help with strength and balance. When you are in a plank position or doing a squat you are using those muscles to help stabilize your body. With that being said there are tons of different movements you can do to help strengthen those muscles. So lets dive in!
Russian Twists
These happen to be my favorite! I like to use my medicine ball as weight but you can use a dumbbell or kettlebell even a small puppy! lol You will hold the object on one side of your body while you are sitting on the floor. I like to raise my feet up but if that is too hard you can leave them on the ground. You will move the object side to side. These are great for your abdominal muscles as well as your obliques. You can adjust the intensity by using less or more weight!
Overhead Carries
This is not something you automatically go to when you think of ab workouts. For this you will need some kind of weight. It can be a dumbbell, a kettlebell, something! You will hold the object in your hand and hold it above your head. Make sure your arm is straight up and in line with your ear. Find a distance to walk that you have available to you. If you have a driveway that works perfectly. Remember to switch arms. The reason this is a great ab workout is because it focuses on your core. In order to hold the object over your head you need to tighten your core muscles for stability!
Dumbbell or Kettlebell Windmills
These are a tough movement that can be modified depending on the amount of weight you choose. I would recommend starting light and working your way up. They are definitely more intense than they look! You will hold the weight in 1 hand and press it over your head, just like you did in the overhead carry. You will then rotate your body so the hand without the weight will reach down towards the ground while you push the weighted arm up towards the ceiling. These will help strengthen a whole lot all at once and again will require you to tighten your core to help stabilize which will help strengthen those ab muscles!
When you're doing these movements you want to move slowly and really focus on your form. Rushing through them will not help as much. Also remember to choose a weight that is appropriate for you. If you are trying to go to heavy you will find your form will suffer! Enjoy!
Be Strong!
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