Having lean abdominal muscles comes with myriad benefits. It ensures you’re in a good shape for a boxing contest or any other sport by enhancing your flexibility and agility. You will also be able to bid bye to back pain and welcome a six-pack. However, these benefits don’t come on a silver platter- you have to work your core to exhaustion.
No matter how tough your workout may be, you need to always keep in mind the golden rule of abs training: quality is better than quantity.
Exercises to work your abs include:
Abdominal Hold
This looks rather wonky, and you may have to pray that your friend does not catch you in the act: he may pull the chair. This exercise pushes your abdominal muscles to exhaustion and burns fat in them, leaving you with lean, stellar muscles.
To do this exercise;
Sit tall on a chair edge, and put your hands on the edge
Point your fingers in the direction of the knees, and tighten your abs
Lift your toes about 4 inches above the ground, and lift your buttocks from the chair
Hold yourself in this position for a few seconds, and resume your original position
Repeat the procedure a few more times for better results
The Hundred
A machine-free Pilates warm-up exercise, “the hundreds” works by speeding up your blood circulation. However, don’t be fooled by the word “warm-up” because this exercise tests your core strength like no other, and you will have to move your arms while coordinating your breathing at the same time.
To do this exercise;
Sit on the ground, and bend your knees and hands by your chest and sides respectively
While holding your palms flat on the ground, lie down and breath out
Lift your head and shoulders from the ground, and pump your arms about 5 inches upward and downward
While curling your chin toward the chest, inhale for five pumps, and then exhale for five pumps
Complete 100 pumps to accomplish “the hundred”
Squat Hold
To do this, start by getting into a deep squat position, taking care to ensure your butts don’t touch your heels. Hold yourself in the position for about 15 seconds before resuming your original position.
Remember, the longer you maintain the squat the better the results. Repeating the procedure a few more times completes your squat hold session.
Plank
This involves:
Taking a push-up position with elbows bent. Here, your forearms will carry your weight.
Holding your body straight from the shoulders to the ankles.
Holding your body in this position for about 30 seconds to complete the process.
Straight-Arm Plank
This is similar to the plank above only that you need to keep your arms straight.
To perform this exercise;
Take a push-up position with your palms flat on the floor. Your arms and legs should be in a straight position.
Close in your fit with your toes pointing toward the ground. Hold your body in this position rigidly for 30 seconds or longer.
Repeat the procedure a couple of times.
Shift Frequency Publication – Educational Material © 2018