Abdominal workouts

By working your abs, you are helping to strengthen the muscles that will give you the kind of flat stomach that you see on magazine covers, but the benefits of an abdominal workout go beyond the cosmetic sphere. A stronger stomach can help you improve your performance in any sport, and can help you battle chiropractic problems as well.

The core of all abdominal workouts is the crunch. This simple motion consists of laying on your back with your knees bent up, placing your hands behind your head or crossed over your chest, and contracting your abdominal muscles to pull the top half of your torso off the ground. Most ab workouts consist of variations on this basic exercise, so it is a useful technique to master if you are new to working out. Make sure to use your muscles rather than relying on momentum, and don’t let the strain of the movement creep into your neck. Remember that any work your neck is doing is work that your abs aren’t doing.

If you want visible results, you will want to design an abdominal workout regimen that includes spending plenty of time and effort firming your obliques. These are known as the “love handles,” and follow the curvature of your side from your waist to your hips. By firming these muscles, you can achieve a trimmer figure. Oblique crunches that work these muscles and your upper abs provide the quickest and most dramatic visual results of any abdominal exercises.

An oblique crunch is similar to a regular crunch or sit-up, except that instead of coming straight up from the ground, come up at a diagonal angle across your body. This twisting motion brings your obliques into the action along with your abs, giving you twice the impact of a traditional crunch. When you do oblique crunches, contract your oblique and abdominal muscles as hard as you possible can when you reach the top of your crunch. This will provide you with maximum efficiency as you push your muscles to the next level. Alternate which side you twist towards to make sure that you are giving both sides of your torso an equal workout.