Basic Stretching Exercises

Stretching is needed at the beginning of exercise to prepare the muscle for the exercise it is about to take part in. These stretches will help prevent damage to the muscle, and help with your suppleness. Stretching after the workout helps straighten the muscle fibres, helps clear out any build up of by products from exercise and also makes you feel good.

The stretching program is as just as important as the exercise workout itself. These stretches are to be done before and after your workout,or even when you wake up and go to bed. Hold each stretch for around 10 seconds breathing freely. Ensure that you do not bounce the stretch, keep the limbs nice and still. Relax into the stretch until you feel a mild tension on the muscle,there should be no pain.

Reach - Ensure you keep your knees slightly bent to protect your lower back. Reach your hand up in to the air.

Triceps - Knees bent, gently pull arm down center of back. Feel the stretch on the back of your arm.

Upper Back - Knees bent, hands clasped, gently push hands away from body.

Lats - Feel the stretch as you gently pull the arm over.

Hip - Keep knees slightly bent.

Quadriceps - Keep the supporting knee slightly bent.If too hard,lie down on tummy and do the same.

Calfs - Keep both feet facing forwards, keeping feet still gently move forward.

Adductors - Sit on the floor, gently push your knees to the floor, no bouncing.

Glutes - Lie on back, gently pull knee towards you with other leg lying over pulled one.

Hamstrings - Pull the leg back gently, if leg starts to shake relax off a bit, keep leg still.

Last Modified : February 3rd, 2008 --

Oblique Exercises

The exercises below will strengthen your oblique muscles.

Side Lift

Beginner: Lie on your left side with legs together and knees bent. Place your left arm comfortably in front of you and place your right hand behind your ear, elbow bent. Exhale and use your obliques to lift your right knee while simultaneously lifting your upper torso to meet it. Inhale and slowly lower to the starting position. Do all reps and switch sides.

Intermediate: Lie on your left side with legs together and legs extended. Place your left arm comfortably in front of you and place your right hand behind your ear, elbow bent. Exhale and use your obliques to lift both legs toward the ceiling while simultaneously lifting your upper torso. Inhale and slowly lower to the starting position. Do all reps and switch sides.

Make It Harder: Raise and lower for variable counts: up 2, down 2 … up for 3, down for 1 … up for 1, down for 3.

Helpful Hints: Keep abs tight throughout to control the lowering phase. Try not to allow your legs to touch the floor when you return to the starting position.

Leg Overs

Beginner: Lie flat on your back with your arms extended at from the shoulders, perpendicular to your body. Bring your bent knees in toward your chest and hold them with thighs perpendicular to the floor, calves parallel to the floor. Inhale and use your obliques to lower your legs to the left side, keeping knees bent. Exhale, pulling your knees back to the center and lowering them to the right side. Be sure to keep both shoulder blades flat on the floor throughout the movement.

Intermediate: Lie flat on your back with your arms extended out from the shoulders, perpendicular to your body. Extend your legs straight up to the ceiling. Inhale and use your oblique to lower your legs to the left side until they barely touch the floor. Exhale, pulling your legs back to the center and lowering them to the right side. Be sure to keep both shoulder blades flat on the floor throughout the movement.

Make It Harder: Raise and lower for variable counts: up 2, down 2 … up for 3, down for 1 … up for 1, down for 3.

Helpful Hints: As you lower your legs to the side, allow your hips to roll with the movement. The extended-leg version of this exercise is very advanced; only proceed to a long-legged position after working through varying degrees of extension first.

Side Crunches

Beginner: Lie on your left side with legs bent perpendicular to your body. Place your left arm comfortably in front of you and put your right hand behind your ear. Using a slow crunching motion, exhale and lift your rib cage toward your hip. Inhale and slowly lower almost to the floor.

Intermediate: Lie on your left side with legs bent perpendicular to your body. Place your left arm comfortably in front of you and put your right hand behind your ear. Using a slow crunching motion, exhale and lift your rib cage toward your hip. Inhale and slowly lower almost to the floor.

Make It Harder: Raise and lower for variable counts: up 2, down 2 … up for 3, down for 1 … up for 1, down for 3.

Helpful Hints: Lift entire torso off the floor, not just your elbow and head. Focus on using the obliques to list your toros, and be sure to get the bottom shoulder off the floor during the lifting phase.

Related Post: Rectus Abdominis

Last Modified : May 5th, 2008 --

Upper Ab Exercises

Working the muscles at a variety of speeds ensures that you have strength throughout your whole range of motion, and helps overload the muscles, thus making you work harder and producing more rapid gains in strength.

Basic Crunch

Beginner: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet shoulder width apart on the floor, hands behind your head. Pull your belly button to your spine and slowly squeeze your abs as your head and shoulders come up off the floor. Lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your knees bent and pulled in toward your chest, feet hanging close to your buns. Pull your belly button to your spine and slowly squeeze your abs as your head and shoulders come up off the floor. Lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat.

Make It Harder: Rather than placing hands behind your head, extend your arms as if you’re diving into a swimming pool, keeping forearms close to your ears. Focus on relaxing the shoulders to keep tension out of your neck. Also, try varying the speed of your lifting and lowering motion.

Helpful Hints: Try not to lower completely to the floor at the bottom of the movement. Try to clear your shoulder blades from the floor; be sure you’re not just lifting your head. Really focus on pulling your belly button down toward your spine.

Frog Legs

Beginner: Lie on your back with the soles of your feet together, letting your knees fall open to the sides. Place your hands behind your head to support your neck. Pull your belly button to your spine and slowly squeeze your abs as your head and shoulders come up off the floor. Lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your knees bent and pulled in toward your chest. Cross your ankles and let your knees fall open to the sides. Place your hands behind your head to support your neck. Pull your belly button to your spine and slowly squeeze your abs as your head and shoulders come up off the floor. Lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat.

Make It Harder: Extend your arms as if you’re diving, keeping forearms close to your ears. Focus on relaxing the shoulders to keep tension out of your neck. Also, try varying the speed of your lifting and lowering motion.

Helpful Hints: This exercise works the upper part of the rectus abdominis and into the lower segment. Be sure to really pull your belly button in tightly to protect your back and don’t lower all the way to the floor at the bottom.

Demi-Crunch

Beginner: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet shoulder width apart on the floor, hands behind your head. Pull your belly button to your spine and lift shoulders and head off the floor, just a few inches. You should feel a contraction in the abdominals. Now lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up and slowly return to your starting position - do not go all the way to the floor.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your knees bent and pulled in toward your chest, feet hanging close to your buns. Pull your belly button to your spine and lift shoulders and head off the floor, just a few inches. You should feel a contraction in the abdominals. Now lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up and slowly return to your starting position - do not go all the way to the floor.

Make It Harder: Lie on your back with your knees bent and walk your feet away from your buns until your legs are almost fully extended - be sure to keep a slight bend in the knee. If you feel any pain in your lower back, bring your feet in closer to your buns. This leg position gets the lower abs, too.

Helpful Hints: Be sure to really pull your belly button in tightly to protect your back and don’t lower all the way to the floor at the bottom.

Basic Ab Exercises

Make sure the lower back stays well supported. Relax for a moment between exercises. Allow enough time for a good stretch/cool-down period when you are done.

Basic Crunch
Lay down on the floor, knees bent, hands resting on your thighs, feet and lower back pressing into the ground. Squeeze the abdominals as you lift your upper body toward your knees. Lower. Your hands will naturally move up and down your leg. Exhale up, inhale down. Repeat 20 times.

Reverse Crunch
Press the hands into the floor at your side. Raise your legs so that they are perpendicular to the ground. Now, lift your buttocks an inch or two off of the floor, keeping shoulders to the floor. Lower slowly, concentrating on the lower ab region. Repeat 15 times.

Cross
Lay on your back, knees bent. Use your hands to support the head, thumbs right behind your ears. Keeping your right shoulder on the ground, twist the left side of your body up and over, pointing your left shoulder toward your right knee. Lower. Repeat 15 times each side.

Crunch with Alternate Twist
Same position, knees bent, hands supporting the head. Crunch up; twist your body to the right; twist your body to the left; and crunch forward again. Release, but do not lower your head all the way to the ground. Repeat this series of fluid movements 10 times.

Last Modified : December 31st, 2008 --

Combination Exercises

Combination: Obliques Crunch

Beginner: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet shoulder width apart on floor. Pull your belly button to your spine. Place your left hand on your right thigh; put your right hand behind your head for support. Contract your tummy and slide your hand up your leg to the outside of your right knee, exhaling on the lift. Slowly slide down to the starting position. Finish a set on one side, then switch to the other side.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your knees bent and pulled in toward your chest, keeping your feet close to your buns. Place your right hand behind your head and your left arm on the floor by your side. Pull your belly button in and lift toward your left knee. Exhale as you lift. Slowly return to the starting position. Finish a set on one side, then switch to the other side.

Make it harder: Extend your legs toward the ceiling, rather than keeping them bent. Even harder? Reach for your toes with your fingertips as you lift.

Helpful Hints: Rotate the shoulders toward the opposite knee, NOT the elbow. Keep elbows relaxed back and chest “open.” Think of lifting on a diagonal toward the knee, feeling the bottom of your rib cage and your hipbone squeezing toward each other.

Combination: Full Crunch (This exercise combines the basic and reverse crunch)

Beginner: Lie on your back with your knees pulled in toward your chest, feet hanging close to your buns. Place your hands behind your head. Pull your belly button in tightly then contract the lower abs so that your hips and buns lift off the floor while you lift your shoulders from the floor using the upper abs. Exhale as you lift.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your legs extended toward the ceiling. Place your hands behind your head. Pull your belly button in tightly then contract the lower abs so that your hips and buns lift off the floor while you lift your shoulders from the floor using the upper abs. Exhale as you lift.

Make it harder: Extend arms into diving position overhead.

Helpful Hints: If you feel any strain in your lower back, pull your legs closer to your chest. The closer your legs are to parallel to the floor, the harder the exercise is for your back.

Combination: Negative Crunch

Beginner: Sit on the floor with your legs bent, feet flat. Extend your arms out in front of you at shoulder height. Pull your tummy in tight and slowly lower your back toward the floor, rounding your back as you go. Only go about halfway to the floor. Then exhale, contract your abs, and return to starting position.

Intermediate: To make this more challenging, walk your feet further away from your body.

Make it harder: Change the rhythm of your movement: lower for 2 and contract for 2 … lower for 3 and contract for 1 … lower for 1 and contract for 3.

Helpful Hints: Keep the small of your back rounded and only go as far as you can without losing your abdominal contraction. When returning to sitting position, don’t go too high. You should feel tension in your abs throughout this movement.

Last Modified : May 2nd, 2009 --