subject: Do It At Home Abdominal Exercises [print this page] There are tons of abdominal exercises out there that you can do right now. But the problem is a lot of people get hung up on the same type of abdominal exercises such as crunches and sit-ups.
What many people dont know is that these exercises can actually be some of the worst ones to perform because of the anterior pressure it places on the discs of your lower back. There are better exercises out there that work the same and do even better. I am going to cover 3 basic ones here that will work your stomach in different areas.
The first exercise we are going to do is called a plank. It is on the most basic abdominal exercises around, but also very effective. Everyone should be able to do a basic plank for 2 minutes at a time. This is one of the best exercises to do for the abs as it is recommended by Dr. Stuart McGill who is the foremost leader in low back injuries and research.
To perform the exercise, lay face flat on the floor. Next dig your toes into the ground like you are doing a pushup. Lift your body off of the ground supporting your weight on your forearms. From there, all you are going to do is hold this position. Keep your body level the entire time.
The next exercise we are going to perform are called bicycles. To perform bicycles, lay flat on your back, grab the back of your head lightly and perform a crunch, then hold it there in that position. From there, starts rotating your legs like a bicycle while touching opposite elbow to knee.
The last exercise in the list will be leg raises. Simply lay flat on your back, grab something sturdy behind your head so you dont slide and point your toes forward. Slowly lift your legs off of the floor using your lower abdominal muscles. Then slowly lower your legs back down barely touching the floor.
For planks, I recommend doing 3 sets for as long as possible
For bicycles, do 3 sets of 30-50 rotations, gradually working up to a 100 a clip.
And for leg lifts, a good range to go for in the beginning is 15 to 20 per set for 3 sets total.
