| Abdominals
Any
of these exercises can be done with your torso twisted at an angle.
Crunches:
Lay down on a mat on the floor, bending your knees slightly so your
feet are flat on the floor. Curling your hands behind your head,
slowly lift your shoulders off the mat, squeezing your abdominal
muscles with each raise. Be sure not pull your neck upwards; rather
make it a natural, smooth-flowing motion. Lift only your shoulder
blades off the mat and hold that position for a span of two seconds
before slowly releasing the shoulders back to the mat. Be sure not
to let your shoulders completely rest on the mat before beginning
your next repetition. Do three sets of 30 reps, taking only a few
seconds of rest between sets.
Knee Ups: Sit on the edge of a bench, grasping on the sides
of the bench with your hands to maintain steady balance. With your
legs extended outward, slowly pull your knees into your chest, squeezing
the abdominal muscles during the contraction. Hold this position
for two seconds and then slowly extend your legs before repeating
the motion. Try to keep the rocking and bouncing at a minimum. Do
three sets of 25 reps for this exercise.
Knee Raises: Find a firm grasp on an overhead chin-up bar
with your arms spread slightly wider than your shoulders. Make sure
that your feet are not touching the floor. Trying not to swing or
rock, slowly bring your knees toward your abdomen so that your knees
are locked at a 90 degree angle. Squeeze your abs and hold for a
moment before slowly releasing your legs back to a straight position.
Wrist straps are often used to assure a firm grip on the bar. Attempt
three sets of 10-15 reps per set.
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