Exercising Your Abdominals

When your workout is almost done, it’s easy to start thinking about what your next activity is going to be.  After doing several sets for a muscle group or two, most people want to head home and refuel.  However, most of them are leaving a few minutes early.  They are forgetting to work their abdominal muscles.  Our core, the trunk of our tree, is important, and something we all want to see strong and tight, but many people skip it.

The Benefits of Stronger Abs

Exercising abdominals means really focusing on your health at it’s very core.  A strong core will improve your overall health.  And being healthy is infectious for the rest of your body, bringing increased levels of confidence.  Strong abs also help you stand up, and sit up, straighter.  In other words, abs improve your posture, which makes you look more attractive.  No one likes a slouch.  

Additionally, a strong core helps you to be more efficient with your strength, thus increasing your strength and agility.  You don’t have to compensate for weak abdominals, so you can concentrate on the exercise at hand.  The improved posture also helps with muscle definition.  Finally, all of that muscular definition will lead to your clothes fitting better and showing off your physique.  Of course, make sure you get clothes that fit.

The Best Abs Exercises

The abdominals are made up of four main muscles.  The transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus, internal obliques and external obliques.  It’s important to have a routine that will hit all areas.  Some of the more popular abdominal exercises you will see people doing at the gym, if they do any abdominal exercises at all, are the crunch, leg raise, sit-up, plank, jackknife sit-up and mountain climbers.  This will be a well-rounded workout.  For more exercise options and programming, work with a personal trainer.  Explain your goals and design a program to meet them.

Avoid Common Mistakes When Working Your Abs

Like all muscle groups, there is a right way and a wrong way to work them.  Workouts are very individualized and what is right for one person, may be wrong for another.  First, train them regularly.  If your abdominal workout are infrequent, then you won’t see your fitness goals achieved.  Instead, regular, consistent programming will help you to take the necessary steps towards your “six-pack abs” you’ve always visualized.  Also, it isn’t always about reaching 100 sit-ups or holding a plank for 10 minutes. 

Sometimes it is best to increase the resistance.  For example, holding a 10lb plate or dumbbell when doing sit-ups.  A good mix of isolation exercises and non-isolation exercises to work the entire midsection is best.  Only following one or the other will lead to some areas not receiving the attention they deserve.  Finally, be mindful of what you eat.  Don’t let a poor diet coverup the muscles you have so rightfully dedicated time to building. 

@neighborhoodtrainer