Simple Exercises For Your Abs

When people get in shape, the main focus of their workout are normally to lose weight and to lose their tummy. But there are times that we achieve both but that lousy love handle stays behind just above our waistline giving us that mushroom look. And no matter how many sit ups or crunches you do, it kind of has the habit of hanging there. This makes you ask if the workout is not doing it or if you're doing something wrong and by the end of the day, you have more questions than answers.

The good thing about this is that you get motivated to get rid of that excess belly that's just hanging there. It makes you look for an easier workout. Crunches may be an effective way to get an upper ab workout however, it causes a lot of discomfort and many people who are not aware of how a proper crunch is done end up with a sore neck rather than toned abs. You can amend that by doing some reverse crunches. This actually gives your abs a better workout than a regular workout would and it also targets the lower abs which are hard to reach. You can do them on the floor or on an exercise ball. You just have to get in the same position as when you are doing a regular crunch which is lying down on the floor, hands either behind your head or on the floor, stomach sucked in and eyes on your ceiling. Pull your legs up towards your head and reach as far as you can. Curling into a ball should be your focus here. Stay in this position for 2 to 3 seconds and then go back to your original position. You can do this in 3 sets of 10 or depending on your body's tolerance.
The bicycle crunch is another ab exercise that's fun and easy to do. The American Council on Exercise calls this one of the most effective ab exercises. Other than it being easy, you can add a little variety to the exercise. To start, you have to lie down flat on the floor. Raise your knees to a 45 degree angle and do a pedalling motion, just like riding a bike. While you are pedalling, lift your upper body to a crunch and touch your knee with the opposite elbow and vice versa. Try and do this in counts of 10 and do 2 to 3 repetitions.

A great ab workout that some Hollywood stars like Beyonce use to keep their abs in shape is the technique known as the plank. Yes, you have to be as stiff as one. You are sure to get your abs working on this even if there is not a lot for you to do. What you have to do is get on your hands and knees. Place your hands on shoulder level and straighten your body to make your toes touch the floor. It kind of looks like your going to do push ups. When you are on that position, hold it for about one minute and keep your breathing normal. This tightens that abs and is an amazing beginner workout. Depending on your level of strength, you can do this 5 more times after a minute. You can also lengthen the time you are in that position.

These 3 basic ab exercises can help you lose that extra flab and get you started on getting those great abs you've always wanted. Just remember that getting great abs is not only with exercise, you need to get on a healthy diet too.

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