Fitwell Training Solutions

Curling Iron for your body... not just your hair

• Flat Abs, Exercises That Work!

  Posted on July 23rd, 2011

  So you want six-pack abs?  Getting the flat abs you want takes work but as you age, it takes hard work!  If you want to get sleek strong abs you have to do just one thing - train them smarter!  Doing 500 crunches a night will get you nowhere.  Nor will starving yourself or wasting money on useless ab gadgets.  The key to getting your abs in the best shape is to make sure you work them properly in every workout.

  One of the best ways to think of ab exercises is in the order of stability, movement, and power.  Your ab muscles include more than your rectus abdominus; they include your transverse abdominus, internal and external obliques, and your erector spinae muscles to name a few.  That’s why doing basic crunches on the floor won’t get you the results you want.  You have to train your body (abs included) using a variety of angles.  You also have to train smarter so you don’t hurt yourself.

  One of my favorite exercises for the abs is the bridge or what I call the Jane Fonda pelvic lift. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet straight. Inhale first and as you exhale pull your navel to spine, squeeze your pelvic floor, and squeeze your tush - multi-tasking at its best! During the exhale phase lift your hips off the ground, hold and slowly lower them down to the ground. Perform 1-3 sets for to 12-20 reps.

  Aging doesn’t have to mean your destined for flabby, out of shape abs.  In my next post, I’ll share more of my favorite ab exercises to whittle that waistline and keep you injury free!

  Posted by valerie