When looking for the best exercises to tone your abs at home, it’s easy to rely on familiar rhythms like crunches and sit-ups. We’ve clenched our chins, counted, and trusted the process, but unfortunately we don’t get much out of these classic science education exercises.
In fact, these common movements may be doing more harm than good, especially for your back. If you go to the gym (and love it, check it out.) best gym shoes buying guide) or there are more effective and safer exercises you can do at home.
Ab exercises tend to prioritize the hip flexors over targeted abdominal muscles, while crunches crush the spine into the floor, causing back pain. Journal of Orthopedic Sports Physiotherapy. When it comes to working your abs at home, not all exercises are created equal.
Wendy Butts, a NASM-certified fitness trainer, says that the rectus abdominis isn’t the only way to train your core. The core part of the body includes not only the abdominal muscles, but also the muscles around the hips and hips.
MSc Wendy Butts is a Regional Master Instructor at the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and Assistant Professor in the Exercise Science Program at Pennsylvania Western University. She is also a consultant to companies in the fitness, performance and wellness sector.
Batts said: “To strengthen and shape your abs and optimize both form and function, crunches and their variations can be achieved by incorporating a variety of exercises and movements that challenge core movement and stability from multiple positions. You have to look beyond ” , direction, angle. “
Butts outlines four innovative exercises for your abs and core muscles. Each exercise is designed to rebuild his at-home ab workout routine.
Exercise #1: Dead Bugs
- Lie on your back on the floor with your arms straight above your chest and your hips and knees bent 90 degrees into a tabletop position with your feet off the ground and your shins parallel to the floor.
- Without holding your breath, flatten your hips on the floor and squeeze your abs.
- Then, keeping your hips flat and your ribs not splayed, slowly straighten your right leg and lower it toward the floor while simultaneously extending your left arm above your head as far as you can control it. Move your legs and arms as far as possible without letting your hips hang off the floor.
- Pause to return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
- Repeat as many times as desired on each side.
Want to strengthen your abs? “As a step forward, you can add little resistance bands around your feet and wrists, or even work your arms and legs at the same time,” says Butts.
Exercise #2: Standard Plank
- Lie face down on the ground and support yourself with your forearms and elbows. Keep your elbows in line under your shoulders and your hands clenched into fists to increase tension and muscle activation throughout your upper body. Your forearms should be parallel to each other.
- Without holding your breath, engage your abs, contract/squeeze your glutes, and press your forearms and toes to lift your body off the floor. In addition to your abs and glutes, contract your quadriceps to fully extend your knees.
- It does more than just perform actions. Maintaining a plank position and breathing with your diaphragm, squeeze all muscles as tight as possible.
- Hold for desired period. I usually start with a 5-10 second hold and repeat 10-20 times total.
Exercise #3: Side Plank
- Lie on your side with your feet together, with your forearms on the ground and your elbows under your shoulders.
- Without holding your breath, squeeze your abs and squeeze your glutes.
- Maintaining this tension, press your forearms and feet to lift your body off the floor. Lift your hips and legs off the ground until your body forms a straight line from head to toes, resting on your forearms and feet.
- Hold for desired period. I usually start with a 5-10 second hold.
- Slowly return to the starting position and repeat the desired number of times (5-10) before switching sides.
Some people find side planks harder to hold than standard planks. Butts suggests lifting from the outside of the knee rather than the leg to make the task a little easier.
Exercise #4: Bird Dog
- To do Bird Dog, get on all fours with your palms directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Without holding your breath, work your abs and pull your chin in.
- Keeping your elbows straight, slowly raise one arm straight up in front of you and the opposite leg back, toes pointing away from your body.
- Keeping your arms and legs straight, lift your hips to body height without arching your back. Squeeze your glutes, not your hips, to raise/lift your legs.
- Slowly lower your arms and legs back to the ground. Repeat alternating sides as many times as needed.
Exercise #5: Windshield Wipers
- Lie on your back (supine/supine) and extend your arms straight beside your body, palms up, forming a “T” shape with your body.
- Lift your feet off the ground and bend both your hips and knees to a 90-degree tabletop position with your shins parallel to the floor.
- To ensure the movement is in place without holding your breath, keep your hips flat on the floor and your abs engaged.
- From this position, keeping your hips flat and using your abs to control the movement, slowly lower your legs and pelvis to the right as far as you can control them. Ideally, lower to a position where your legs are a few inches apart. floor.
- Once your knees are close to the floor, use your abs to reverse the motion of your legs and pelvis, returning through the center of your body to the left side.
- Move this pattern left and right, repeating the desired total number of times.
final thoughts
This list of no-equipment exercises will work your abs in a safe way and promote overall core strength. Remember, it’s not just about beauty. A bouncy core improves posture, balance and everyday movements. Each repetition not only builds muscle, but builds a foundation for a healthier, stronger self. Exercise Add them to his routine, whether it’s on his own schedule or on programs from apps like: fitbit premium or fit body.
