Winston Salem Fitness

Abdominal muscles exercise for beginners must begin with a plan for the basics of the workouts. Whew … that’s a mouthful! abs fitness shouldn’t be that complicated. So, let’s start over

You want six pack abs? ::.Create a plan. ::.Start slowly. ::.Follow your plan. Your plan should include these 4 components:

.::. DIET .::.
If you are just starting your quest for six pack abs, you probably need to lose weight. In fact, chances are that you are either overweight or obese.

The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (cdc.gov) states that “overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height”. If you fall into one of these categories, the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems is increased.

The body mass index (BMI) generally correlates with the amount of your body fat. Your weight and height are used to calculate your BMI. So, proper diet resulting in reasonable weight loss is one of the 4 primary components in your plan to achieve six pack abs.

.::. WALKING .::.
If you want to know how to get a six pack, you’ll need to understand that walking plays a critical role in your plan. Walking provides great abdominal muscles exercise basics. Beginners should include walking workouts in their plans to get six pack abs.

Try to walk 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) every day. Even if you have not been walking 3+ miles everyday, you should be able to complete this distance in less than 1 hour. After you have walked every day for 2 or 3 weeks, you should be able to reduce your time to 40 or 45 minutes. As long as you are able to walk 3.1 miles at a pace brisk enough to finish in 40 minutes or less, your heart rate should be such that you feel good about your effort but not exhausted. NOTE: Please consult with your doctor before implementing any components of your abdominal muscles exercise plan.

.::. EXERCISE .::.
It is widely recognized that the most important exercise in your quest for six pack abs is … stretching. That’s right, stretching is a critical part of your abdominal muscles exercise workouts because your body must remain limber and flexible in order to reap the fullest benefits from the other components of your plan.

Of course, crunches are one exercise always associated with developing six pack abs. However, you should be aware that some controversy exists about the importance of implementing this type of exercise into your workouts (more info at sixpackabs.biz). You’ll need to review opinions regarding crunches to determine the extent to which you want to implement them into your workouts.

.::. WEIGHTS .::.
Workouts using weights are important in abdominal muscles exercise workouts for beginners. The basics of weightlifting are addressed on thousands of pages on the Internet (for example workoutsgym.com), so with very little effort you should be able to locate step-by-step instructions for using weights at home or at a gym to develop six pack abs. Fitness routines which result in a flat stomach generally include weight training for 3 days per week, while allowing your muscles to rest for 1 day between workouts.

So, you want six pack abs? Your diet, walking, exercise, and weights will all be important to your success. There are lots of FREE resources available. Just remember to create a plan, start slowly, and follow your plan.

The Exercise Ball has become one of the most popular pieces of exercise equipment in the fitness industry. It has many names. Some people refer to it as a Stability Ball, Swiss Ball, or Physioball.

There are 3 main reasons people perform abdominal exercises on an exercise ball.

When doing abdominal exercises on the ball…
#1 Your abs work harder.
#2 There is more Range of Motion.
#3 There are greater improvements in your balance, coordination, and stability.

In studies comparing floor crunches to ball crunches, researchers found that the abdominal muscles worked harder during crunches on the ball. Some of this is due to the increased range of motion through the spine when you perform crunches on an exercise ball.

When you are lying on the floor, your spine flattens out slightly and this decreases the range of motion of the exercise. However, when you perform abdominal crunches on a ball, your hips are extended and your back is slightly extended which leads to greater range of motion and increased muscle work.

Lastly, because the ball is less stable than the floor, your abdominal muscles must also work to keep you balanced. There are additional benefits to exercising on a ball. Some people find that ab crunches on the exercise ball are more comfortable than other crunch positions, like the floor. And, some people think it’s more fun and mentally stimulating, which helps to combat exercise boredom and burn out.

It may seem intimidating at first, but it is not that difficult to master. I generally begin by teaching my personal training clients the basics, such as the drawing-in maneuver, floor crunches, and the floor plank. But as soon as they master those ab exercises, I teach them abdominal exercises on the ball.
Some of my favorite abdominal exercises with a stability ball are regular crunches, alternating oblique crunches, stability ball roll-ins, and side crunches on the stability ball.

I truly think the exercise ball is one of the best pieces of ab exercise equipment. And if you had to buy one tool to effectively work your abdominal muscles I would recommend an exercise ball.
I think buying a ball is a better investment than buying an as seen on tv ab machines. Many of the as seen on tv products over promise and under deliver, and they are all one dimensional.

An exercise ball is a versatile and inexpensive piece of equipment, and it is a tool I use often with my personal training clients. If you have never used an exercise ball, there is no time like the present to learn something new!