Ab’s to Die For

Today is my favorite day! Ab day! Gaining those wash board, six pack abs is not easy. They are the hardest to get, and the easiest to lose when it comes to muscles. But working them out everyday is not the way to go. They need time to rest so they are good to work out 3-4 times a week. You are actually going to damage the muscles if you work them out too frequently.

When using ab machines at the gym, if you do not use them correctly, you could be seriously hurting yourself in the long run. If you do not return to the normal position of the spine when on a machine,you may end up tightening the ab muscles to create a permanently rounded upper back. AKA: Hunchback. With this said, your go to floor crunches are not ideal. Sit ups can cause you to arch your back leading to back pain, and eventually the possibility of hunchback condition, and sit ups only work your upper abdomens. These are some exercises that reach all parts of the core and won’t cause pain…just soreness for the next 2-3 days.

Hanging Leg Raises: Hanging from an above bar, raise your legs up straight and lower back to starting position. Go as slow as you can to work all parts of the core. ( Great for lower abs!)

Pike Roll Out: Resting your pelvis on a stability ball, and two hands on the floor, form a horizontal line with your body, balancing on the ball. Raise your hips up toward the ceiling, then lower. Repeat 10 times.

Spider Plank: In push up position, stay in a plank then bring your right knee to you right elbow then back down. Alternate right and left. Repeat 10 times each side.

Again, the slower you move, the more of a workout your abs are getting. So don’t do the exercises quickly and take you sweet time, and in no time you will have abs to die for!