|
Lower abdominal exercises for women are an important part of women's health.
While everybody talks about how wonderful it would be to have six pack abs, it
is not the only reason to make sure that you work out this part of your body.
Having strong abdominal muscles can also improve your health in other ways - for
instance, giving you better posture and reducing back strain. Most people do
some abdominal exercises - however, the lower abs are often overlooked.
By using one or two effective types of lower abdominal exercises for women,
you can make sure that this important muscle group is also getting worked out
effectively. Several of the exercises may require more equipment than you have
readily available - however, most lower abdominal exercises are easy to do at
home and do not require much extra equipment.
Effective Lower Abs Exercises For Beginners
Lying Leg Raises - Lie down on a flat bench. Raise your arms above your head
and have your hands hold the edges of the bench or (if you have one) the
hand-grip behind your head. With your legs slightly bent at the knee, raise them
all the way up to the vertical position. Pause a second and then slowly lower
them. Try not to touch the ground at the bottom. This control will keep tension
on the abdominals throughout the exercise and will therefore increase the
intensity. Repeat for your designated number of reps and sets.
Reverse Crunch - Lie face up on a flat exercise bench, raise your arms and
firmly grasp the edge of the bench above or alongside your head. With your knees
bent (and locked in this position), contract your abs and lift your hips to
bring your knees in toward your chest - hold for three seconds and lower your
hips back to the bench. Repeat for your designated number of reps and sets.
Leg Lifts Are More Advanced Exercises For Lower Abs
First of all, the hanging leg raise is one of the most effective types of abs
exercises. For this exercise, however, you're going to need a lat pull-up bar to
hang from. This bar is going to need to be high enough that you can hang from it
with your arms fully extended (with your hands shoulder width apart) for long
enough to do the exercise - without your feet touching the floor. Then, use your
abdominal muscles (you will need to focus) to move your legs up until you are
sitting in the air.
Important Notes For All Abs Exercises
• Do not over train your abs. Remember that success is always a result of
many efforts. Never train you abs if they are still very sore from a previous
workout. Mildly sore is okay.
• Keep your abs pulled in tight through each repetition to get the maximum
benefit of each rep.
• Keep your range of motion between 30-45 degrees from the floor or bench
(the horizontal position). This helps to minimize the hip-flexor area movement
and makes sure that the abs get their full workout.
• Always keep your spine, neck, head and shoulder in alignment to prevent
strains.
• When you do sit-ups and crunches, or any other exercise that requires your
hands to be behind your head, never interlock your fingers as this causes you to
pull on your head and will put your spine out of alignment – which may cause
strains to your spine.
Julia Mahler is a successful author and the publisher of
a1-weight-lifting-equipment.com. She has studied and participated in fitness
& natural nutrition for over 22 yrs. Her specialty is women's fitness and
teaching how to get six pack abs.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com |
