Working Your Abdominal Muscles

Why are your abdominal muscles so important?

Abdominal muscles are important in providing support and movement to the trunk. These muscles also provide protection to the inner abdominal organs and assists your body in breathing. Your abdominal muscles, along with your back muscles, also provides your body with posturalsupport.

How do you exercise these core muscles?

Here are three great exercises that you can do at home to strengthen your abdominal muscles, the body’s support system:

1) Abdominal Crunch

- Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, about shoulder widthapart.

- Place your hands across your chest. Push your lower back into the floor and tighten your abdominal muscles.

- Slowly curl your head and shoulders a few inches off of the floor. Pause for a few seconds andthen slowly lower your head and shoulders back to the starting position.

- Repeat until exhaustion.

2) Abdominal Twist Crunch

- Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, about shoulder widthapart.

- Place your hands across your chest. Push your lower back into the floor and tighten your abdominal muscles.

- Slowly curl your head and shoulders a few inches off of the floor toward your right knee. Pausefor a few seconds and then slowly lower your head and shoulders back to the starting position.

- Slowly curl your head and shoulders a few inches off the floor toward your left knee. Pause fora few seconds and then slowly lower your head and shoulders back to the starting position.

- Continue to alternate your crunches from right to left.

- Repeat until exhaustion.

3) Leg Raise

- Lie on your back and place your arms to the side of your body, with your plams facing down. Rest your shoulders and head on the floor and contract your abdominal muscles.

- Straighten your legs and keep them together. Lift your legs so that they are several inches off ofthe floor.

- Slowly raise your legs until they are no more than 40 degrees off of the floor.

- Pause for a few moments and then slowing lower your legs back so that they are back to beingseveral inches off of the floor.

- Repeat until exhaustion.

The Push-Up

What is a push-up, why is it so difficult to perform, and what muscle groups does it exercise?

A push-up is a plyometric exercise that involves lifting your own body weight off of the ground. It can be difficult for some, and easy for others.

If you are one who finds performing a push-up difficult, not to worry, this is normal. Do not feel frustrated or get embarrassed, your muscles are just not conditioned enough to achieve this feat.

The main muscle group used to perform this exercise is your chest. In addition to your chest; however, your shoulders and triceps are also involved in the action.

How do you perform a proper push-up at your level?
If you find doing a typical push-up difficult, try this modified version.


Modified push-ups for the beginner

1 - Lie face down on the floor, legs together and straight with your knees touching the floor.

2 - With your elbows bent, place your palms on the floor beside your shoulders, fingers pointing forward.

3 - Slowly raise your body off of the floor until your arms are straight. Keep your back and legs in a straight line. Do NOT fully extend your arms, by locking out your elbows. This could lead to injury.

Also, make sure that you tighten your abdominal muscles while you perform this exercise to help protect your lower back.

4 - Slowly lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor.

5 - Repeat steps 3 and 4 until fatigued

Once you have mastered this beginner push-up (able to do 12 or more consecutively), it is time to move onto the next level.


Push-ups for the intermediate

1 - Lie face down on the floor, legs together and straight with the balls of your feet touching the floor.

2 - With your elbows bent, place your palms on the floor beside your shoulders, fingers pointing forward.

3 - Slowly raise your body off of the floor until your arms are straight. Keep your back and legs in a straight line. Do NOT fully extend your arms, by locking out your elbows. This could lead to injury.

Also, make sure that you tighten your abdominal muscles while you perform this exercise to help protect your lower back.

4 - Slowly lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor.

5 - Repeat steps 3 and 4 until fatigued.

Once you have mastered the intermediate push-up and what a greater challenge, try this advanced version using an exercise band.


Push-ups for the advanced

1 - Place an exercise band around your upper back and below your underarms. Wrap the ends of the bands around your palms so that your hands are free to perform the push-up.

2 - Now, lie face down on the floor, legs together and straight with the balls of your feet touching the floor.

3 - With your elbows bent, place your palms on the floor beside your shoulders, fingers pointing forward.

4 - Slowly raise your body off of the floor until your arms are straight. Keep your back and legs in a straight line. Do NOT fully extend your arms, by locking out your elbows. This could lead to injury.

Also, make sure that you tighten your abdominal muscles while you perform this exercise to help protect your lower back.

5 - Slowly lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor.

6 - Repeat steps 4 and 5 until fatigued.

Other advanced push-ups can also me performed. Be creative and think of ways to make a push-up more difficult.

Triceps to toned, muscular and symmetrical arms!

You may already know that your triceps make up more of your arm than your biceps do, yet most people still decide to focus more of their attention on training their biceps and less attention on training their triceps.

As depicted in the word triceps meaning three heads, this muscule group is comprised of the long head, lateral head, and medial head.


Long Head
The most inner head, located on the back of your arm next to your back.
Lateral Head
The head located closest to the outside of the body.
Medial Head
The smallest of the three heads, located deep and between the long and lateral heads.


How do you go about training these muscles?
Well, try encorporating these exercises into your routine.

-Overhead exercises were your elbows are beside your ears.





(Overhead Tricep Extension)


-Exercises in which your upper arms are behind or beside your body, such as dips or pushdowns.





(Dips)

(Pushdowns)


-Exercises such as lying tricep extensions or close grip bench press.



(Lying Tricep Extension)

(Close-Grip Bench Press)


Always remember to vary your tricep exercises to get all three heads working. This will help you achieve the toned, muscular and symmetrical arms that you are looking for.