There is no turning back, if you have reached this article it is by your own free will or because someone who loves you very much has thought of you. Training the rectus abdominis (abdominals for mortals) is almost an obligation. The stability of our body depends on the core, so there is no greater motivation than that to start strengthening your abs.
If you are a beginner or want to resume exercising after a long season without doing more than one sit-up a day (getting out of bed), I propose a routine that can be adapted to any level and with much more fun exercises. You dare?
What should you keep in mind before starting abdominal training?
It does not matter that years ago you have endured abdominal routines, that does not make you an expert to resume training. It is important that you take into account the following tips so as not to injure yourself and not throw in the towel on the second day.
- Correct posture. Whether you are going to perform crunches, planks or any other type of abdominal exercise, it is essential that you have good posture. Look at yourself in the mirror, ask someone to correct you, or if you are fighting this battle alone, use your phone to record yourself and analyze your pose.
- Strengthen your abdomen. Neither with the arms, nor with the legs, nor with the neck. I know this is easier said than done, but you have to focus on putting all your force into just your core.
- Do the exercises no hurries.
- Don't do them every day. The rectus abdominis is a set of muscles that also need rest to strengthen and grow. Just like you wouldn't train the gluteus every day, the same thing happens with the abdomen. Start by doing it 3 days a week, leaving a rest day in between.
- do not settle and increases intensity gradually over the weeks.
- stretch. We are not going to fool you, in 24-48 hours you will have soreness, but if you want to reduce its intensity you must stretch. Stretching helps improve blood circulation and makes it easier for your muscle fibers to recover properly.
exercises for beginners
We don't all start from the same base or with the same physical condition, which is why I always prefer to recommend workouts based on time . It won't do me much good to tell you to do 15 repetitions if you can't even manage 7, or if, on the contrary, you think that's too few.
I suggest you do abdominal exercises using intervals of 20 seconds of exercise/40 seconds of rest; 30 seconds/30 seconds; or 40 seconds/20 seconds . Choose an exercise duration that you can comfortably handle for your first abdominal workout.
The exercises that I have chosen are designed to give you different ideas than crunches and prevent you from making wrong movements, such as pulling the neck.
moving iron
How about working abdomen and coordination at the same time? In case you're hating me, we're on the right track. Believe me, although it may seem like a bad idea at first, it is a much lighter version of the isometric plank.
Side plate
Adjust the side plate to your capacity. If you feel like you can't stand with your legs straight and taking your weight on one leg, do a side plank on your knees.
If you want to give it a little more intensity, you can try leaning on the palm of your hands, instead of your forearm.
Check that your hip is facing forward, do not rotate it downward or allow it to lose its straight line.
Leg lift
The first few times it will be difficult for you to lower your legs completely, it is normal. What we are looking for with this exercise is to control the movement by using the force with the abdomen, not with the arms or the neck.
I recommend that you put your hands under the gluteus to prevent you from swinging with the elevation of the legs. Don't be in a hurry to do them, the slower you do them, the more itchy!
Scaler
Simple and dynamic. You can do it slowly and marking each step or in a lighter way, touching the ground only when stretching your legs. Pay special attention that your hips are not raised, you should try to keep your back straight to exercise your core well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBZHkGT0W5Y
Perform 3 laps with 5 series each, that is:
(Example of routine with 20" of exercise and 40" of rest)
- 20” Plank with forearms supported, opening and closing legs + 40” rest
- 20» Left side plank + 40» rest
- 20» Right side plank + 40» rest
- 20» leg raise + 40» rest
- 20» climber + 1:40» rest
Yes, we finish each round with an extra minute of recovery. And don't forget to stretch!
exercise bonuses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx_UHMnQljU
Medicine ball training is one of my favorites. In this exercise you work the entire core intensely, without making boring movements. Imitating the blow that a lumberjack makes with his ax will seem fun and dynamic. It is not necessary that you use a very heavy load, try to make the impact hard against the ground and try to keep your core as strong as possible. It is important that you do not use a bouncy ball.
The Pallof Press has also become very popular in recent years. Isometric exercises become a great ally when you want to create tension in the abdomen, but without compromising your spine. You're going to notice how your obliques burn!