To avoid injuries and muscle trauma, we must proceed gradually, adapting the exercises to our training level. With practice, we can increase the intensity and make them more effective.
Who wouldn't like to have well-defined abs and a flat stomach? Although very few of us are fanatics of abdominal exercises, we know that they are important in toning and defining this “complicated” area of the body.
Here are the best exercises to do at home or in the gym, to tone your abs and have a perfect stomach.
Tone your abs with a weekly workout
The goal is to do at least three sessions a week dedicated to the abdominal, respecting a day of rest between one session and another, to allow the muscles to recover.
Otherwise, you risk "saturating" the area and not obtaining the desired effect. Among the exercises to tone the abdominal that cannot be missed we find:
1. Crunch
It is one of the best exercises for and toning the abdominal; you can run it at home without any problems as it is easy to perform.
Lie on your back, with your knees flexed.
Legs apart at the hips and soles of the feet resting on the floor.
Hands behind the neck or arms resting on the chest.
In this type of exercise, the lumbar area always remains adherent to the mat. Slightly lift your torso while exhaling and come down while inhaling.
There are several variations of this exercise, for example you can cross one leg over the other and, instead of lifting the torso forward, bring it towards the bent leg (alternating the two sides).
Perform 7 sets of 10 repetitions each.
2. Vertical scissors
In this exercise, strange as it may seem, the abs work while standing still.
Lie on your back with your legs straight.
You can place your hands under your thighs to make the exercise lighter.
Raise and lower your legs, without bending them, as if they were scissors.
In this way, you will be working more muscle groups: anterior, oblique and adductor. You will also work on the hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes.
Do 5 sets of 10 repetitions each.
3. Bicycle
This set is very simple, but it allows you to get well sculpted abs. It is also great for improving coordination.
Lie on your back, keep your legs straight and bring your hands to the nape of your neck.
Flex the right leg bringing the knee towards the abdominal; at the same time, lift your torso and bring your left elbow towards your right leg.
The left leg remains straight. The movement of the body is diagonal.
Extend the right leg and repeat the same exercise with the left leg and right elbow.
Do 4 sets of 10 repetitions each.
4. Mountain Climber
The name of this exercise means "climber" and this is precisely the movement you will need to perform. The mountain climber allows you to work more muscle groups and burn a good amount of calories (more than with other sets).
Hands and toes resting on the ground. The back is slightly curved forward.
Bring the right knee towards the chest (as in the action of climbing a mountain). Return to the starting point and use the left leg to repeat.
The idea is to alternate the flexion of the two knees as quickly as possible, without bending the arms.
For every leg, do 3 sets of 10 reps.
5. Plank
Another exercise in which the abs work while standing.
The plank is widely used in yoga and pilates and is ideal for gaining more strength in the abdominal area. The goal is to resist as long as possible in the same position.
Lie on your stomach on the mat, place your hands, forearms and toes on the floor.
Lift the body keeping it as straight as possible: the torso and legs must remain parallel to the floor).
The plank allows you to work a lot of muscles, not just your abs.
Try to resist at least a minute in this position, rest for 30 seconds and repeat the exercise for another 60 seconds.
6. Crossfit
It serves to strengthen muscle mass and at the same time improve the elasticity of the whole body.
Lie on your back, bend your legs so that the soles of the feet touch and the knees are turned outwards. Put your arms outstretched above your head.
Lift your torso and touch your toes with your hands.
Once you have acquired the movement well, you can increase the difficulty, holding a weight with both hands: it will accompany the movement from behind the head until it touches the ground beyond the feet. Do 4 sets of 15 repetitions.
7. Russian twist
It is one of the most complete abdominal sets and, therefore, it is a must in your workout routine to tone your belly.
At first, do not use weights, but later we recommend adding them (a disc, a dumbbell, a kettlebell or a bottle full of sand).
Sit down, with your legs slightly bent and your torso tilted slightly backwards.
Lift your heels off the floor and grab the weight with both hands.
Bring the weight to the right and left of the body, applying strength with the abdominal muscles.
Related article: The Top 5 Exercises For Abs
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