Crunches, plank stands, or pumping up your abs on machines are, of course, good exercises, but they are too similar. Fortunately, there is a way to diversify your workouts: if you have never thought that you can do abs while standing, then the time has come! These exercises are considered even more effective because the core muscles are not just the ones you see in the mirror. Your torso is a mass of muscle, from your 6-pack and obliques (which are on your sides below your ribs) to the muscles that stabilize and support your spine.
How to pump up your lower abs? Five effective exercises
This is a vertical version of regular crunches, which, in addition to strengthening the abdominal muscles, improves coordination. Try to raise your leg as high as possible by tensing your abdominal muscles, and stretch your arms forward.
This exercise strengthens your oblique muscles and burns belly fat. Starting position: the right leg is slightly to the side, straight arms are folded and raised above the left shoulder. One question - why? If you're a lazy ass, and you won't pump it while standing, you'll lose your conscience a couple of times, but you won't get abs. And in other positions, including standing, the abs are pumped up perfectly.
Subtleties for beginners
What kind of endurance exercises do you mean? Yes, the same ones that are always recommended for losing weight - aerobics, running, and so on. True, those whose main problem is the stomach should take into account the following features.
The abdomen pulls the lumbar spine forward, increasing its curvature, which can lead to deformation of the entire spinal column. Therefore, during any workout, watch your posture. Keep your shoulders turned and try to pull your stomach in.
In order not to increase the influence of the abdomen on the spine, start with those activities where you do not need to jump. That is, aerobics with jumping, jumping ropes and running, alas, are not for you yet. Perhaps the safest sports for you now are cycling and, of course, swimming or water aerobics. For lovers of youth pastime, roller skates are suitable. And of course, dancing! Belly dancing and all ballroom dancing perfectly tighten the stomach.
10-minute exercise for perfect abs
What is the “Lower Press”? There is a rectus abdominis muscle, consisting of 4 sections, but it is one muscle and can only be tensed as a whole. To have a flat stomach, you need to eat right and do special exercises.
So put away your ab bench and stand up against the wall. Caution: If you experience lower back pain, immediately stop the abdominal exercise and eliminate it from your workout. Bend your knees, place your hands on your waist. Jump as high as you can, spreading your arms and legs out to the sides like a star. There is another reason to master these exercises. As you inhale, lowering your left shoulder, stretch your right elbow toward the ceiling: stretch the side of your torso and abdominal muscles.
A slender waist and pronounced abs will make any figure harmonious, even if the hips are a little wide. But in addition to the fact that a beautiful abs has an aesthetic function, it is a sign of health. We are used to working out our abs while lying on the floor or on a bench. But there is a way to do it much more fun and effective!
Crunch with weights in your hands To perform this exercise, you need a weight. For balance, you will have to tense your lower and oblique abdominal muscles well. Switch legs and repeat the exercise. To complete the entire complex you only need to spend 10 minutes! This workout is much more interesting than a regular ab workout, you must agree. Give your friends the perfect instructions for getting strong abs.
Some people refuse to do abdominal exercises due to neck and back pain when doing these exercises. One of the best exercises for pumping up the abs is the simplest one – bending over.
Since most ab exercises are performed in a forward and backward motion, side bends will be especially beneficial for toning your obliques. While exhaling, you need to raise your left leg straight and try to reach your toes with your hands. As you inhale, return to the starting position. It's never too late to be beautiful, so share the abs complex with your friends and start training!
Many of you know that to achieve these goals, in addition to working out on the abs, you need to maintain proper nutrition, as well as warm up before training. How to pump up your abs while standing, you can do at any home without visiting fitness centers and gyms.
We stretch our leg to the side on our toes and raise our arms up. We repeat as in the previous exercise and now fold to the side. The abs are also a muscle, and you need to pump them the same way as all other muscles - a maximum of twenty repetitions in four sets.
Abdominal exercises while standing
The good news is that it's hard to overdo ab exercises, so be sure to do 2 or 3 variations on one day and 2 or 3 others on the next.
March in place with twists
In general, these are slow and high knee lifts while twisting your torso. At the same time, your feet are shoulder-width apart, your arms are above your head, and your torso muscles are tense. Lower your right elbow toward your left knee as you rotate, then return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side. When lifting your knee, focus on your core muscles rather than your quadriceps or obliques. Perform alternately on both sides for 60 seconds.
Wide side crunches
Legs stand wide, dumbbells in hands. Turn your toes out and lower yourself into a wide squat, squeezing your glutes, bending your knees, and keeping your hips level with your torso (don't push your pelvis back). Raise your arms as if you were catching a ball (elbows bent at 90 degrees), tighten your core and lean to the right, trying to reach your hip with your elbow. Perform 10 repetitions to the right and 10 to the left. Then alternately in both directions 20 repetitions.
Standing trunk stabilization
Feet hip-width apart, shoulders down, arms extended in front of the chest, holding a medicine ball or dumbbells. Keeping your arms straight, rotate your upper body to the right and then return to the center. Perform 10 repetitions to the right and 10 to the left. Then alternately in both directions 10 times.
Turns with the ball
Hold a medicine ball with both hands at chest level, feet hip-width apart. Lower the ball to the outside of your right foot, allowing your knees to naturally bend and your legs to rotate. Now bring the ball across your torso and over your head to the left, squeezing your core. By increasing the speed of execution, you will create additional load. Perform 10 repetitions, then switch to the other side.
Standing side bends with dumbbells
Hold a heavy dumbbell (or two regular ones) in one hand. Feet shoulder-width apart, bend your torso to the right at the waist. Tighten your core to return to an upright position. Perform to the right side for 60 seconds, then to the left for 60 seconds. Then alternately in both directions for 60 seconds. But be very careful with this standing abdominal exercise, it works the side abdominal muscles well. This may cause your waist to become wider. Therefore, in the fight for a narrow waist, it is better to abandon it.
Side bends with dumbbells overhead in a standing position
Take the same position as in the exercise above. Hold a heavy weight or two dumbbells in both hands. Keeping your weight on your straight arms, bend at the waist to the right. Tighten your core to return your torso to the starting position. Perform for 60 seconds in one direction, then in the other.
Standing lateral crunches
Feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, dumbbells in each hand, hands in catcher position. Brace your core and bring your left elbow toward your left hip as you bend at the waist and perform a side crunch. Instead of moving down behind your elbow, try to keep your arms and shoulders level and use your obliques to move your torso. Perform on the left side for 60 seconds, and then the same on the right. Then alternately on both sides for 60 seconds.
Cross touching toes
With feet wider than hip-width apart, arms spread out in a T. Brace your core, twist your torso to the left, and reach the outside of your left foot with your right hand. Perform on the left side for 60 seconds and the same on the right side. Then alternately on both sides for 60 seconds.
Single leg lunge
Standing in a low lunge (left leg bent at the knee, right leg straight behind), extend your arms above your head. Bend forward slightly so that your body weight is transferred to your left thigh. Pull your right knee toward your chest using your core muscles and lower your arms to your sides. Return your foot to the floor as quickly as possible and then repeat. Perform 20 repetitions on each side.
To make it harder: Add a twist by trying to touch your left elbow to your right knee.
Twist while sitting
Take a modified chair pose: feet hip-width apart, core tense, pelvis back, knees bent, hands behind head. Turn your upper body to the right side, reaching your left elbow towards the outside of your right knee. Don't rotate your hips to the right; make sure that the left side of your ribcage is leaning toward your hip. Turn to the other side to complete 1 rep. Perform 20 repetitions.
Lateral leg raise
Feet hip-width apart, dumbbells in hands. Brace your core, bend at the waist to the right, and simultaneously lift your right leg off the floor, keeping your arm and leg straight. Tighten your oblique muscles as if you were doing a crunch. When your leg returns down, immediately begin the second lift without putting your body weight on your right leg. Perform on the right side for 60 seconds, then do the same on the left. Then alternately on both sides for 60 seconds.
Twist standing
Feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, dumbbells in each hand in the “catch the ball” position. Rotate to the right at the waist, keeping your hips and upper body still. Then turn the other way. Watch the position of your chest and arms. Rotate from side to side for 60 seconds.
“Vacuum in the stomach” - the secret of perfect abs
In addition to exercises for the mass of the abdominal muscles, it is important to exercise those that affect the internal supporting muscles that give the stomach a flat shape. One of the best such exercises is “vacuum in the stomach.” How can you feel these muscles? Standing in front of a mirror, strain your lower abs, trying to “squeeze out” your lower abdomen.
Abs are visible only when the body fat content is less than 7%. Even if the abs are not pumped up, all the same, at 7-8% a flat, beautiful and sculpted stomach is guaranteed. During each exercise, you must definitely feel how the abs work. Without this, it is simply impossible to understand whether you are doing the exercise correctly. You can use a ball, dumbbell or water bottle! Raise your right leg, stand straight in this position and move the weight diagonally.
Lift one leg, bend it at the knee and turn it toe out. By doing these exercises every other day, you will very soon notice changes in your figure. The muscles will become stronger, the stomach will become very attractive. But the condition of the so-called lower abs is often upsetting - it seems that it is almost unyielding to stress.
Among those who are not very familiar with anatomy, there is a misconception that the upper and lower abs are different muscles. But this is a mistake. If you do targeted exercises, giving maximum load to the lower rectus abdominis muscle and burning fat, you can achieve very beautiful abs - those same six or eight packs.
If a person pumps his abs, the rectus abdominis muscle increases in size, but the bridges remain in the same place. The effect of “packages” or “cubes” arises - there can be six or eight of them. Try not to help yourself with your hands, but to tear off the pelvis only with the force of the press.
This is the most effective workout to pump up your lower abs. And the best part is that the exercise is not too difficult. In order to build great abs, it is not enough to do exercises regularly. Each exercise must be performed for 45 seconds. We are accustomed to pumping the press exclusively in a horizontal position.
More interesting:
Workout for losing belly fat (first round)
The complex for losing belly fat includes exercises that will help tighten your belly and activate the process of burning calories. You will perform various variations of standing abdominal crunches with different directions: on the lower or upper abdomen, with an emphasis on the oblique muscles. The movements are intense, supporting the launch of fat burning. For effective weight loss, we recommend training using a timer rather than the number of repetitions. However, the article describes both options.
Ready pre-workout warm-up:
- First warm-up option
- Second warm-up option
Timer lesson plan:
- 15 minute workout. Exercise scheme: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest. Do 5 exercises from the first round first, then do 5 exercises from the second round. Exercises in a round are not repeated. Rest 1-2 minutes between rounds. Ready timer 45 sec/15 sec.
- 20 minute workout. Exercise scheme: 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. First perform 5 exercises from the first round, repeat them in two circles. Then do 5 exercises from the second round, repeat them in two circles. Rest 1-2 minutes between circles and rounds. Ready timer 30 sec/10 sec.
- 30 minute workout. Exercise scheme: 40 seconds of work, 20 seconds of rest. First perform 5 exercises from the first round, repeat them in two circles. Then do 5 exercises from the second round, repeat them in two circles. Rest 1-2 minutes between circles and rounds. Ready timer 40 sec/20 sec.
- 40 minute workout. Exercise scheme: 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. First perform 5 exercises from the first round, repeat them in three circles. Then do 5 exercises from the second round, repeat them in three circles. Rest 1-2 minutes between circles and rounds. Ready timer 30 sec/10 sec.
If you train by number of repetitions, then the break between exercises will also be 10-20 seconds. Between rounds 1-2 minutes.
Walking in place with shin overlapping
What is the benefit: Warming up the body, raising the pulse to working values. The muscles from the shoulder girdle to the abs and legs are included in the work. The hips are activated, as well as the buttocks, shoulders and arms, core. A great exercise to start your workout to get you ready for intense work.
How to do it: Place yourself in a classic stance, only move your feet one and a half steps apart from each other. Stretch your arms forward at chest level. Shift your body weight to the left, bend your right leg, and spread your elbows back. Come back, repeat the movement to the right. Move at a dynamic pace.
How much to perform: 12-15 repetitions on each leg (25-30 arm raises).
Knee to stomach with arms lowered
What are the benefits: Strengthening the muscles of the abdomen and buttocks, activating energy expenditure without running or jumping. The hips, arms, shoulders and back are also loaded. This makes standing abdominal exercises effective for weight loss.
How to do it: First, just stand up and turn slightly to the side. Then step your right foot back and to the side a comfortable distance to create a high lunge. Clasp your hands with your palms and raise them above your head, tilt your body slightly forward. Pull your back leg up to your supporting thigh, lower your hands to your knee. After a full set, switch sides.
How much to do: 15-20 knee pull-ups, first on one side, then on the other.
Knee Raise and Bent Swing
What are the benefits: Accented work on the side fascicles of the abdomen, core muscles, as well as static load on the back muscles and shoulder girdle. Such bends will help to activate the reduction of the fat “circle” around the waist and reveal the definition of the abs. Movement of the hip joints and knees is beneficial.
How to do it: Stand up straight, leave your feet at a comfortable distance, then a stable position will be created. Clasp your hands behind your head, point your elbows to the sides. Lean to the left, lift your left hip and bring your elbow to your knee. Come back and repeat the tilt, but now swing your leg to the side. After a full set, switch sides.
How much to perform: 8-10 repetitions (15-20 bends), first on one side, then on the other.
Front hip raises touching the knee
What are the benefits: Rapid acceleration of heart rate, stimulation of calorie consumption and assistance with fat burning. Such intense movements will help you lose belly fat at home. Works the lower abs, back, hips, buttocks and shoulders.
How to do it: Stay in a classic stance, clasp your hands, and lift them above your head to complete the transition to the original position. At the same time, look forward and keep your body straight. Begin to alternately raise your hips forward slightly to the side and, without bending, lower your palms to your knees.
How much to do: 12-15 knee touches on each side (25-30 touches in total).
Diagonal leg swings forward with touch
What are the benefits: Development, strengthening of the abdominal muscles in its lower zone, as well as working out the oblique abdominal muscles and cardio effect. You will get rid of excess fat and volume, form a slender waist, and slightly develop muscles.
How to do it: Without changing the position of the standard stance, fold your hands at your waist. Straighten up, direct your gaze clearly forward. With your left foot, swing to the side, but in the opposite direction. Touch your foot with your right hand, for correctness do not bend your knee. Come back and repeat the swing with your right leg.
Tilts and more
There is still a popular opinion that bending down is a good way to remove belly fat. There is even a method - scatter boxes of matches on the floor and collect them, bending over each one. And so every day until the stomach is completely conquered...
In fact, bending down contributes to “removing” the stomach in a very relative way - rather, you will learn to draw in your stomach so that it does not interfere with bending over. In addition, bending primarily loads the lower back, which is already loaded by the same stomach. Therefore, we would not recommend driving it this way.
It is much more useful to strengthen the lower back muscles with extensions. For example, lie on the floor on your stomach, put your hands behind your head and lift your body up, lifting your chest off the floor if possible. The amplitude will be quite small, but in this way you will kill two birds with one stone: you will strengthen your back and help your waist become flatter. Yes Yes! The waist is not just the stomach. The muscles of the abdomen, lower back, and deep muscles of the body are responsible for its volume. And if you train them all, fat burning will go much faster.
