Where are the abs located

Abdominal muscles - Better Health Channel

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Summary

• The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure.
• The deep abdominal muscles, together with muscles in the back, make up your 'core' muscles and help keep your body stable and balanced, and protects your spine.
• Causes of abdominal muscle strains include overstretching, overuse or a violent, poorly performed movement of the trunk.

The abdominal muscles are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body. The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure.

Consult with your doctor, physiotherapist or sports physician for proper diagnosis and treatment of abdominal muscle injuries.

Abdominal muscles explained

The four main abdominal muscle groups that combine to completely cover the internal organs include:

• transversus abdominis – the deepest muscle layer. Its main roles are to stabilise the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure
• rectus abdominis – slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. When contracting, this muscle has the characteristic bumps or bulges that are commonly called ‘the six pack’. The main function of the rectus abdominis is to move the body between the ribcage and the pelvis
• external oblique muscles – these are on each side of the rectus abdominis. The external oblique muscles allow the trunk to twist, but to the opposite side of whichever external oblique is contracting. For example, the right external oblique contracts to turn the body to the left
• internal oblique muscles – these flank the rectus abdominis and are located just inside the hipbones. They operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For example, twisting the trunk to the left requires the left side internal oblique and the right side external oblique to contract together.

Core muscles

Think of your core as a strong column that links the upper body and lower body together. Having a solid core creates a foundation for all activities. All our movements are powered by the torso – the abdominals and back work together to support the spine when we sit, stand, bend over, pick things up, exercise and more.

Your core muscles are the muscles deep within the abdominals and back, attaching to the spine or pelvis. Some of these muscles include the transversus abdominis, the muscles of the pelvic floor, and the oblique muscles.

Another muscle that is involved in moving the trunk is the multifidus. This is a deep back muscle that runs along the spine. It works together with the transversus abdominis to increase spine stability and protect against back injury or strain during movement or normal posture. Proper ‘core strengthening’ techniques, learned from a skilled allied health professional, can support the combined function of these muscle groups.

Effective abdominal exercises

When you decide to add some abdominal exercises to your exercise program, be careful about which ones you choose. A qualified fitness instructor can help you develop a safe, effective program. If you have a pre-existing injury or medical condition, consult an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist.

Incorporate exercises to train your core muscle group, rather than standard crunches that target separate muscles. Some effective abdominal muscle training methods include:

• Pilates (pronounced Pi-lah-teez) is an exercise technique traditionally used by dancers for deep-body conditioning and injury rehabilitation.
• The stability ball (or fitball, Swiss ball or exercise ball) is an extra-large, inflatable ball designed to improve balance while targeting specific muscle groups. You can use exercise balls in a variety of ways to challenge balance, stability and torso strength.

Muscle strains

You can strain your abdominal muscles from overstretching or overuse. Prevention strategies include regular stretching, warming up prior to exercise and cooling down afterwards, and keeping good form while playing sport.

Where to get help

• Your doctor
• Doctor specialising in sports medicine
• Physiotherapist
• Exercise physiologist
• ESSA Exercise & Sports Science Australia Tel. (07) 3862 4122
• Sports Doctors Australia Tel. (02) 8116 9815
• Sports Medicine Australia – Victoria Tel. (03) 9674 8777

Things to remember

• The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure.
• The deep abdominal muscles, together with muscles in the back, make up your core muscles.
• Your core muscles help keep your body stable and balanced, and protect your spine.
• Muscle strains can be prevented by regular stretching, warming up prior to exercise and cooling down afterwards, and keeping good form while playing sport.

• Cramps and stitches,Australian Institute of Sport. 
• Barr KP, Griggs M, Cadby T, 2005, Lumbar stabilization: core concepts and current literature – part 1, PubMed, US National Library of Medicine. More information here.
• Barr KP, Griggs M, Cadby T, 2007, Lumbar stabilization: a review of core concepts and current literature – part 2, PubMed, US National Library of Medicine. More information here.

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Content disclaimer

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Reviewed on: 30-06-2015

The Anatomy Of Your Abdominal Muscles

When you think of abs, what muscle do you typically think of?

This might sound like a strange question, right?

I mean, the abs are the muscle.

You go to the gym to train your abs.

But in actuality there are 4 separate muscles that contribute to your overall abdominal development.

Here is a diagram that shows where each one is located:

The 4 distinct muscles that make up your abs.

Each of these 4 muscles has a different, yet important, role to play – so you want to make sure that your workouts train all of them effectively.

Together, these muscles will impact your core stability, strength, your posture, in addition to providing many other important functions.

Let’s quickly go through each of them, one by one.

Rectus Abdominis

Rectus abdominis muscle (shaded in red)

When people generally think of a ‘six-pack’, this is the muscle that they are talking about…

The rectus abdominis is positioned between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis, and is actually made up of 8 distinct muscle bellies.

When the muscle contracts, these muscle bellies are visible, assuming low enough levels of body fat, creating that ‘six-pack’ look.

The rectus abdominis is absolutely essential for maintaining good posture, and is primarily responsible for flexing the lumber spine (the movement of a sit-up or a crunch).

This muscle can be worked out in 2 different ways: by either bringing the chest towards the pelvis (as with a crunch), or by bringing the pelvis towards the chest (as with a leg raise).

This is what people mean when they say they’re working their ‘upper’ or ‘lower’ abs.

Finally, the rectus abdominis also helps to regulate breathing, and protects your internal organs by creating intra-abdominal pressure.

External Obliques

External oblique muscles (shaded in red)

After the rectus abdominis, the obliques are probably the one other abdominal muscle that many people focus on.

However, what you may not know is that there are actually 2 distinct sets of oblique muscles: your external obliques and your internal obliques (which I’ll discuss in a second).

Your external obliques sit on either side of your rectus abdominis, and are actually the largest of your abdominal muscles.

This is the muscle that allows the trunk of your body to twist – this is controlled by the external oblique muscle on the opposite side of the direction that you’re twisting.

For instance, if you are twisting to the left, you are using your right external oblique.

The external obliques also help with your overall posture, pulling your chest downwards, and protecting your organs by creating intra-abdominal pressure (just as with the rectus abdominis).

Internal Obliques

Internal oblique muscles (shaded in red)

Now you can think of this muscle as kind of being the opposite of the external oblique.

They are located directly below the rectus abdominis, and sit just inside your hip bones.

The internal obliques are also responsible for twisting and turning, but they control the other side of the movement.

For example, when you twist to the right, you are contracting both your right internal oblique and your left external oblique at the same time.

Since they control the movement on the same side of your body, internal obliques are sometimes referred to as “same side rotators”.

Transverse Abdominis

Transverse abdominis muscle (shaded in red)

In my experience, the vast majority of people have never heard of this muscle.

I mean, you’ve probably never heard anyone at the gym saying that they are working out their transverse abdominis today…

Still, it is a very important muscle, which is integral to holding your entire abdominal structure together.

The transverse abdominis is the ‘deepest’ of your ab muscles, located underneath your rectus abdominis and obliques.

However, even though you’ll never see this muscle visually, it is incredibly important to maintaining a functionally strong core and for creating large amounts of stabilizing internal abdominal pressure.

Respect Your Core

Now, I’ve mentioned core before, but didn’t really stop to define it…

Basically, you can think of each of the abdominal muscles that we’ve discussed coming together to form your core (in addition to some muscles in your lower back, but I’ll discuss those another time).

Core strength is becoming increasingly emphasized as a fundamental component of any good fitness program.

Without a strong core, you simply don’t have the stable structure required to train the rest of the body as effectively.

Not to mention moving around properly and enjoying your life!

So, now you’re probably wondering how you should go about training each of these muscles properly.

There are a million ab exercises out there, but which ones are best in terms of effectively targeting each of these unique muscles?

Well, that is unfortunately beyond the scope of this article; however, I promise that I’ll address that question and more in my follow-up article next week.

3 Best Lower Ab Exercises

August 26, 2018 Likbez Sports and fitness

They can be made with or without equipment.

Iya Zorina

Author of Lifehacker, athlete, CCM

What is the lower press

This is the lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle. Since both the upper and lower abs are the same muscle, it is impossible to train the lower abs in isolation. In any exercise, the entire rectus abdominis muscle works on the press, however, some movements load the upper part more, and others the lower part.

A bit of theory, and you yourself will be able to distinguish which exercises load the upper press better, and which lower ones.

If you raise the chest with a fixed pelvis (twisting, folding, various body lifts), the upper press is loaded more: the amplitude of its movement is greater.

To load the lower part of the press, you need to raise the pelvis with a fixed chest. Not just legs, but the pelvis.

When lifting the legs, the press is also included in the work, but the muscles that flex the thigh experience a greater load. To properly load the press, you need to tilt the pelvis back. And it doesn't matter what position you're in.

The video below shows where the rectus abdominis muscle comes into play: when the top of the pelvis tilts back.

This is everything you need to know about lower abs training. Now let's move on to the exercises.

How to pump up the lower press

Each exercise will have several options: at first simple, then complicated. Features of technology in different versions are the same, only the details differ.

Choose 1-2 exercises that suit your difficulty and include them in your workout. The number of approaches and repetitions is selected individually. Start with three sets of 10 reps and gradually increase the number of repetitions.

1. Reverse twisting of the lying

horizontal

1 /0

Reveens on the bench

2 /0

Reverse twisting on the floor

Feedback from weights

• Lyagte on a rally or ben on the floor. In the first case, grab the edge of the bench behind your head with your hands, in the second, place your hands along the body with your palms down. You can also put a heavy object on the floor behind your head and grab it with your hands.
• Raise your knees bent until a 60-90 degree angle forms between your hips and the bench or floor. This is the starting position.
• Push your pelvis up and lift your lower back off the bench or floor.
• Slowly lower your pelvis to the bench or floor, bringing your hips back to the starting position.
• Move smoothly without jerking. Inertia makes the task easier and makes the exercise less effective.

Incline Bench

Due to the inclination, the load on the press increases. The more the slope of the bench, the more difficult it is to do.

Weighted

Grab a medicine ball between your legs and do reverse crunches on a level surface.

2. Hanging Leg Raise

On the captain's chair or boxes

The photo shows the exercise on two boxes, not on the captain's chair. If your gym does not have a simulator, you can use this option.

• Place your forearms on the arms of the captain's chair or boxes, hang, lower your shoulders.
• Pull your knees as close to your chest as possible, tilt your pelvis back. If a person stands facing you, at the extreme point of the exercise, he should see your entire ass.
• Lower your legs and repeat.
• Perform the exercise slowly and under control. Do not sway, do not jerk your legs up.

On the bar

• Grab the bar with an overhand grip. So you can hang out longer.
• Raise your legs until your thighs are parallel to the floor. This is the starting position.
• Pull your knees up to your chest. The body leans back.
• Return your legs to a right angle and repeat.

Straight Legs

In this variation, you raise your legs straight. The starting position resembles the letter L, at the extreme point the socks touch the horizontal bar.

3. Folding knife in prone position

For this movement you will need additional equipment: fitball, loops, expander tape. If there is nothing, you can use a regular office chair with wheels.

On a fitball or a chair on wheels

• Stand in a lying position with your feet on the fitball. If you are using a wheeled chair, adjust the height so that your feet are in line with your shoulders when in the prone position.
• Bend your knees and pull them towards your chest, tilt your pelvis up, round your back.
• Return legs to starting position and repeat.

In TRX loops

In TRX loops, the position of the legs is more unstable than on a fitball or chair. Therefore, the load on the press increases.

With resistance band

Hook the elastic band around the bar so that the resulting loop is at the level of your shoulders in the lying position or slightly higher. Put both feet in one loop. Try to do the exercise under control so as not to swing on the expander. Due to the instability and resistance of the expander, the exercise becomes even more difficult.

Read also 🧐

• 8 short workouts for strong abs
• How to lose belly fat
• How to lose belly fat after childbirth

Abs – abdominal muscles, exercises, workouts – Why do we need abs

Written

155 articles

The abdominal muscles are stabilizer muscles . Their functions are to maintain a stable position of the spine, pelvis and hips. In the American manner, we call the press core (from the word "core" - the essence, center, core). And this reflects the central role of the abdominal muscles in the physiology of the body.

The anatomy of the abdominal press is the same for everyone and includes 4 muscle groups :

1. Rectus muscle

Performs the function of bending the trunk forward in the lumbar region. Just about her, we say "press".

Sometimes you can hear that one exercise works on the lower press, and the other on the upper. This is fundamentally wrong. When performing exercises, the entire muscle is involved, it is impossible to strain any part of it separately.

2. External oblique

Needed for flexion of the spinal column, responsible for the ability to pull down our chest and turn the body in the opposite direction when contracting in the same direction. This is the largest, and therefore the most noticeable of the three flat muscles.

3. Internal oblique

The purpose, as in the previous one, is to turn the body. But the internal is responsible for turning in the direction on which the muscles are located.

4. Transverse muscle

Forms the deepest layer of the abdominal wall muscles. Needed to support internal organs. The press does not play a special role in the visual component.

Why press

Stress on the abdominals is needed not only to obtain aesthetic pleasure from a tightened abdomen.

• Benefits for the internal organs - during a press workout, they receive blood and oxygen in the required volumes.

• Help in losing weight. A bonus to the consumption of extra calories and muscle strengthening is a decrease in appetite. Due to the fact that the abdominal muscles are in good shape, they keep the walls of the stomach from stretching during meals and save you from overeating.

• Straight and beautiful posture. When we move or sit, the abs keep the torso in a straight upright position. If you devote time to abs workouts , then you are developing the spine well thanks to the movements of the ribs and diaphragm.

• Pumping the press is the formation of a strong muscle corset - an assistant when performing exercises for other muscle groups.

If you don't train your abs because you are afraid of losing your waist, we will dispel your fears. It is thanks to the press that the anterolateral abdominal wall and internal organs remain where they should be, and not "fall out" , creating an external flaw. In addition, a well-trained transverse abdominal muscle provides optimal intra-abdominal pressure. How to make the waist thin, even if "genetics is against", read here .

Girls should not worry about the appearance of cubes. This is really difficult to achieve if you do not have a genetic predisposition. For reference: 15% or less fat for men and 25% or less for women, you need the cubes to stand out on the stomach.

How to start training for the press

To pump up the press, it is not necessary to go to the gym, you can do it at home. Most ab exercises are performed with your own weight, so no special equipment is required. To achieve the result, you only need a mat, the desire to train and the right technique for performing exercises.

You need to practice 3-4 times a week. The duration of the workout is 15-30 minutes. Beginners need to practice less, gradually increasing load . If you have experience in fitness, training can be complicated: use weights (dumbbells), perform the exercise on an unstable support, for example, on a fitness ball or on a support with a small surface. With the support of balance, more muscles are included in the work and the press is pumped more efficiently.

The FitStars website has several ab workout programs from beginner to advanced . Classes are generally 15-25 minutes long. The question may arise - why are the workouts short? Why can't you train the press longer?

Because it is simply impossible to perform technically correct exercises for one muscle group for a long time. The technique begins to "limp", and the load is partially shifted to the shoulders, legs, back. The effectiveness of classes falls, and the wrong technique for performing exercises can lead to injury.

It is important to follow the correct execution of the exercises. Source: Pexeles

But if your workouts are short, maybe it makes sense to train every day?

Again, the answer is no. During exercise, muscle fibers get micro-tears. The healing of these microtraumas occurs only during rest - that's why you need to give the muscles time to recover. Moreover, muscles do not grow during training, as many people think, but during rest.

But no matter how advanced abs training program is, it is impossible to achieve impressive results with physical exercises alone. You can train for days, and then reduce the results to nothing by overeating cakes and fast food.

Proper nutrition for beautiful abs

The expression “abs is born in the kitchen” is not far from the truth – under a thick layer of fat it is difficult to notice even the most powerful relief. Nutrition and physical activity are two pillars of a beautiful press.

There are two types of fat in our body. Subcutaneous fat - it literally encircles the waist, and visceral (or abdominal) - fat that surrounds the internal organs. Visually, the presence of visceral fat gives a round belly. And he is much more dangerous than than hanging sides - its overabundance of only 15-20% can lead to hormonal disorders and their serious consequences.

The reasons for the formation of these two types of fat are the same - a sedentary lifestyle and overeating . This means that you need to fight them with nutrition correction and increased physical activity.

And here it is important not to make a mistake. Many, trying to achieve results faster, begin to exhaust themselves with training and sharply reduce the caloric content of the diet. But instead of a powerful press, they get a deterioration in well-being, dehydration and a decrease in muscle mass. Due to the lack of energy, the body begins to take it from the muscles, destroying the muscle fibers. And after leaving the hungry period, in case of a repeated "hunger strike", it will turn on the self-defense mechanism and begin to deposit fat, and first of all, it is on the stomach.

• Nutrition during the formation of the abdominal muscles should be balanced and varied. Amino acids are needed to build muscle tissue, and proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and other important nutrients are needed for the normal functioning of the body. The optimal ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the daily diet is 30:30:40 .

• Muscle mass grows when protein is present in food. If you only deal with fat burning, you won’t be able to pump the abdominal muscles, they simply won’t have enough building material. The diet for the press should contain animal proteins (chicken, veal, lean beef, fish) and vegetable (peas, lentils, beans) origin.

• It is necessary to reduce calorie content gradually, reducing the usual daily intake by 10-15% (due to the exclusion of fast carbohydrates and, to a lesser extent, fats). With such a smooth reduction in calorie content, the body gradually switches to burning subcutaneous fat.

A set of exercises for the press

It is important to know that the press gets a good load during almost all physical exercises: bench press, squat, pull-ups, push-ups, running, cycling, etc. In the FitStars Home Workout app, you can find effective workouts with explanations and demonstrations from cool trainers.

But before starting a training program, consult your doctor and rule out possible contraindications.

The most effective exercises for the press

1. Twist lying to the legs

One of the most popular exercises for the press. Twisting helps to work out the core muscles, achieve the desired relief and reduce the waist. It is performed on a hard surface - a floor or a bench.

We take the position: lying on the back. We bend the knee joints, resting the heels on the floor, or lift them up, bending at a right angle. We make sure that the sacrum and back do not come off the surface. Hands are at the temples. On exhalation, we raise the body to the shoulder blades and make an oncoming movement of the opposite elbow and knee alternately. On inspiration, we take the starting position.

This exercise can be made easier if you don't move your legs.

Reps: 2 sets of 15-20 reps.

2. Bicycle on the back

An effective exercise that allows you to work out the oblique and rectus abdominis muscles, accelerates metabolism and calorie consumption.

To perform it, you need to sit on a hard surface, bend your legs at the knees, slightly raise the upper part of the body, and clasp your hands at the back of your head.

We begin the movement of the legs, reminiscent of pedaling on a bicycle. Alternately, the elbows stretch to the knees - the right elbow to the left knee, the left to the right.

Reps: 3 sets of 20 reps.

3. Pulling the legs to the horizontal bar

We take the position - hanging on the bar. Slowly raise your legs so that they are parallel to the floor. The more difficult the exercise is, the higher we try to raise our legs. The arms must always remain straight. Then we slowly lower our legs to 20 degrees from the floor and, without stopping, immediately perform the next lift. We try to do the exercise without sharp, dynamic movements, straining the abdominal muscles, and not with the help of the hips.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

4. Corner

A static exercise that engages not only the abdominal muscles, but also the deep thigh muscles. During exercise, the muscles do not stretch, but experience tension, which develops strength, endurance and coordination, and contributes to weight loss.

Starting position - lying on the floor, arms and legs straightened.

Slowly raise your legs and back up, straightening your arms in front of you. We fix this position for 30 seconds.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 30 seconds.

5. Lying Lateral Twists

This exercise helps to form beautiful curves of the waist, get rid of extra pounds and improve posture by working out the oblique abdominal muscles.

Lying on the back, bend the knee joints and tilt them to the right side. Hands are placed behind the head. On exhalation, straining the stomach, raise the back so as to feel the tension of the oblique muscles, and turn it in the direction opposite to the legs. On inspiration, we take the starting position.

Reps: 3 sets of 15 reps.

6. Pivots

A basic abdominal exercise that engages the oblique, rectus, and transverse abdominal muscles.

We take a sitting position. The legs are raised and bent at the knees. The body is tilted back by 45 degrees, the hands are joined in the lock. On the exhale, we turn (twisting) together with the hands. On an inhale, return to the center position. Exhaling, repeat the exercise on the other side. Make sure that the legs and pelvis remain motionless.

Reps: 3 sets of 15-20 reps.

7. Side bends to the feet

An excellent exercise for strengthening the spine. When it is performed, the deep, external and oblique muscles of the abdomen are worked out.

Starting position lying down. The legs are bent at the knees, the chest is raised. On the exhale, we make alternate tilts of the back from side to side, stretch and try to touch the foot of the same name with a straight hand.

Number of repetitions: 3 sets of 30 seconds.

8. Leg swings (diver)

To perform the exercise, take a lying position and place your arms along the body. Without bending your legs at the knee joints, lift them 15-20 centimeters from the floor - make sure that the lumbar region remains pressed to the floor, and the socks are directed towards you. Begin to perform movements reminiscent of a diver's swimming or walking with a small amplitude.

Reps: 3 sets of 30 seconds.

9. Leg Raises

From a technical point of view, a fairly simple exercise. It is recommended as a recovery exercise after diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and abdominal cavity. Improves tone, coordination, flexibility of joints.

To perform it, lie down on the floor and stretch your arms along the body, legs together. Watch your breath - at the same time, as you exhale, raise both legs at an angle of 60 degrees to the floor and hold this position for a couple of seconds. We descend to the starting position.

Reps: 3 sets of 10 reps.

10. Side leg raise

This exercise includes core, oblique and hip muscles. It is widely used in areas such as gymnastics and Pilates. It is an excellent physical preparation for the body.

Lying on your side, remove the upper hand behind the head, and the lower one, as a support, on the floor. Slowly raise both legs without bending them. To begin with, 10 centimeters will be enough, gradually the distance can be increased. Hold in the top position for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.

Reps: 3 sets of 15 reps.

11. Elbow Plank, Straight Arms, Lateral, Dynamic

Another super effective and useful exercise, during which the muscles of the core, legs, hips and shoulders are involved.

Plank on straight arms - a classic version of the exercise

Starting position - emphasis lying on the palms. The brushes are located exactly under the shoulders. The back and legs are straight, the pelvis is twisted, the stomach does not sag. This position must be maintained for as long as possible.

Elbow plank - advanced version

Performed from a lying position, belly down. The emphasis is on the toes of the legs and arms bent at the elbows, which are located exactly under the shoulders. The back is straight, the stomach does not sag. We hold this position for as long as possible.

Side plank - load on the oblique muscles of the abdomen

To perform it, you need to stand in the classic plank, turn the body 90 degrees and raise one arm up. The second arm can remain straight or be bent at the elbow joint. You need to hold out as long as possible, then switch sides.

As a burden, you can take dumbbells, a kettlebell or any other handy weighting agent in your free hand.

Dynamic Plank

Keeps the body in good shape, and some of its varieties are an excellent fat burning exercise. It has many ways to perform: plank with leg raises, with jumps, with the transition to the elbows, with lunges and others.

Plank with leg raises back

In this exercise, the emphasis is on pumping the buttocks. We focus on the elbows and socks, tighten the buttocks and stomach. We take the right leg back (up) and lower it to its original position. We repeat the movements with the second leg.

Plank with the transition to the elbows

We accept the prone support. The back is straight, the buttocks and stomach are tightened, the gaze is directed downward. Transferring the weight to the left hand, bend the right hand at the elbow and rest the forearm on the floor, then bend the second. As you exhale, straighten one arm and transfer weight to it. Straighten the second one.

Plank reps: 3 sets of 30 seconds.

12. Climber

An excellent exercise to get rid of subcutaneous fat and tighten the abdominal muscles.

Starting position as for push-ups.

While exhaling, stretch the right knee to the elbow of the right hand. On an inhale, bring the leg back. We repeat the movements with the other leg.

Reps: 3 sets of 15 reps per leg.

You can pump the press at any time of the day, but it is important to do it 1-1.5 hours before meals or 2-2.5 hours after . And, as before any workout, you need to warm up the muscles and do a warm-up that will help avoid injury. Don't forget about quality nutrition . No workout will save you from excess weight and a flabby body if eating fatty burgers or other carbohydrates is a common thing for you.

Experience as a practical doctor - 15 years

You need to be attentive and listen to your body when doing abdominal exercises: if something bothers you, it is better to stop exercising and contact a specialist.

There are a number of contraindications for abdominal exercises:

• any hernia of the anterior abdominal wall;
• osteochondrosis and osteoporosis;
• recent abdominal surgery;
• acute diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems;
• acute disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys;
• acute thrombosis, embolism, circulatory disorders;
• bleeding;
• significant pain manifestations;
• negative ECG dynamics even in the absence of subjective sensations;
• acute infectious diseases;
• oncological diseases.

Caution should be exercised in the elderly, after fractures.

If you are aware of any problems with your body, be sure to consult your doctor before starting classes.

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