Ab Fitness Equipment
Choosing the Best Ab Equipment for You
Abs Fitness Equipment
Chances are that everyone wants rock hard, flat abs, and of course having that toned and fit “six pack” is even better than that. There’s no end to the choices when it comes to ab equipment on the market today, and of course they all promise to deliver that flat and firm belly, so if they’re all making the same promise, how can you tell which is the best choice for you?
There are a few easy things to remember when it comes to ab equipment, and if you keep these things in mind you’re sure to make the right choice.
First, be sure that you’re aware of any back problems or limitations you might have; a lot of ab equipment puts undue stress and strain on the back and if you’re not using it properly or don’t have just the right form, you could very well injure yourself. Also, how much room do you have in your home? Some pieces of ab equipment take up quite a large footprint, so you need to be aware of that. Having something that is cumbersome, in the way, and that you need to constantly step over is the first step toward getting so irritated at the equipment itself that you decide to just shove it in a closet – never to be seen again! If you have a separate room for exercise, that’s great, but if not then be aware of how much space you can really devote to this piece of machinery. After all, if you don’t have your ab equipment out and available you’re much less likely to use it regularly.
Most people do all of there Ab exercises on the floor all the time. It is much better to mix things up a bit. The Bicycle and Crunches are two of the better ab exercises that can be done standing up. You will be exercising your back and abdominal muscles when performing these exercises in an upright position. It can be a bit tricky at first maintaining your balance so hold onto something like a chair when first starting out.
Remember too that you don’t really need the most expensive and the fanciest ab equipment to get a good workout. Rollers and balls do a lot of good, as do rockers and even benches. Even a simple mat and a good Pilates tape can do wonders to work the abs, back, and entire pelvic region.
Try sitting on the edge of a strait back chain and lean back. Two different exercises you can do from this position are leg lifts and crunches. We all have equipment in our homes that can help us achieve a great abdominal workout for little or no cost. You are only limited by your imagination.
And there’s no ab equipment in the world that will do any good if you don’t use it regularly. Make an appointment to do your workout just as you would make any other appointment. You don’t need to spend all night on your ab equipment to get a flat belly and toned abs, just a few minutes on a regular basis does a tremendous amount of good. And remember to watch your diet as well; all the muscle tone in the world will be missed if it’s under a few layers of fat. A good diet, regular aerobic activity, and regular workouts on whatever ab equipment you’ve chosen are the keys to being in the best shape of your life, including having those toned and firm abdominals.
The other kind of ab exerciser is commonly known as an Electronic Muscle Stimulator (EMS), that delivers an electrical charge to make your muscles contract. John Porcari, a professor of exercise and sports science at the University of Wisconsin, tested an EMS device similar to those on the market in a study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise. After 8 weeks of using the device only, partakers had no increases in muscle size or strength.
The final analysis is this: one or two minutes of ab exercises daily won’t burn away the fat from your belly. You want to remember that by doing only ab exercises, you won’t do much when it comes to reducing your weight. Also, a study conducted and released by the American Council on Exercise also confirmed this. Read more
Strength Exercises
Develop Your Core Strength With Core Strength Exercises
Strength Exercise
There are 3 phases of Core Training. When you perform core exercises you can focus on 3 things: stability, strength, or power. Although stability, strength, and power are all related you can emphasize a certain benefit by choosing specific exercises and performing them in a specific way. Stability refers to the ability of your muscles to maintain a joint’s position, posture, and alignment. Strength refers to the ability of your muscles to move a certain amount of resistance through the full range of motion. And power refers to the ability of your muscles to move your body with speed.
Core stabilization is best developed by isometric exercises. Isometric exercises are exercises in which the core, pelvis, and spine have little to no movement. Core power is best developed when you perform exercises in a fast and explosive manner. Core strength is best developed when you move through the full range of motion in a controlled way and sometimes against resistance. In this article I want to talk about developing core strength.
Stabilization is the foundation of core training, but as soon as you master stability exercises like the drawing in maneuver and the plank, you should then focus on exercises that challenge your abdominal muscles and lower back muscles through a greater range of motion. Crunches on a ball and lower back extensions on a ball are both good core strengthening exercises.
Let’s talk about crunches. Crunches on the floor are a good exercise for developing strength, but on the floor your range of motion is limited. Because of decreased range of motion on the floor many physical therapists and personal trainers recommend doing crunches on an exercise ball. When you perform crunches on the ball, your hips and spine are slightly extended, and this gives you more range of motion. In regards to strengthening any muscle, the greater range of motion you use the greater gains in strength you will achieve.
Okay, now let’s talk about working the lower back muscles on the ball. The same issues hold true when comparing back extensions on the floor and back extensions on the ball. You have less range of motion on the floor, so you may not achieve the same improvement in strength. If you don’t have access to a ball, back extensions on the floor are still a great lower back exercise, but you can enhance the range of motion using a ball. When you think about core strength, your goal should be to develop your abdominal and lower back muscles through the greatest range of motion possible. Of course, never compromise form, and always move in the pain free range of motion.
Here’s another tip for developing core strength. If you want to maximize your strength gains, you must increase or add resistance to your core exercises once they become easy. The abdominal muscles are just like other muscles. In order to break strength plateaus, you must increase the challenge by adding resistance. You can add resistance to your core exercises in many ways. You can use dumbbells, weighted plates, cables, tubing, or ankle weights.
You can use dumbbells or weighted plates across your chest to add resistance to your crunches. In addition, you can use cables or tubing to add resistance to your crunches or perform functional moves such as standing rotations, lifts, or chops. You can even use ankle weights to add resistance to core moves that involve the legs.
Remember, that before you rush off to challenge your core muscles with resistance, you should first develop stability. Also, begin light when you start to add resistance and build up slowly. More resistance means more pressure on your muscles and joints, and more pressure can increase the risk of injury, especially if you have incorrect form or posture.
After you have developed adequate core strength, the next step is to develop your power and speed. If you participate in sports developing speed is essential to performance and injury prevention. However, if you are not an athlete, you might put less emphasis on developing power and more on stabilization and strength. Read more
