Sexy Abs For Summer

    Everyone wants that six pack.  You can do these ab exercises without having to buy extra equipment.  Here are 5 exercises to add to your ab routine (courtesy of Oxygen Magazine)

“Add these next five moves into your routine, and you’ll get that flat stomach in no time!

CRUNCH

Target Muscles: rectus abdominis
Synergist Muscles: obliques

Set Up: Lie supine on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your fingers lightly behind your head for support; do not pull on your head. Allow your elbows to flare out from your ears.

Action: Exhale and curl up, shortening the distance between your ribcage and your hips, lifting your head, shoulders and upper back off of the floor. Slowly lower to the start position and repeat.

Do three sets of 15 reps.

REVERSE CRUNCH

Target Muscles: rectus abdominis
Synergist Muscles: obliques, iliopsoas, sartorius

Set Up: Lie supine on the floor with your legs extended in the air directly above your hips and your hands under your hips.

Action: Initiate the movement from your lower abs and curl your hips up off the floor and slightly towards your head. Hold at the top of the movement for a second and reverse the motion slowly to the starting position and repeat.

Do three sets of 15 reps.

BICYCLE

Target Muscles: obliques
Synergist Muscles: rectus abdominis, iliopsoas

Set Up: Lie supine on the floor with your hips and knees bent to 90 degrees and your feet off the floor. Place your fingers lightly behind your head for support, do not pull on your head. Allow your elbows to flare out from your ears.

Action: Exhale and lift your right shoulder toward your left knee as your extend your right leg away from you. Repeat, alternating sides in a bicycle motion.

Do three sets of 20 reps.

V-UP

Target Muscles: rectus abdominis
Synergist Muscles: iliopsoas, obliques, sartorius

Set Up: Sit with your hands just behind your hips and your legs extended in front of you. Lean back on your hands and lift your legs off the ground about six inches, keeping them straight and together. You should be balancing on your butt.

Action: Keeping your back straight and your chin lifted, curl your knees in toward your chest. Slowly return to the start position and repeat.

Do three sets of 12 reps.

FROG CRUNCH

Target Muscles: rectus abdominis
Synergist Muscles: iliopsoas, obliques, sartorius

Set Up: Lie supine on the floor with your hands under your bum. With your legs together extend them away from you. Lift your legs, head and upper shoulders off the ground, this is your starting position.

Action: Exhale and curl up, shortening the distance between your hips and ribcages. At the same time bend your knees allowing them to separate as wide as possible but keeping the balls of your feet together and curl your right knee in towards your right shoulder and your left knee in towards your left shoulder. Hold here for a moment, return to start position and repeat.

Do three sets of 12 reps.”

     Remember that when you exercise your abs, they have a tendency to swell (similar to every other muscle).  Don’t expect to see a difference in one day.  However, the morning after your abs should have recovered and returned to a much better state.

Adria Ali