6 exercises to work the muscles of the abdomen
Showing off strong abdominal muscles is one of the most sought-after goals in bodybuilding rooms. But this kind of training that is usually done in most cases, is not the most optimal.
The Importance of Keeping Your Abdominal Muscles Strong
The muscles of the abdomen are located in the middle of our body, so it is a musculature that is involved in most movements.
The core or abdomen is a muscle set that allows to generate control of the muscles stabilization function that in turn serves to generate the strength of the limbs function of flexion and rotation of the trunk.
Having a strong musculature will make us apply greater strength and have better muscle stability that will help prevent numerous injuries.
What muscles make up the abdomen?
The abdomen is composed of numerous muscles, organized in layers (internal, middle and external) and of different size, being the one with the greatest extension the rectus abdominis.
what are The most important muscles of the abdomen?
Rectus abdominis: it is the most extensive and strong muscle in the area. Formerly it was thought that it was the only muscle that shaped the middle area, never further from reality, since this musculature, what is now known as"the core"is a combination of numerous muscles that are placed in the form of a girdle covering the middle area of the body. The rectum of the abdomen is responsible for flexing the trunk mainly.
Transverse abdominal: this muscle is located in the deepest area, that is, in the innermost part. It is responsible for us to put the abdomen inside.
Internal oblique: the main function of it is to help the lateral inclination and rotation of the trunk. It goes from the area of the ribs to the pelvis, so it is located on the side of the trunk.
External oblique: it has a function and location very similar to the previous one. What differentiates the external oblique from the internal oblique is its location on the anatomical plane.
The external one is above the internal one, so it is a more external muscle.
6 exercises to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen
1. Iron
The iron or board is star exercise to strengthen and work the middle area of our body. It is an isometric exercise, that is, it does not require flexion movements and extension of the muscles, so the stimulus will be made through maintaining the position in a previously stipulated time.
To do it correctly follow the following indications:
- Prepare a mat or mat so as not to hurt your elbows.
- Rest your forearms on the mat and stretch your feet.
- Place the tips of your feet on the ground and generate tension to lift your hips off the ground.
- Keep your torso in an elevated, horizontal position.
- Contract the abdomen to prevent the hip from falling.
- Hold on for about 30 seconds to rest and repeat again.
A higher intensity can be added to the exercise by increasing the tension time or advancing the position of the elbows.
2. Group legs and arms
This exercise requires for its exercise a certain strength of the abdomen, in addition to some postural control and balance.
- You should place yourself sitting in the dream, we recommend you place something that can cushion so as not to hurt your tailbone.
- Elevate your legs off the ground.
- Drop back and stretch your legs.
- Group the legs and arms by bringing the torso close to the knees.
3. Scissors
The scissors for abdomen have been a very performed exercise to stimulate the lower abdomen. Although it is still used today, we know that you can not stimulate an area of the abdomen independently, so we recommend it to strengthen the area completely.
- Lie on your back on a mat.
- Place your hands under your buttock or waist, preventing it from becoming hollow in your lower back.
- Stretch your legs and perform small leg lifts alternately, just as if you were imitating the swimming kick movement.
4. Knees to the chest with fitball
To perform this exercise you will need a Pilates or Fitball ball. It is a fairly intense exercise that will test your entire core.
- Place the palms of your hands resting on the floor.
- The legs above the ball, being supported the part of the instep of the foot.
- Stretch your legs and maintain the horizontal position of your spine while activating the area where the muscles of the abdomen are located.
- Roll the ball by bending your knees and bringing them to your chest.
- Return to the starting position by stretching your legs.
This exercise can be done by resting your forearms on the floor if your wrists are not able to support the weight of your body.
5. Touch heels
Touching heels is an exercise that focuses on lateral work of the abdomen. We could say that it is the oblique muscles that receive the most stimulus.
It is a simple exercise that following the indications that we are going to leave you, you will not have any problem in performing.
- Lie down or lie on a mat.
- The knees are bent and the soles of the feet resting on the ground.
- You should contract the abdomen by slightly raising your head from the ground and bringing your chin to your chest to avoid tension in the cervical vertebrae.
- Stretch your arms on both sides of your hip.
- Bend over alternately to go touching your heels.
6. Dead bug
The dead bug is an exercise in strength that requires some body control and coordination. It is one of the healthiest and most recommended exercises to work the muscles of the abdomen, since it avoids the flexo-extension of the vertebrae, so it reduces the risk of injury.
Although, a priori, it may seem like a simple exercise, do not be fooled, it is one of the most demanding exercises for the muscles of the abdomen.
- Lie on a yoga mat or mat.
- Raise your arms by stretching them by drawing a 90-degree angle with your armpit.
- The legs are raised and the knees bent at a right angle.
- Your abdomen must remain contracted, preventing a gap between your lower back and the ground.
- Make a movement back of the arm at the same time that you stretch the opposite leg.
- Return to the starting position to repeat the same movement with the opposite limbs
If you are one of those who do not have enough coordination to work cross-functionally with the limbs, we advise you to start using a fitball to help you control the movement.
You will need to place the ball between your hands and knees to maintain tension while performing the movement.
Conclusion
The muscles of the abdomen are formed by numerous muscles that must be worked in different planes if we want to train them in an optimal and effective way. If you are one of those who always perform the same training and exercises to work the middle area of your body, we advise you to try to include in your abdomen routines the exercises that we have shown you.