Abs-olutely fabulous

One of the best exercises for the transverse muscle is ‘the hover’ or ‘the plank’ as it’s also known. Lying face down, rest on your forearms and lift your body off the floor, so that you are balancing only on your forearms and tiptoes. It is important to keep your head, neck, back, bottom and hips in a straight line. If this is too difficult, lower your knees onto the floor and stay supported by your forearms. Engage your stomach muscles and hold for as long as possible. Aim to build up to one minute.

Free or assisted chin-ups and press-ups also give the transverse muscle a great workout, as do standing one-arm rows and bicep curls. By engaging your stomach during these exercises, you will be able to better balance yourself and give them a bit of a workout.

During a conventional weight training session squats, lunges, leg extensions, abductor and adductor (inner and outer thigh) work should always be done with proper posture, which means your back should be straight and your abs tightened.

If you haven’t done so already, you could try doing some stomach work on a stability ball. Most gyms and private health clubs have them, and they provide a great workout. Sit on the ball with one foot on the floor and lengthen the other leg straight out in front of you. Hold this position for five seconds and then switch legs.

Knee-ups – the move you do on the machine, where you hang vertically, supported by your forearms and pull your knees up towards you chest – will also put your abs to work. Try doing two sets of ten knee-ups. Build up to three sets as you progress, but make sure you do them slowly and carefully.

Remember to always do your tummy exercises at the end of your workout, otherwise your muscles will be too tired to properly support the rest of your body during other exercises. Stomach muscles need the same recovery time as your quads or biceps, so only target them every other day.

read more:  previous | 1 |  2 | printer friendly send to a friend