One of the main reasons you aren’t seeing the results you want in the gym could be because you aren’t training your core enough. It isn’t called “the core” for nothing. It sustains the balance and strength of the entire body.
The stronger your core is, the stronger you’ll become in all other exercises. And you’ll not only get the coveted six-pack, you’ll also see yourself becoming stronger and more muscular in every part of your body.
In this article, we present to you 7 simple movements which will give you a stable and strong midsection. Some of the exercises are done on your knees; when you eliminate the feet and legs from keeping you stable, you are forced to work your core harder, which will have a great impact on your abs.
Incorporate these movements into your training regimen and you’ll see really fast results in the form of a flatter stomach, shrinking waist, more endure and more muscle which translated into more calories and fat being burned.
Always remember to keep the abdominal muscles tight and engaged throughout the movements to get the most benefit.
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Kneeling Triceps pushback
Strong abdominals will not only keep the body stabilized and balanced while you’re doing arm exercises, the triceps will also get a workout as well.
Get down with your arms and legs on the floor and grab a dumbbell. Keep the hips over the knees and your shoulder over the wrist of the stabilizing arm. Keep your back flat and rigid and your working arm beside you at the height of your hip holding a dumbbell. This is the lowest your arm needs to go.
With your palm facing the ceiling, press the dumbbell upwards about six inches. Take it back to your hip. Do it on one side for 10 reps, then do 10 reps on the other side.
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Planks
Do a plank for 30 seconds as the second exercise. Plank is an excellent isometric exercise to correct all the imbalances we have acquired from improper body position while hunched over desks in our office, over tables, the steering wheel. Crunches may not be the best corrective exercise since they may only exacerbate our neck and back problems. A plank will force the core to support the entire body.
Lie with your face down by resting on the forearms. Press up from the floor on the toes and rest on the elbows. Keep the back rigid and flat, contract the abs while holding the body in a straight line from head to heels. Don’t let your behind sag or stick it upwards. Keep the head up and your shoulders down.
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Crab twist
Your oblique abdominals will get the greatest effect from this movement. Use the arm and the foot that are placed on the floor to help the core stabilize. If that’s too hard for you, place both hands on the floor.
Sit on the ground with the knees bent in the front, with your feet hip-width apart on the ground. Place the hands at shoulder-width apart on the ground behind you.
Lift your behind in a way that the body is in reverse tabletop position. Extend the right leg and put the left hand behind the head with your elbow out. Crunch in a diagonal direction, bringing the right knee to the left elbow. That constitutes one rep. Do 10 reps, and then do 10 reps with the opposite knee and elbow.
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Bird dog
This is a movement which is practiced a lot in Pilates and yoga and it uses the core to extend and contract the legs and arms.
Get down on the floor on your hands and knees and keep the palms flat on the floor at a shoulder-width. Relax the core in a way that the lower back and abs are in a natural position.
Brace the abs and raise the right arm and left leg until they form a straight line with your body. Hold the position for 5-10 seconds. Then go back to the starting position. Repeat the same movement with the left arm and right leg.
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Kneeling clamshell
Along with your side plank add in a movement for your inner thigh. If this movement is a bit too difficult for you, go for a regular side plank.
Lie on the side and get yourself up on the elbow with the elbow positioned under the shoulder. Bend both knees at a 45-degree angle, putting one knee on top of the other. Put the other hand on the hip.
Squeeze your lower oblique abdominal so that the torso and the hips remain lifted. Whilst keeping the feet together and your hips lifted, raise the right knee as high as you can without parting the heels away. Pause, and then go back to the starting position.
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Kneeling side kicks
This movement will really target the abs and glutes. Kneel onto your right knee and place the right hand on the Mat underneath your right shoulder. Ensure that your left knee is in line with your left foot, and your right hip is placed directly over your right knee. Place your left hand behind your head.
Keep the torso and pelvis stable. With good pace and control, kick your left leg to the side (hip height). Bring your leg forward (in front of you) with a smooth movement to complete one repetition. Move with an even speed and don’t swing the leg. After 10 of these repetitions switch the legs.
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Kneeling Overhead Press
Instead of doing the standing variation which is the most common form of this exercise, you can put a greater emphasis on your core by kneeling and making it a primary stabilizer of the movement.
Kneel on the floor, with the feet hip-width apart. Grab two dumbbells and hold them with the palms pointed outward and in front of the thighs. Bring the dumbbells up slowly until they are parallel to the shoulders.
Flip the wrists so that the palms face outwards again and press the dumbbells up, so that the arms form a straight line and the weights are positioned above the head. Bring them back slowly to the shoulders and then proceed down to the thighs.