Three-Month Abdominal Exercise Program III

Here is another abdominal exercise program. Rest the muscle in between days that you work it out as a primary mover. The first day is like the Three-Month Abdominal Exercise Program I first day exercise. You can vary it, perhaps causing different muscle fibers to be used, by holding your legs crossed straight up in they air or against a wall.

Day One:

Do five sets of ten repetitions of abdominal crunches. This is the correct way to do them: Lie on the floor with about an inch or two inches of natural space between the small of your back and the floor. Put your hands behind your head. Relax your arms and shoulders. Keep your back straight. Do not curve your neck. Do not use your arms to come up. You only need to lift your upper body about 45 degrees from the floor. You will feel when you have reached your limits. Keep your elbows straight out and perpendicular to the floor. Concentrate on using your abdominal muscles. Exhale when you move up and inhale when you move down. Pretend that there is an imaginary rope from your septum (chest bone) to the ceiling pulling you up in a straight fashion.

Day Two:

Lie on the floor, allowing the slope of your back to have a natural curve. There will be a space of about an inch an a half between the small of your back and the floor. Place your arms straight along your sides, with the palms facing downward for leverage. Or you can hold onto to something like the leg of a bed with one or both arms. Lift your legs straight and close together in front of you slowly up and down. Inhale as you bring your legs up, and exhale as you bring your legs down. Do not fully relax your legs. In other words, do not release the movement until the set is done. Do five sets of ten repetitions.This exercise works your lower abdominal muscles as stabilizers. The heavier, in muscle or fat, that your legs are, the more of a workout your lower abdominal muscles will get. If you would like to make this exercise tougher, hold your legs in an isometric movement for three to ten seconds, whatever you can do, about two inches above the ground at the end of this movement. Do this only if you are an intermediate exerciser or have done this exercise for about a month.

Day Three:

Use the abdominal machine where you support yourself on your arms by holding onto handles and placing your forearms on pads. Ask a personal trainer if you cannot find this machine. This exercise works your lower abdominal muscles as stabilizers. Stabilize your upper body. Bring your legs straight up in front of you up to your waist and then bring them slowly back down without fully relaxing your legs. In other words, do not release the movement until the set is done. Inhale as you bring your legs up, and exhale as you bring your legs down. Do five sets of ten repetitions.Now do the same thing, just lift your legs on the right side for five sets of ten repetitions. This works your right oblique muscles. Then lift your legs on the left side for five sets of ten repetitions. This works your left oblique muscles. The breathing is the same: inhale when you bring your legs up and exhale when you bring your legs down.These above exercises can be done with bent knee. Do what you think brings you the best results. It tends to be tougher with straight leg. If you are a beginner, you may want to start with a bent knee.

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Disclaimer: Information on this blog is posted for information purposes, not as a substitute for professional medical advice.