How can you build a strong and stable core. Which exercises are most effective for targeting all core muscles. What are the benefits of a well-developed midsection. Discover top trainers’ go-to core moves for improved balance, posture, and performance.
Understanding the Importance of Core Strength
A strong core is the foundation of overall physical fitness and well-being. It’s not just about achieving visible abs; a well-developed midsection provides numerous benefits that extend far beyond aesthetics. Let’s explore why core strength is crucial and how it impacts various aspects of our daily lives and athletic performance.
The Multi-Faceted Benefits of a Strong Core
Why is core strength so important? A robust core offers several advantages:
- Improved balance and stability
- Enhanced posture
- Reduced risk of back pain
- Increased overall strength and power
- Better performance in sports and physical activities
- Easier execution of daily tasks
When your core is strong and stable, it acts as a solid foundation for all your movements. This means that whether you’re lifting weights, playing sports, or simply going about your daily routine, a strong core makes everything easier and more efficient.
The Anatomy of the Core
To truly understand core strength, it’s essential to know which muscles comprise this vital area. The core is not just the “six-pack” muscles; it’s a complex group of muscles that work together to stabilize and move your trunk. The main muscles of the core include:
- Rectus abdominis: The “six-pack” muscles running vertically along the front of your abdomen
- Transverse abdominis: The deepest abdominal muscle, wrapping around your sides and spine
- Erector spinae: A group of muscles running along your spine, crucial for back support
- Internal and external obliques: The muscles on the sides of your abdomen, responsible for rotation and side-bending
Understanding these different muscle groups helps in designing a comprehensive core workout that targets all areas effectively.
The Versatility of Core Exercises: Beyond Traditional Sit-Ups
When most people think of core exercises, sit-ups often come to mind first. However, the world of core training is vast and diverse, offering numerous effective alternatives that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
Compound Movements for Core Strength
Is it possible to work your core without directly targeting it? Absolutely! Many compound exercises, such as deadlifts and squats, engage the core muscles significantly, even though they’re not typically categorized as core exercises. These “sneaky” core moves are excellent for developing functional strength and stability.
For example, during a squat, your core muscles work overtime to keep your spine neutral and your body balanced. Similarly, deadlifts require intense core engagement to maintain proper form and protect your lower back. By incorporating these compound movements into your routine, you’re not only building overall strength but also developing a rock-solid core.
The Beauty of Bodyweight Core Exercises
One of the great advantages of core training is that many effective exercises require no equipment at all. Bodyweight core exercises are versatile, accessible, and can be performed anywhere, making them ideal for home workouts, travel, or gym sessions. Some popular bodyweight core exercises include:
- Planks and their variations
- Russian twists
- Mountain climbers
- Bird dogs
- Superman holds
These exercises not only target your core muscles but also improve your balance, coordination, and overall body awareness.
Top Trainers’ Favorite Core Exercises: A Comprehensive List
To help you build a strong and stable core, we’ve compiled a list of 20 core exercises that top trainers swear by. These moves have been carefully selected to provide a well-rounded core workout that targets all the major muscle groups in your midsection.
- Plank variations (standard, side, reverse)
- Dead bug
- Bicycle crunches
- Russian twists
- Mountain climbers
- Bird dog
- Pallof press
- Cable woodchoppers
- Hollow body hold
- V-ups
- Ab wheel rollouts
- Hanging leg raises
- TRX fallouts
- Medicine ball slams
- Farmer’s walks
- Suitcase carries
- Turkish get-ups
- Dragon flags
- Windshield wipers
- L-sit holds
Each of these exercises offers unique benefits and challenges different aspects of your core strength. By incorporating a variety of these moves into your workout routine, you’ll ensure comprehensive core development and avoid plateaus in your progress.
Mastering the Plank: The Foundation of Core Strength
Among the myriad of core exercises, the plank stands out as a fundamental move that every fitness enthusiast should master. This seemingly simple exercise offers tremendous benefits for core strength and stability.
The Perfect Plank Technique
How can you ensure you’re performing a plank correctly? Follow these key points:
- Start in a push-up position with your forearms on the ground
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels
- Engage your core by pulling your navel towards your spine
- Squeeze your glutes and quads
- Keep your neck neutral by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot in front of your hands
- Hold this position for the desired duration, focusing on maintaining proper form throughout
Remember, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to planks. It’s better to hold a perfect plank for 30 seconds than to struggle through a poor-form plank for two minutes.
Plank Variations to Challenge Your Core
Once you’ve mastered the basic plank, you can progress to more challenging variations to keep your core workouts interesting and effective. Some popular plank variations include:
- Side planks
- Reverse planks
- Plank jacks
- Plank to downward dog
- Rocking planks
- Plank with shoulder taps
Each variation targets your core muscles from different angles, providing a more comprehensive workout and helping to prevent boredom in your routine.
Dynamic Core Exercises: Engaging Your Entire Midsection
While static holds like planks are excellent for building core strength and endurance, dynamic exercises that involve movement can take your core training to the next level. These exercises not only strengthen your core but also improve coordination, balance, and functional fitness.
The Power of Rotational Movements
Rotational exercises are crucial for developing a well-rounded core. They target your obliques and help improve your ability to generate power through rotation, which is essential for many sports and daily activities. Some effective rotational core exercises include:
- Russian twists
- Cable woodchoppers
- Medicine ball rotational throws
- Bicycle crunches
These exercises not only strengthen your core but also improve your overall athletic performance by enhancing your ability to transfer power between your upper and lower body.
Compound Movements for Core Stability
Compound exercises that require core stability are excellent for developing functional strength. These movements often mimic real-life activities and sports movements, making them highly effective for overall fitness. Some examples include:
- Turkish get-ups
- Farmer’s walks
- Suitcase carries
- Pallof press
These exercises challenge your core to maintain stability while performing other movements, closely mimicking the demands placed on your core in everyday life and athletic activities.
Advanced Core Training: Pushing Your Limits
For those who have mastered the basics and are looking to take their core strength to the next level, advanced core exercises offer new challenges and opportunities for growth. These exercises often require a high level of strength, control, and body awareness.
Gymnastic-Inspired Core Exercises
Gymnasts are renowned for their incredible core strength and control. By incorporating gymnastic-inspired exercises into your routine, you can develop similar levels of core strength and body awareness. Some advanced gymnastic-inspired core exercises include:
- L-sit holds
- Dragon flags
- Hollow body rocks
- Toes-to-bar
These exercises not only build tremendous core strength but also improve your overall body control and awareness.
Weighted Core Exercises
Adding weight to your core exercises can significantly increase the challenge and promote further strength gains. Some effective weighted core exercises include:
- Weighted Russian twists
- Cable crunches
- Weighted planks
- Hanging leg raises with ankle weights
When incorporating weighted exercises, it’s crucial to maintain proper form and progress gradually to avoid injury.
Integrating Core Work into Your Overall Fitness Routine
While dedicated core workouts are valuable, it’s also important to integrate core training into your overall fitness routine. This approach ensures that your core muscles are engaged regularly and in functional ways.
Core Activation in Compound Lifts
Many compound lifts, such as squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses, require significant core engagement. By focusing on proper core activation during these exercises, you can enhance both your core strength and your performance in these lifts. Some key points to remember:
- Brace your core before initiating the movement
- Maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise
- Focus on breathing properly, exhaling during the most challenging part of the lift
By consciously engaging your core during these exercises, you’ll develop functional core strength that translates directly to improved performance in various activities.
Incorporating Core Work into Your Warm-Up
Adding core exercises to your warm-up routine can help activate your core muscles and prepare them for the main workout. Some effective core warm-up exercises include:
- Bird dogs
- Dead bugs
- Cat-cow stretches
- Plank variations
These exercises not only warm up your core muscles but also improve your mind-muscle connection, setting the stage for a more effective workout.
The Role of Nutrition in Achieving a Strong, Visible Core
While core exercises are crucial for developing strength and definition in your midsection, nutrition plays an equally important role, especially if your goal is to achieve visible abs. A well-balanced diet that supports muscle growth and fat loss is essential for revealing the results of your hard work in the gym.
Macronutrient Balance for Core Definition
Achieving the right balance of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) is crucial for building lean muscle and reducing body fat. Here are some guidelines:
- Protein: Aim for 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight to support muscle growth and recovery
- Carbohydrates: Focus on complex carbs to fuel your workouts and support overall health
- Fats: Include healthy fats in your diet to support hormone production and overall health
Remember, individual needs may vary based on factors such as activity level, body composition goals, and overall health status.
The Importance of Hydration
Proper hydration is often overlooked but is crucial for achieving optimal core definition. Adequate water intake helps:
- Support muscle function and recovery
- Reduce water retention, which can obscure muscle definition
- Maintain overall health and well-being
Aim to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day, adjusting based on your activity level and climate.
In conclusion, developing a strong, well-defined core requires a multi-faceted approach that combines effective exercises, proper nutrition, and consistency. By incorporating a variety of core exercises into your routine, from basic planks to advanced gymnastic-inspired moves, you can build a strong and stable midsection that enhances your overall fitness and daily life. Remember to focus on quality over quantity, maintain proper form, and gradually progress to more challenging exercises as your strength improves. With dedication and the right approach, you can achieve the strong, functional core that top trainers swear by.
20 Core Exercises Top Trainers Swear By
A strong core is an invaluable asset. For starters, a strong and stable midsection can give you better balance and better posture, and it can even help reduce back pain. I find myself writing and saying this over and over again, because it’s so true: Every move you make, both in daily life and during a workout, will be easier if your core is showing up and doing its job. It really is the center of all your movement.
Your core is made up of many muscles, including your rectus abdominis (what you think of when you think “abs”), transverse abdominis (the deepest internal core muscle that wraps around your sides and spine), erector spinae (a set of muscles in your lower back), and the internal and external obliques (the muscles on the sides of your abdomen). Since various combinations of these muscles are involved in so many different exercises, you don’t have to be doing things that target one specific area, like sit-ups, to challenge these muscles. In fact, some of the best, most efficient core exercises are ones that work the entire muscle group at once. (This also helps keep the muscles balanced, which is important for improving performance and avoiding injury.)
Watch: 20-Minute HIIT Abs Focused Bodyweight Workout
Other great core exercises, like deadlifts and squats, seemingly don’t work your midsection at all—but core engagement is crucial to do them properly, which is why I like to call them “sneaky” core moves.
When it comes down to it, there are a million and one ways to work your core. So how can you decide what’s best? Or just where to even start? I asked top trainers to share their favorite core exercises, so that I could put together a list of some great ones to try. Most of them use only your bodyweight, so you can easily add them into your workout routine whether you’re at home, in a gym, or traveling.
Below, check out 20 great core moves that top trainers swear by. Demoing the moves is Amanda Wheeler, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and co-founder of Formation Strength, an online women’s training group that serves the LGBTQ community and allies.
Five Cool Core Exercises for Training Season
Perhaps the most classic plight of the modern gym climber is an inability to move their feet with ease. Whether that difficulty is defined by the challenge of maintaining foot-to-hold contact with the wall or simply moving feet from foothold to foothold without cutting, the problem is the same: core.
What is often mistaken for bad footwork is frequently the result of a weak core and not poor technique. Placing feet precisely, quietly, and smoothly allows a climber to move with maximum efficiency. This allows the climber to retain more fore-arm and finger strength that would otherwise be expended. It is for this reason that core training is so important. These are the five core workouts you need to become stronger and more controlled.
Five-minute Ground-core:
For the climber that likes to get their core training over with as quickly as possible, develop a five-minute training plan. The key with this exercise is to pick five exercises that will be completed back to back until the five minutes has elapsed. Maintain each exercise for one minute at a maximum level of intensity. Do not compromise form. If the intensity is not high enough, the five-minute core workout will not be effective.
This core workout might look like:
- V-Sit: one minute
- Plank: one minute
- Bicycles: one minute
- Swimmer kicks: one minute
- Rush and twists: one minute
The key to this exercise is that no rest is taken and that maximum effort is exuded to produce high quality versions of each exercise.
Leg-lifts:
This exercise rocks. It is difficult to over-state how useful it is and there are so few people that try to get the absolute most out of the exercise. In climbing, foot cuts necessarily require a leg-lift for the feet to return to the wall. Following this line of thinking, a climber would become significantly more controlled if they could easily execute a leg-lift.
To train this exercise, strive to produce high repetitions. Begin by finding the maximum number of reps you can produce, with good form, in a single set. Good form is defined by the maintenance of straight legs, engaged shoulders, and constant breathing. The start position is defined by engaged shoulders and legs hanging directly underneath the torso. Lift the feet, while keeping your legs straight, until they reach the bar that you are hanging from. Lower the feet back down to the original position, again maintaining straight legs.
There should not be any swing at the end of the rep, nor should swinging momentum be used to lift the feet back to the bar on the next rep. Ideally, the athlete will be able to complete five sets of 10 repetitions. If this is too challenging, try reducing the reps or try lifting your legs to an L-sit position. If this is still too challenging, try lifting your knees to your chest while hanging instead of maintaining straight legs.
Wind-shield wipers:
This exercise is exceptional for serratus muscle development. The serratus muscles allow for a high level of mobility when hanging and are very useful for movements requiring high feet.
Begin with your feet raised to the bar. While maintaining straight legs, allow your feet to drop 90 degrees to the left. Upon reaching 90 degrees, switch directions, moving past the start position until you have moved 90 degrees to the right of the starting position. This will create a wind-shield wiper like movement. Back and forth equals one repetition. Complete 10 reps per set, and five sets total. If this is too difficult, reduce repetitions or bring your legs into your chest. As with leg-lifts, shoulder engagement is required.
Dead-lifts:
Dead-lifts are probably one of the least popular climbing exercises out there. When considering core routines, climbers frequently misallocate the word “core” as a description of the abdominals. This is a mistake. A climber’s core wraps around their entire torso, and is not limited to the abdominal muscles. The dead-lift strengthens those muscle posterior to the abdominals, forcing the hips in while climbing. Keeping the hips close to the wall is crucial to climbing hard as it pushes more of the climber’s weight into their feet and takes weight of the fingers and forearms. This allows the climber to move with greater efficiency, and it increases their mobility on the wall. For climbers that particularly enjoy board climbing, like the style of climbing found on the Moon or Tension boards, this exercise is exceptional.
Roll outs:
This exercise is not exceptionally fun, but it has the benefit of strengthening your abdominals, your serratus muscles, and the iliocostalis muscles (the muscles posterior to abdominals) at the same time. This exercise is ideally done on rings elevated a few inches from the ground. Begin in a push up position with your hands on the rings. Allow your hands to push out until you reach your limit. Your limit is defined by the maximum distance that you can go out before returning to the start position. This exercise will prove exceptionally challenging at first, but, with time, will strengthen your ability to hold your feet low as your reach high when climbing on a wall. Complete three sets of five reps, focusing on form. Good form will look like balanced shoulders and a straight spine, similar to what you would expect from a perfect push-up form.
Thank you to @seblazure for featured image of @lucasuchida
Three Super Fun Ab Workouts
One sentence you aren’t likely to hear: “Those crunches were so much fun!”
In fact, you’ll rarely hear that kind of declaration with any exercise. Which is too bad, for plenty of reasons.
But we’ve found three new core exercises that are indeed fun. Yes, they work your abs. Yes, they’re effective. (Super-effective, actually.) And yes, they’re hard. Yet despite this last concession, people absolutely love them. How about you? Check out these awesome moves—and have a blast, blasting your abs.
Mountain Climber with Feet on the Wall
If you’re looking for ways to keep your ab workout challenging (and interesting!), then you must try the “mountain climber with feet against a wall.” Yes, that’s a mouthful. But this move—from fitness expert BJ Gaddour, owner of StreamFit.com—is without a doubt one of the coolest new core exercises we’ve seen in a while. It’ll fry your abs, but it also works your shoulders and glutes. So much so, that it’ll help improve your performance at all the other exercises in your workout. “There’s no better way to train the weak spots that are holding you back in every other lift,” says Gaddour.
Kettlebell Figure 8
The kettlebell figure 8 looks more like a kid’s game than it does a cutting-edge core exercise. But make no mistake: It’s a terrific way to train the muscles that stabilize your spine, says David Jack, director of TeamWorks Fitness in Acton, Massachusetts. And because you’re moving the weight in a figure-8 around your body, you work those core muscles from every angle. Plus, this exercise also challenges your thighs and shoulders, helping you build a healthier total-body.
Plank Walkup with Dumbbell Drag
This exercise is courtesy of sandbag-training expert Josh Henkin and Men’s Health adviser Rachel Cosgrove, creator of the Men’s Health Spartacus Workout Series (our legendary fat-blasting boot camp). The plank walkup with dumbbell drag is a new—and much more fun!—version of the classic plank. What makes it so novel and, more importantly, so effective? While in a plank position, it requires you to drag a dumbbell from one side of your body to another. “The plank exercise is about keeping your core perfectly stable,” says Cosgrove. “Adding the dumbbell drag means that you have to still maintain core stability while you move a load back and forth, making it an extremely challenging version of the plank.” (To make it even harder, you can use a sandbag instead of a dumbbell.)
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50 Ab Exercises to Score a Stronger Core
Photo: Ryan Kelly / Barre Harmony
The goal of ab exercises isn’t all about sculpting a six-pack or chiseling your middle. The core of every day movements comes from just that — your core. You need a solid midsection to stand upright, stay steady on your feet and twist and turn sans injury. (Though scoring flat abs is certainly a sweet bonus!)
So how do you land a stronger core? Work it from every angle and switch up your routine often. That’s where these 50 anything-but-boring abs exercises come in. They’ll skyrocket your strength and stability — and help you score that toned midsection in the meantime. Say hello to going hardcore.
RELATED: 50 Butt Exercises to Sculpt Stronger Glutes
Take Your Core Workout Beyond Crunches and Sit-Ups
Planks
When it comes to improving core stability, the plank has your back (and your front!). By working your transverse abdominis — the deep core muscles that wrap around your middle — as well as your back, shoulders and glutes (yes, you should activate your butt, too), you get a full body burn in one isometric movement. But the best thing about planks: You can continuously switch them up and make your muscles work even more. Check out these creative twists on a typical plank routine and you’ll see what we mean.
1. Spiderman Plank
Get total-body toned with this amped up plank. While performing a triceps push-up, bring your knee to the outside of your elbow, and switch sides on the next rep. Don’t drop or pike your hips through the entire move — your body should stay in a straight line from shoulders to ankles.
Photo courtesy of CorePower Yoga
2. Sphinx to Forearm Plank
A slight twist on a high-low plank move, you’ll flow from a yoga sphinx pose (similar to a baby cobra) into a forearm plank. Try to minimize movement in your hips as you go.
3. Reach Around the Clock Planks
A regular plank is tough in itself. But balancing on one arm? Talk about taking this core challenge up a notch.
GIF: Daily Burn 365
4. Army Crawl Side Planks
Take your abs workout to P.E. class and army crawl your way across the mat. Stay low in a strong forearm plank as you slither your arms and legs forward. Then finish with a side plank to target your obliques.
5. TRX Plank to Pike
Talk about tough! This pike-up plank offers a gymnastic element to build strength in your lower abs. The higher you pike, the harder the exercise…and the stronger your core.
6. Push-Up
Ask most fitness experts to break down the basics of a push-up and they’ll tell you it’s a moving plank. So learn how to master that solid, isometric position before you move onto the push-up part. When you do, you’ll build muscle in your entire upper body.
7. Side Plank with Leg Raise
Foam rollers not only loosen up your fascia, they also add a stabilization challenge to ab exercises. In this side plank variation, you’ll feel your midsection fighting to keep your body steady.
8. The Snake
A chaturanga-inspired exercise often done on a reformer, you’ll take this move to the mat. Your obliques work to bring you upright, as the rest of your core stays tight to move you through the middle.
9. Starfish
Do three moves for the work of one! This combination exercise not only targets your obliques and transverse abdominis, but also your hips and lats. A triple threat you’ll want to keep tackling.
GIF: Daily Burn 365
10. Plank Jacks to Tuck Jump
Crush a core workout while also squeezing in some cardio. This two-for-one move will rev your heart rate, as you reach new calorie-torching heights. From the jack to the jump, it’s one quick ab-strengthening routine.
11. Ab Roller
Skip the infomercial-inspired equipment and grab a towel for this “rolling” move. As you slide the towel forward on the floor, you’ll sculpt your stomach. Just don’t forget to keep your pelvis in a neutral position.
12. Giant Clam
BOSU balls work great for bettering your balance — and improving your core stability. This take on a conventional clamshell further challenges your abs, as you aim to keep your hips lifted.
13. Rotating Renegade Row
Chisel your core by mixing a push-up, row and T raise. Your midsection muscles work to keep your body in one long line, as you flow through the three-move mash-up.
14. Knee Tucks
Rowers aren’t reserved for cardio — though this will get your heart pumping. Hold a solid plank as you use your lower abs to drive both knees into your chest, without dropping or raising your hips.
Next Up: Crunches and Sit-Ups
10 Best Core Exercises for a Strong Core and Toned Abs
Include these 10 core exercises in your next ab workout to strengthen your core and tone your abs. A strong core will keep you healthy and pain-free. Sculpt your abs while strengthening your core in the same workout!
Your core is your center of gravity. A strong core allows for stronger functional movement throughout exercise and everyday life. You should constantly engage your core, whether you are doing a workout, standing in the kitchen cooking a meal, or sitting down at work.
Check out these desk-specific stretches if you’re feeling tight.
A strong core will help prevent injury and promote more efficient workouts overall.
Suffer from back or neck pain? Strengthening your core can help get rid of seemingly endless back and neck pain too. Try these exercises to loosen up your neck.
You can do these ten core exercises without equipment. Strengthen your core and tone your abs whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced. Include these core exercises in your next ab workout!
1. Hollowman
I learned this move from Jillian Michaels. This is an isometric core exercise, meaning it has no movement. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears. Keep your low back on the ground.
2. High Plank
This is my absolute favorite core exercise of all time. I do plank variations in every single workout. If I had to do one core exercise for the rest of my life, this would be it.
3. Bridge
Most people think that a bridge is for your glutes. Bridge is also a fantastic core strengthening exercise when performed correctly with your hips tucked and low abdominals engaged.
4. Superman pull
This move really targets the low back. In fact, many people suffer from low back pain because their core (including their low back) is really weak. Skip the “pull” part and just practice raising your arms and legs off of the ground if you find this core exercise too difficult.
5. V-ups
This move took me a while to master. The full V-up is pretty advanced, but you can always do the modified version as you work up to it. Once you master the V-up, you can even try holding a weighted medicine ball in your hands.
6. V-sit
See how long you can do this ab exercise move without shaking! Bend your knees if extending your legs is too difficult. Make sure that your shoulders stay down and away from your ears.
7. Plank knee crosses
Exhale and blow all the air out of your lungs as you pull that knee towards the opposite elbow. The idea is to get as close as possible can and aim for the outside of the elbow.
Mastered this core exercise? Try doing them slower for an even bigger challenge!
8. Leg raises
This move should not hurt your low back. If it does, place your hands underneath your low back for support and/or don’t drop your legs down as low. This exercise is meant to work your core and abs, not hurt them. Always listen to your body’s signals.
9. Elbow plank twists
This core exercise is the perfect addition to your next ab workout. Think of yourself like a towel that needs wringing out as you do this exercise.
10. Plank shoulder taps
As you can probably tell by now, I love planks! This plank variation is excellent for challenging your balance and core strength.
Avoid rocking your hips and body from side to side when doing the shoulder taps. The only motion that should be happening is your hand moving to the opposite shoulder.
Work at it, and you will get it!
You
should be engaging your core during every workout as well as everyday activities. Your core is your powerhouse and the key to overall fitness.
Try to incorporate these core exercises into your next ab workout. A strong core is more than sculpted abs. Luckily, you can have both when you add these core and ab exercises to your workouts.
Do you want world champion diver Tom Daley’s core strength and abs? Sample his world-class training by doing the core exercises and ab workout inspired by Tom in the video below!
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10-minute abs workout – NHS
Tone your tummy muscles with this 10-minute abs workout.
These abdominal exercises strengthen your core muscles, which are the muscles around your trunk.
Before you begin, warm up with this 6-minute warm-up routine. Afterwards, cool down with a 5-minute stretch.
Stomach crunch
Target: abdominal muscles
Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands on your thighs, across your chest or behind your ears.
Slowly curl up towards your knees until your shoulders are about 3 inches off the floor. Hold the position for a few seconds and lower down slowly. Perform 12 stomach crunches.
Tips:
- Don’t tuck your neck into your chest as you rise.
- Don’t yank your head off the floor.
Oblique crunch
Target: oblique muscles
Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Roll your knees to one side down to the floor. Place your hands across your chest or behind your ears.
Slowly curl up towards your hips until your shoulders are about 3 inches off the floor. Hold the position for a few seconds and lower down slowly. Perform 12 oblique crunches and repeat on the opposite side.
Tips:
- Don’t tuck your neck into your chest as you rise.
- Don’t yank your head off the floor.
Plank
Target: lower back and core muscles
Lie on your front propped up on your forearms and toes. Keep your legs straight and hips raised to create a straight and rigid line from head to toe.
Your shoulders should be directly above your elbows. Focus on keeping your abs contracted during the exercise. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat 8 to 10 times.
Tips:
- Don’t allow your lower back to sink during the exercise.
- You should be looking at the floor.
- For an easier version, perform the plank with your knees on the floor.
Side plank
Target: lower back and core muscles
Lie on your side propped up on an elbow. Your shoulder should be directly above your elbow. Straighten your legs and raise your hips to create a straight and rigid line from head to toe.
Keep your neck long and your shoulders down and away from your ears. Keep your abs contracted during the exercise. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat 8 to 10 times. Repeat the exercise on the other side.
Tips:
- Keep your hips forward during the exercise.
- Don’t let your lower back sink.
- For an easier version, perform the side plank with your knees on the floor.
Stomach crunch with legs raised
Target: lower abdominals
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands across your chest.
Slowly pull your knees into your chest, keeping them bent at 90 degrees, until your buttocks and tailbone come off the floor. Hold the position for a moment and lower down slowly. Perform 12 crunches.
Tips:
- Don’t tuck your neck into your chest as you rise.
- Don’t use your hands to pull your neck up.
Try these other 10-minute workouts
Page last reviewed: 18 February 2021
Next review due: 18 February 2024
The 15 Best Bodyweight Core Exercises For a Core of Steel
Your core is the focal point of everything that you do. Standing, sitting, walking, running, jumping. For every daily activity that you engage in, your core plays an important role. Surprisingly to some, even while reading this article you will use your core muscles.
What Does Core Strength Mean
Most people think of crazy six pack abs when they talk about the core. While this may be the most popular way to describe the “sexy” muscles, they are missing out on a large part of what makes up the core. Your core, is the group of muscles that helps get you through many of your daily activities. These muscles include your rectus abdominis (stomach), transverse abdominis, trapezius (shoulders), latissimus dorsi (back), obliques (external and internal), serratus anterior, diaphragm (breathing), pelvic floor, glutes, quads, hamstrings and your erector spinae (back). By training all of these muscles, which influence the foundation of your upper and lower body, all of the movement, balance, power and strength that is needed from the time you get out of bed until the time you get back will be that much easier.
Why Should I Train My Core and The Benefits:
There are superficial benefits of having a six pack, just ask fans of Ryan Reynolds, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez or Jenna Dewan. Some of us may get there, some of us won’t. However just because your washboard isn’t popping, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have a strong core. You also don’t have to be a Hollywood heartthrob or a professional athlete or a model, core training is for everyone. If you work a desk job eight hours a day or are on your feet for your entire work shift, having a well-conditioned core is important for your posture. If you do manual labor, having a strong core is key to getting through your day and bouncing back for the next day without pain.
Consider one important fact, your core is involved in basically every plane of movement, sagittal, frontal and transverse. When you focus on training your core, you are basically training your body for everyday movements. From walking down the street, getting through your workday, bending over the pick up your kids, playing sports, dancing, making sure you train your core will not only make your daily activities easier, but it will also help prevent injury and improve movement.
The Top 15 Bodyweight Core Exercises
While old school mindset may have you breaking out countless sit-ups, here are fifteen of the best bodyweight core exercises that you can add to your daily workout. For those exercises that require calisthenics equipment, check out our great selection of workout accessories.
Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are one of the toughest exercises for many people to execute properly, especially since some get it confused with a chin-up. However, when done with correct form, the pull-up works your back, arms and shoulders. Even before worrying about pulling your body up towards the bar, a “frozen pull-up” is a great place to start. By using a box or a chair to assist you, grip the pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your chin above the bar level. Aim to keep your body frozen by just hanging at that level for as long as possible (without your feet touching the box), keeping your core engaged, with your shoulders relaxed. When you feel your body start to drop, ease yourself down and repeat. For those ready for a regular pull-up, start by hanging with straight arms and legs off of the ground, pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar, slowly lower yourself until your arms are straight and repeat.
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Planks
Plank exercises are one of the simplest body weight exercises to execute, but yet can be one of the most challenging depending on the duration and the style that you are doing. With the goal of a plank being to maintain an isometric position for a period of time, your core muscles will be firing throughout the entire exercise. While there are many variations to plank exercises, the basic plank targets muscles in the back, shoulders, abdominal area and either your wrists or forearms depending on the variation you are doing.
To perform the basic plank, set yourself in pushup position with your wrists aligned with your shoulders, if you are doing a forearm plank, lie down propped up on your forearms with your elbows under your shoulders and your arms in a “L” shape. The distance between your feet will also change the challenge of holding the plank (feet together is harder than feet shoulder width apart). Imagine running a pole straight down from your head through your back, keeping your hips from sagging and your abdominal section engaged. Most people target plank exercises for between 30 seconds to over a minute and do multiple reps to complete a set.
Hanging Knee Raises
As with all of the exercises on this list, hanging knee raises target the abdominal muscle group, but also impact the hip flexors and the obliques. Hanging from a pull-up bar or a Roman Chair, which helps support your forearms and back, bring your legs from full extension into a knee tuck at 90 degrees. It is key to make sure that your legs don’t swing out of control and that your upper body stays as still as possible in order to properly execute this exercise. By changing the tempo and the rotational movement of the knee raises increases the challenge of the exercise and the muscle groups that are targeted. The hanging knee raise is a progression to other core focused exercises seen later on this list.
Crunches
There is a good chance that at some point a caveman was doing crunches trying to improve his six pack and attract the opposite sex, that’s how long they have been around. Not to be confused with sit-ups, crunches primarily direct their attention towards the abdominal section. One of the easiest exercises that are often done incorrectly, when performed wrong, crunches can actually do serious injury. Herky, jerky movements and pulling your head up with your hands can lead to discomfort in your neck and lower back.
Crunches are most effective when they are done slow and in control. A rule of thumb when doing crunches is to lay flat, keep your feet on the floor and bend your knees. Place your palms on your legs and as you sit up, slide your palms until they reach your kneecaps. As you raise up, keep your abdominal section engaged. Remember the work isn’t done here, keep the same tempo and form and muscles active when you decline in order to get full results.
Superman
Targeting your abdominal section, glutes and your lower back, Superman’s are a relatively easy isometric exercise that can be used during a warmup or cool down. Lay face down with your arms and legs fully extended. In the basic form of the Superman exercise, you will keep your arms and legs completely straight while elevating them off the floor at the same time and holding them in the air for a period of time (approx. 30 seconds). Keeping your neck in line with your spine, do not lift your head or crane your neck. There are variations to the Superman core exercise that can have the same side leg and arm tucked in with the opposite side extended. Another option is to create a wave like motion with your body, elevating up and down.
Hanging Bicycle With Bar
Targeting your lower abdominals, the hanging bicycle uses your entire body while taking pressure off of your lower back. Gripping the pull-up bar with parallel palms (for beginners, using ab straps may be helpful), extend your arms and tuck your knees to waist height (or as high as you can elevate them). While you keep your abs engaged, start to slowly pedal your legs as if you were riding a bike. The key to this exercise is to maintain a stable and balanced body, not swinging from side to side. Remember that a controlled pace will have more impact than peddling like crazy. Aim for 30 rotations (15 per leg) or 30 seconds per set.
L-Sits (with parallettes)
L-Sits may be one of the hardest core workouts on this list. One key way to make it slightly easier is with the assistance of parallettes, as you will have some elevation off of the ground. Using a neutral grip, keeping your shoulders back and down, make sure that your wrist, elbow and shoulders are aligned. Depending on your strength and skill level, there are multiple progressions to eventually performing a full L-Sit. For beginners, you can start by just elevating your upper body off of the ground, while keeping your feet on the ground and having your knees in a tucked position.
Progression then leads to pulling a single foot off the ground (switch feet), then both feet, all while in a tucked position. After comfortably accomplishing this, advance to single leg elevation with a straight leg (switch legs). Once you are successful with the single leg L-Sit with proper form, elevate both legs in a 90 degree position and hold for anywhere between 3-5 seconds and then increase time, the use of rings or without the parallettes.
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L-Hang to Inverted Hang (with gym rings)
Once you have mastered the use of rings for a L-Sit a progression is to add in an Inverted Hang. Please keep all safety factors in mind (having a spotter) when performing the inverted hang and be comfortable hanging upside-down. The key to combining the L-Hang to Inverted Hang is to make sure your body is completely stabilized. Pairing the two exercises together requires a lot of shoulder strength and mobility. Starting in your L-Hang, slowly start to pike your legs upward and lower your upper body into a full inverted hang. Release your legs back down in a slow and controlled tempo to the L-Sit position. Repeat as many times as safely possible.
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Side Plank
As with the regular plank, there are many variations to the side plank that will help strengthen your core, specifically your obliques, hips, shoulders and chest. For beginners, you can start with your knees on the ground. The basic side plank will have you rest on your forearm, with your elbow straight under your shoulder. You can advance this plank by elevating to using your hand, keeping it in line with your elbow and shoulder. Position your legs straight out, keeping a straight line running from your head, back, hips and feet.
For an more advanced plank, challenging your balance you can stack your feet, for beginners, place your feet slightly in front of one another. Keep your abs, glutes and quads active, making sure that your lower hip does not dip towards the ground. You can place your top hand on your hip or elevate it straight up in the air for more of a challenge. Hold each side plank for 30 seconds, completing 3-5 reps each side. Variations and progression include top leg lift (star plank), knee to elbow crunch and side plank dive throughs.
Russian Twists
With a focus on your obliques, abdominals, upper back and spinal erectors, the Russian Twist assists with increasing rotational movement and control of the core. This exercise can be done with the assistance of various resistance equipment such as a medicine ball or a weighted plate or simply with just your hands. As with all core exercises controlled tempo is key to performing the Russian Twist properly and effectively. Sitting back with your torso at a 45 degree angle and your knees bent with your feet elevated, slowly rotate your shoulders and tap the medicine ball/plate/hands on the floor on either side of your body. Make sure that your lower body stays grounded and does not rotate, only your upper body should move.
Front Raise With Resistance Band
Remember that not all core exercises have to directly work your abdominal section in order to help strengthen and benefit your core. With the use of a resistance band (various tension) you can work out your shoulders, back (trapezius), chest (pectorals) and abdominals all in one exercise. Step on the resistance band with your feet approximately shoulder width apart. Grab the other end of the band with both hands, palms facing down and arms shoulder width apart with the band at waist height. With your abdominals engaged and your back straight, raise the band from waist height to shoulder height. Return the band back to waist level, but do not let the band snap back, slowly lower it the same tempo it was raised. Aim for 12-20 reps depending on the tension you are using and 3 sets.
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Glute Bridge
Sometimes referred to as a Hip Bridge, this exercise primarily focuses on your glutes and hamstrings, the glute bridge is a progression towards the weighted hip thrust. Variations can easily be made with by doing single leg only, marching bridges or adding weight. With your back and shoulders flat on the ground, bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Pushing through your heels, lift your hips while keeping your upper back, shoulders and head on the floor. This is a slow movement exercise, counting for 2-4 seconds on the way up, pause for 2-4 seconds and then lower for the same count. Keep your glutes active throughout the entire exercise.
Single-Leg Abdominal Press
This exercise is a basic variation of a “Dead Bug” and is a favorite for those who may be working through back pain issues. While lying on the floor with your knees bent, activate your abdominal muscles and slowly lift one leg off the floor. Bring that knee up towards a 90 degree angle and use the same side hand to push into the knee while the knee pushes into the hand at the same time for a three count. Return the leg to the starting position and repeat with the other side. While it may not seem like much, the contrasting force will target your abdominal section while keeping your back flat on the ground.
Toe Taps
The toe taps exercise targets the abdominal section and the obliques. As with the single leg abdominal press this exercise is executed while lying flat on your back, eliminating pressure on your lumbar spine. Depending on your workout, toe taps can be a great lead in exercise to something more intense or as a cool down from a more challenging exercise. With your back flat on the ground and both knees in the air, bent at 90 degrees, engage your abdominals and slowly lower one foot to tap the floor. Return that foot to the starting position and repeat with the opposite foot. If you want to increase this exercise to a more challenging level, tap both feet simultaneously.
All of the above exercises have modifications and progressions towards more complexed workouts. It is recommended that you check with a physician before engaging in any form of strenuous exercise and a certified trainer about your form first.
Are you looking for the perfect Calisthenics equipment to start out and to train your core with your bodyweight? We at Pullup & Dip offer you various high-quality Calisthenics equipment. Go check it out now!
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90,000 12 best exercises with dumbbells at home: for men and women, video :: Health :: RBC Style
© Zing Images / gettyimages.com
author
Alexander Artamonov
January 19, 2021
Dumbbell exercises are a great way to keep your body in good shape.They help you feel better, normalize weight, improve circulation, gain muscle mass, or increase endurance.
The main advantage of dumbbells is that it is easy to work with them at home.They are inexpensive and do not take up much space. Let’s look at 12 effective exercises.
How to make your workout as effective as possible
Do three or four exercises for one muscle group, then they will receive enough load and will grow from workout to workout.
Choose one exercise for each muscle group and do a circuit workout with minimal rest. In this case, aerobic exercise will be added to the power load and the training will give a fat burning effect.
Circuit training is a great time saver. 20-30 minutes with dumbbells will replace the classic one-hour workout in the gym.
Exercises with dumbbells for arms and shoulders
It is better to load the muscles of the arms with free weights – this way they will respond better to the load. Choose a weight with which you can do 10-15 reps per set. The last three to four repetitions should be done with effort.
1. Dumbbell Curl
This is an excellent and not very difficult exercise for training your biceps.
- Take dumbbells in your hands, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Turn your palms forward, keep the body straight.
- Gently bend your arm at the elbow.
- Hold the dumbbell at the top and slowly return your arm to its original position. Repeat the exercise with the other hand.
2. Extension of the arms from behind the head
The purpose of this exercise is to work the triceps, the triceps brachii.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and straighten your arm with a dumbbell overhead.
- While inhaling, slowly bend your elbow until your forearm touches your bicep. It is important to move only the forearm: the hand must remain static.
- As you exhale, return your hand to the starting position. Perform the required number of repetitions, then repeat the exercise with the other hand.
3. Seated Dumbbell Press
This is one of the best basic bodybuilding exercises.It engages the middle and anterior deltas, as well as the muscles surrounding the shoulder girdle.
- Sit on a chair. Take dumbbells, bend your elbows and lift them above your shoulders. Expand the dumbbells so that your palms are facing forward. Spread out your chest, push your shoulders back.
- Tighten your shoulders and squeeze the dumbbells up. Move your arms strictly in a vertical plane.
- Gently lower the dumbbells to your shoulders and do the next rep.
Exercises with dumbbells on the back
Pulling movements – basic exercises for the back.These are movements towards you, as if you were pulling a doorknob.
4. One-arm row on bench
Basic exercise for the development of the broadest muscles. The trapezius muscles, biceps, forearms and posterior deltas are also involved.
- Take a dumbbell in your right hand. Stand to the right of the chair and bend over, focusing on your left arm and knee. The torso should be parallel to the floor, the back slightly arched at the lower back.
- Inhale and pull the dumbbell up towards your torso.Try to raise it as high as possible.
- Hold the dumbbell at the top for a couple of seconds. Exhale and gently lower the dumbbell.
5. Bent Over Row
Row dumbbells to the belt includes all the muscles of the back – from the lats to the trapezius and extensor. Exercise allows you to give your lats an exemplary V-shape.
- Take dumbbells. Bend your knees and bend forward parallel to the floor.
- Inhale and pull the dumbbells towards your lower abdomen. Then return to the starting position.
- Pull your elbows back along the body, pressing them against the body. Keep your legs narrower than your shoulders, then your hips will not interfere with movement.
6. Shrugs with dumbbells
Shrugs – a classic exercise for working out the trapezius muscles. They are often performed with a barbell, but they are also effective with dumbbells.
- Stand up straight with your feet slightly narrower than your shoulders.Take the dumbbells so that the palms are turned towards the body.
- Raise your shoulders as high as possible. During the lift, you can lower the chin a little, this will strengthen the trapezoid contraction.
- Pause at the top, and then smoothly return to the starting position.
Exercises with dumbbells on the chest
Pressing movements – basic exercises for the chest. Shaking our backs, we pulled the projectile towards us, but here, on the contrary, we will move the dumbbells away from us.
7. Chest Dumbbell Press
Another effective basic exercise. The main load falls on the inner part of the muscles, the upper and lower chest are also involved.
- Lie on a bench or in extreme cases on the floor, arms spread apart.
- Take a deep breath and press the dumbbells up. Straighten your arms at the top.
- Exhale and gently return your arms to their original position.
8.Pullover
Dumbbell Pullover – An exercise that works well for the muscles of the chest and back.
- Lie on a bench, bend your knees and arch your back as much as possible. Take a dumbbell in your hands and turn your elbows to the sides.
- Take a deep breath and lower the projectile behind your head. Hold at the lowest point and stretch your muscles as much as possible.
- Return to starting position.
9. Lying Dumbbell Breeding
This exercise is also called the butterfly.It develops muscles well and works out the relief.
- Lie on a bench with your feet shoulder-width apart and rest on the floor.
- Take dumbbells and lift them above your chest. Turn your palms towards each other, bend your arms slightly at the elbows.
- Extend your arms to the sides so that your elbows and shoulders are in line.
- Bring the dumbbells over your chest, contracting your chest muscles.
Press Exercises
Dumbbells give the abdominal muscles an additional load.Pick up a comfortable weight with which you can perform 20-40 reps in one set.
10. Standing crunches
Standing crunches are a great exercise for beginners. It is easy to perform without sports training.
- Take dumbbells with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Straighten your elbows and slowly turn to the left. The legs remain in place.
- Return to starting position. Turn right. Do 20-30 reps.
11. Raising the legs from a prone position
This is an effective lower abdominal exercise. The dumbbell in this case serves as a stabilizer that helps maintain balance.
- Lie on the floor, grab a dumbbell and straighten your arms.
- Raise your legs and touch them to the dumbbell. Try not to bend your knees.
- Exhale and return to the starting position.
12.”Russian Twist”
Effective exercises for working out the oblique muscles of the abdomen. It involves both the internal and external oblique muscles.
- Sit on the floor with a dumbbell in your hands. Lift your heels off the floor and bring your knees up to a 60-degree angle.
- Perform crunches, touching the floor dumbbells, alternately on the right and left sides.
A set of exercises with dumbbells – video
An example of a good 20 minute complex for men:
30-minute set of exercises for women:
Ask an Expert
Ilya Alekhin, director of the “Gym” direction of the chain of fitness clubs World Class
Which dumbbells are best for exercising at home?
For home, type-setting dumbbells with the ability to adjust the weight are suitable, since depending on the exercise and your training, different weights are needed.Now there are many options for dumbbells with a wide range of weight adjustment. Another option is to purchase three to four pairs of fixed weight dumbbells.
Is it possible to lose weight by exercising at home with dumbbells? How to do it?
You can lose weight. It is important to remember the main rule of losing weight – to maintain a deficit of 200-300 calories in relation to energy consumption. In training, you need to use more multi-joint movements, in which as many muscles are involved as possible. You should do a lot of repetitions, about 15-20, and use a circular training method, performing all the exercises in sequence.
What are the intervals between sets and exercises?
If the goal is to lose weight, then between approaches you should take the minimum break necessary to move on to the next exercise. Rest can last up to five minutes between laps. You can make it active, for example, using a rope.
If the goal is to strengthen the muscles, rest for at least two minutes until breathing is restored. The amount of weight in this case should be higher, the number of repetitions is less, 6-12 repetitions in the approach.
How often should you exercise?
It is recommended to train two to four times a week. You need to listen to your body and not overload it.
What to look for when choosing exercises for men and women?
It is necessary to pay attention to contraindications. If you have problems with the spine, you should not do exercises with weights (both standing and sitting), this can aggravate the situation.
If you have pressure problems, avoid straining, static exercise, overhead raising, bending over, or raising your legs.
In general, always start with minimal weights, learn the correct form for performing the exercise, and only then gradually increase the weight of the weights.
90,000 TOP-5 EXERCISES FOR BUTTERS IN THE GYM
Elastic and trained buttocks are not only a tribute to fashion, but also a guarantee of strong hip and knee joints, as well as beautiful posture.
Surprised? Explaining:
- The muscles of the thighs and the gluteus maximus are more than half of the muscle mass of a person.
- Developed buttocks maintain the balance of the body in an upright position. They also control the direction of movement of the hip and fix the femur in the acetabulum. Thus, they prevent the displacement of the bone – and this is the most common cause of pain in the hip joint.
- The trained gluteus muscle contributes to the correct positioning of the knees while walking, squatting, jumping.
Without strength exercises, pumping up the buttocks is a very difficult and long task. It is much more effective to develop the gluteal muscles with the help of simulators in fitness clubs. The set of simulators available there allows you to exert a load on individual muscle groups and speeds up the process several times compared to exercising at home.
We have prepared for you an effective complex for training the buttocks. But first, a few notes:
- Do not perform this complex immediately after the start of training in the gym.First you need to conduct at least a few general strengthening activities.
- Before performing, it is recommended to work on cardiovascular equipment (ellipsoid, treadmill, etc.) for 5-10 minutes and do a joint warm-up.
- Rest between sets should be 1-2 minutes. But you need to focus primarily on well-being: exercises are energy-intensive, so you should not rush.
- Use the pyramid principle in the selection of weights: with each new approach, increase the weight and decrease the number of repetitions.
- Calculate the load based on your own capabilities and condition. It will not be superfluous to ask the trainer for help. ⠀
⠀ Go to the complex itself:
- Smith Bar Squat.
The exercise is similar to squats with a barbell, but in contrast to them, the stabilizing muscles “turn off” during the execution, and the main load falls on the gluteus maximus, gluteus maximus, and gluteus maximus muscle.The bar moves along the same trajectory: down and up, it is impossible to shift or drop it, so the technique is more correct, and the load is more targeted.
- Squat – scissor position in the cart.
This exercise uses the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and quads. Pay attention to the position of the legs, namely the width.The further the hind leg is, the greater the load on the back of the thigh and gluteal muscles. Put your leg closer – the quads are more involved in the work. These squats are best done either at the beginning or in the middle of a workout, when there is still enough strength.
- One-leg alternate row.
Torso bends – the front leg is slightly bent at the knee joint.Deflection in the lower back. When the dumbbells move down, we move the pelvis as far back as possible, we transfer the body weight to the heel. The back leg only helps to maintain balance. In the upper position, we do not fully straighten, we leave the muscles tense. All movements are smooth, control the work of the muscles.
- Breeding in the simulator.
Exercise to strengthen the outer thigh and buttocks.
There are several nuances in this exercise:
- The thighs must be firmly pressed against the cushions of the machine, otherwise the quadriceps will be loaded.
- At the point of maximum dilution, you need to make a short pause and fix the position of the legs. This will increase the effectiveness of the contraction of the abductor muscles of the thigh.
- Press your back firmly against the machine and grasp the handrails at your sides with your hands.
- Do not bring the hips fully together, keep a small gap and from this position do the next rep.
- Tempo is a very important element in this exercise. All movements must be performed slowly, without jerking.
- Abduct the hip so that movement is felt only in the hip joint. Eliminate knee and ankle involvement.
- Hyperextension.
We go down as low as possible, do not bend when going back.The exercise is performed slowly and smoothly, without jerking. Do the lift with the force of the buttocks, not the lower back, keep them in constant tension.
90,000 Effective exercises for weight loss top 10
Photo: Depositphotos.com
At any time of the year, you want to look stunning.This can be achieved with the help of the ten most “fat burning” exercises we have selected.
Contents:
- Squats
- Plank
- Rope
- Crunches
- Plie
- Front lunges
- Raising the pelvis
- Push-ups
- Side bridge
- Reverse push-ups
Everyone is looking for life-saving diets on the Internet to get rid of the extra pounds that have accumulated during quarantine.Keeping track of nutrition is an important matter in the process of losing weight. But do not forget that you need to spend calories in sports. Otherwise, everything lost due to the fact that you “closed your mouth” will return very soon, and even with a vengeance. And it is also worth considering that drastic weight loss has a very bad effect on the condition of the skin and muscles – the body becomes flabby and looks unaesthetic.
To say goodbye to extra pounds, if not forever, then for a long time, you should pay great attention to physical exercise.”KP in Ukraine” has collected the top 10 exercises for weight loss, which will give an effect in your work on extra pounds in a short period of time. And the illustrations will help you understand which muscle group you are working on when performing a particular exercise. We gather the will into a fist and start!
Squats
Squats effectively pump your hips and glutes. It is important to make sure that your heels do not lift off the floor and that your knees do not extend beyond your toes. You can also complicate the task by making a jump after each squat.You need to do it every other day, three approaches 25 times.
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Plank
It is considered one of the most effective full body exercises. Strengthens the abs, back, buttocks and legs, and also helps to get rid of body fat.In order to start it, take the “prone position”. Inhale and exhale, then lift your torso, resting your elbows and toes. During the exercise, the buttocks and abs should be as tense as possible, and there should be no deflections on the back. Standing time in the plan is 2-3 minutes.
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Rope
Regular jumping rope is a great exercise for fast weight loss. You need to start with 1-2 minutes and gradually increase to 10 minutes. Jumping can help you lose weight and also engage the muscles in your arms, legs, back, and abdomen.
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Crunches
They will help to make the waist beautiful and slender. Lie on your back and bend your knees. Lift your upper body up, keeping your middle and lower back flat on the floor in parallel. Hands are at the temples. The rise should be due to the abdominal muscles. On the rise – a deep exhalation, inhalation – in the lower position. Do three sets of 30 times three times a week.
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Plie
Squats with legs wide apart. Pumps the buttocks and internal muscles of the thighs. During the exercise, you need to spread your knees wide and make sure that the body does not fall over: as if the whole body is squeezed between two planes and moves strictly up and down.
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Forward lunges
Effective leg slimming exercise. When squatting, it is important that the thigh, which protrudes forward, is parallel to the floor, and a right angle forms at the knees.
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Pelvis lift
Helps shape a beautiful and strong buttocks. This exercise is also known as the glute bridge.
Lie on your back. Stretch your arms along the body.The palms are pressed to the floor, palms down. The legs are bent and pulled as close to the buttocks as possible. Feet and knees – hip-width apart. Lift your pelvis up so that the body forms a straight line with the hips. Make sure that the emphasis is on the heels. Once you reach the top of your movement, tense your glutes as much as possible. Maintain this position for 2-5 seconds. It is important that during the entire exercise the load falls on the buttocks. In the latter case, you are clearly doing something wrong.
Lower yourself down slowly for 1-2 breaths, avoiding jerks and sudden movements. Try not to touch the floor with your buttocks. Do 2-3 sets of 15 times.
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Push-ups
The most relevant exercise for weight loss of hands.Many muscles are involved, benefiting the arms as well as other parts of the body. Beginners can do the exercise from a wall. You should try to press your elbows against the body. It is necessary to carry out, resting on the back on a stable surface with your hands. Performing push-ups, hands need to be brought as close as possible.
You can do push-ups from your knees.
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Side bridge
Straining the muscles of the abdomen and back, tear the pelvis off the floor, bringing the body in line with the legs, rest your forearm on the floor directly opposite the shoulder. Hold this position for 15-60 seconds (as long as you can!) And repeat for the other side. Contract your abdominal muscles and glutes to keep your core perfectly straight.
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Reverse push-ups
Great exercise for pumping triceps and to remove fat from the armpits. To complete it, you need two benches. We install them parallel to each other. The distance between the benches should be equal to the outstretched legs. Turn our back to one of the benches and place our palms on its edge shoulder-width apart. We hold onto the edge of the bench with our palms. We put our legs on the edge of another bench and perform push-ups, bending our elbows to a right angle.
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A beautiful flat belly is every woman’s dream.
It is not easy to get a beautiful pumped-up belly: you have to work long and hard to “create” it.”KP in Ukraine” has collected 10 of the most effective ab exercises that will help keep your belly in perfect shape.
90,000 5 exercises to run faster 9,0001
Any runner, amateur or professional, can run faster. This takes time and effort. We need regular running workouts, as well as exercises that will help increase the level in sports, develop endurance, and strength. Further in the article – how to learn to run fast: 5 effective sets of exercises and useful tips from experienced runners.
Top 5 sets of exercises for acceleration
Classes to improve speed indicators should be carried out before each run, at least 3 times a week. And very soon they will give their results – you will start to run much faster. But keep in mind that they need to be done correctly – only in this way the necessary muscle groups will be worked out and the ligaments and bones will not be damaged. Athletic running shoes can help you with productive exercise.
So, TOP-5 complexes of exercises recommended by sports coaches:
1.Running in place, pumps the iliopsoas, quadriceps, calf muscles, the anterior and posterior femoral surfaces, and abs. Determine the number of repetitions yourself – focus on your own training:
With knee up. Keep your heels off the floor while performing, using only your toes. Raise your knees as high as possible while running. Be sure to take turns accelerating and decelerating. The back should be as straight as possible, the abdomen should be pulled in.A variation of this task: while running, lean your hands on a barrier, for example, on a wall.
Heels to buttocks. As you run, reach with your heels to your buttocks, ideally touch. Keep your posture straight and your abdominal muscles tense. Move your arms as you would during a regular run. This will help you place your foot correctly.
Jumping. Pushing hard, jump from foot to foot. Hands at this time move arbitrarily.This method improves repulsion.
Lying. Place your feet perpendicular to the floor, then start a running motion. In the process, slow down and speed up.
With a jump. Two options: 1st – each touch of the floor is accompanied by an active push-off upward with a swing of the bent leg and a jump. 2nd – rise to the dais from different legs alternately.
With stop.Put your hands on the wall and run vigorously. It is important that the supporting leg is flush with the body.
Jumping. Jumping strengthens the calf, lumbar, thigh muscles, buttocks. They need to be performed in 3-4 approaches. Determine the number, focusing on your strength and physical fitness:
With a change in the position of the legs. The starting position is one foot in front.Bouncing quickly, change the position of your legs. The exercise should be performed on socks, with a straight posture. In this case, the knee joints tend upwards, but move forward. This type improves the alternation of legs, the technique of hip extension / hip extension.
On straight legs. Starting position – legs slightly apart. Jump pushing hard. Keep your legs and back straight and your belly toned.
Half squat.After half-landing, jump out as high as possible. Land in the same position you jumped out of. Variation of the task: jumping on one leg from a half-squat, the other leg tucked in.
On a rope. Start by jumping on both feet. You don’t need to jump too high. Increase your pace gradually. If possible, complicate the task: while jumping rope, change your leg. This will follow the pace set by the rope itself. The exercise works great for endurance, it helps to develop the correct running rhythm.
To the dais. Can be on a bench or step. Starting position: lean your bent leg on a dais, your leg on the floor should be straight. Straightening the bent knee, jump up and, going down, change the position of your legs.
Down – Up. Jump down from a dais with a height of 80-100 cm and, after pushing off, immediately jump to the same height located nearby.And in the opposite direction.
2. Squats.
Helps to strengthen all muscle groups on the legs, buttocks, develop good coordination and balance. From a standing position, slowly squat until you feel tension in all muscles. The knees should be strictly above the feet, do not over-push them. Repeat as many times as necessary until moderate fatigue. Another effective exercise is to lean forward while holding the extra weight with your hands.When bending over, lift and put one leg back. Sit down on the support. Lower the load as low as possible below the knee, lift it up, stand up. Reps for each leg – 10-12.
3. Rises and rolls.
Work to strengthen the calf, tibial muscles, ankle joints. Must be done before running, not necessarily sprint, on an ongoing basis. The starting position of the classic “spring”: feet shoulder-width apart, hands on the belt. On exhalation – lifting to half-fingers with the creation of tension in the calves, on inhalation – return to the “start”.A variation of the “spring”: one leg is on the floor, the other is on a dais. The lifts are the same as in the classic exercise. Rolling from toe to heel and back can be performed without support or with support on the back of a chair. Exercises for the torso. They pump the muscles and tendons of the torso, which are activated during running. The most effective one-legged plank and pelvic bridge. The plank is performed as follows: lie on your stomach on a hard, flat surface, rise on your elbows at an angle of 90 ° and toes. Keep your body straight, parallel to the floor, without tipping over to the side.The longer the better. Execution of the bridge: lie on your side on a solid base, resting your elbow and leg, which are below, raise the second leg as high as possible, hold for 10-15 seconds and lower it. Repeat on the other side. All exercises can be done at home. No special equipment is needed for this: only the desire and time of the athlete, as well as the accuracy of execution. The efficiency of pumping muscles and the result of efforts directly depend on it.
How to increase your running speed even more: tips
Experienced athletes know how to run fast and not get tired.Take note of the tips from them: Warming up before jogging is a must: swinging your arms, rotating your body, lunging with your legs, walking in place. Yoga practice stretches all muscles and tendons well, increases joint flexibility, relieves tension, and improves coordination of movements. The most useful asanas are: Goddess Pose improves ventilation of the lungs, Child and Happy Child pose stretches the muscles of the back, Side plank strengthens the back, arms and abs, Mountain pose forms the correct posture. To recover from running and oxygenate the body, use the Sun Salutation complex.Persistent, regular training is the key to achieving high performance. Don’t skip workouts for no good reason. Try to run in a group or at least with someone else. The excellent performance of those running alongside will inspire and motivate. The diet should contain a variety of vegetables, fruits and lean proteins. Eat less sugar in any form. Before the races, you need to eat some healthy carbohydrates. Whole grains are great. Adequate sleep is essential for the human body to fully recover all muscle groups.A good rest is a guarantee of good health. Practice brisk walking in a relaxed state in your daily life. This removes the squeeze while running. Take care of your shoes: Your sneakers should be running shoes and fit perfectly on your feet. Don’t skimp on the running pair, it is your closest ally. Feel free to move your arms vigorously and sweepingly while running.
When thinking about what exercises will help you speed up, do not forget about the “spirit” of running. It is sometimes more important than any training.First, praise yourself for your accomplishments and spend less time digging yourself. Secondly, periodically change the place of training – this removes the feeling of routine and encourages. Third, run with your opponent or set goals for yourself to reach. Fourth, believe in yourself and success is guaranteed.
Constantly worrying about how to run fast and how to get to the max can cause you to overdo it. And that will set you back a few steps.Take your time, follow the recommendations of experienced athletes, do everything with persistent pedantry and you will succeed. And don’t forget about the right running shoes – Asics, Adidas, Mizuno and more!
90,000 7 Most Effective Home Exercises
Opinion
Iya Kiseleva
Author
Learn how to properly pump your abs at home for quick results. Build up your abdominal muscles with just 7 effective exercises.Pumping technique and training complex for 30 days.
Contents:
Contrary to popular belief, this concept does not exist in anatomy. The press is a conventional name for the abdominal muscles: straight, internal and external oblique, transverse.
The rectus abdominis muscle is just those cubes. Therefore, everyone has a press.
Simply put, all six divisions are parts of one whole, just visually separated by fibers. You can throw out the words “upper press” and “lower” from the lexicon.Now you are bored.
Further on the structure of the muscles: the outer oblique is located on the side of the “cubes”, the inner one is inside from the outer ones. And they can also be pumped up – they look pretty cool on either a man’s or a woman’s body. But the last muscle of the press, the transverse, is hidden deeper than others. Thanks to its tendon stretch, the lower cubes are harder to pump than the upper ones.
Shock content arrives: in fact, everyone has cubes. Only they are hidden behind a layer of subcutaneous fat.If you want to achieve a not super-pronounced relief, just limit your diet, dry yourself. But all the same, training for the muscles of the press, along with the lumbar back, has a lot of advantages – from improving posture and only positive participation in the respiratory process to helping with childbirth.
Are you excited? Collect a summary of tips for properly pumping your abs:
- Get started with eating. Such a good result will be seen when you reduce the fatty layer on the abdomen.In the first stage, go on a diet, in the second – sign up for fat burning workouts. You can schedule regular runs.
- Correct your posture. When you work and constantly sit in a chair at the computer, the weight of the body is transferred from the front of the abdomen to the lower back. The result is stretched abdominal muscles. Exit – exercises to improve posture, morning or evening stretching. Drive into YouTube – there are a million of such video tutorials.
- Breathe correctly. In the starting position – inhale.When lifting and straining, exhale.
- A lot of repetition is nonsense. You can do it at least 100 times, there will be almost no effect. The secret to success lies in the optimal number of sets and low reps. For example, 3 sets of 20 times.
- Keep your abs tight. At least try. In all workouts and exercises.
- Do not strain your neck. When the abdominal muscles are not yet strong enough, it is the muscles in the neck that support the weight of the head. Keep your chin close to your chest.
- Do not raise the chassis too high. We pump the press. To do this, simply do not lift your lower back off the floor. And everything is smooth, without jerks.
- Follow the sensations. Even the most basic press loads and twists can be done incorrectly. Try to feel your torso: slowly do the exercise, as if trying to connect a point in the middle of the chest with the navel. This is what the abdominal muscles are. If you do not feel the same doing another exercise, then revise the technique.
No. Muscles grow slowly. At the initial stage, it is generally painful.
In the first days of training, the abdominal muscles are felt almost with every movement – you sit on a chair or sneeze.
There is no suitable period of time for absolutely everyone, during which you will see at least a hint of cubes. Once, everything is individual. Two, depends on the intensity and amount of training. On average, after one and a half to two months of real (!) Classes, progress should appear.And proud stories in a swimsuit.
Below – proven exercises for pumping abdominal muscles over the years. Both dynamic and static – for maximum efficiency. Warm up before and stretching after are required. And do exercises on the rug. Otherwise, not only the muscles will hurt, but also the back with the tailbone.
Involves the entire rectus abdominis, but especially the great and terrible lower part. For beginners – perform on the floor: you can do it one at a time, you can do it with two legs.Pros – on a horizontal bar, pulling up bent or straight (for immortals) legs in the hanging.
- Lie on your back with your lower back and legs pressed to the floor, arms extended along your body. If you feel uncomfortable, you can place your palms under your buttocks.
- Slowly lift one or two legs to a 45-60 degree angle. Legs are straight, if you raised both, then keep your knees together. Try to linger for 2 seconds. Keep your abdominal muscles tense.
- Lower your leg or legs to the starting position. The most effective way is not to lower your heels to the floor to the end.And on a new one.
Normal, iron, not needed here. And imaginary, yes. The bike “rides” on the sideways. Important – do not put your hands on your head.
- Lie on your back with your lower back pressed to the floor, legs bent at the knees, arms behind your head.
- Perform a pedaling-like motion: lift your legs up, then lift your upper body and shoulders, and stretch your elbow towards the opposite knee. Try to hold on for 1-2 seconds. Keep your abdominal muscles tense.
- Repeat the previous step with the other leg.
- Alternate two-legged crunches.
- Lower your legs to the starting position. And on a new one.
Not only works the abs, but also the muscles of the arms, shoulder girdle, back, legs and buttocks. Plus corrects posture. There are many types of planks. Let’s write a classic one.
- Take a lying position: lean only on the palms and toes, hands exactly under the shoulders, legs and back straight, feet together or shoulder-width apart, shoulder blades lowered.Do not protrude your tailbone.
- Keep your abs and core tight.
- Stay in this position until the victorious. For beginners, start with 20 seconds in static and continue to increase the time.
You can put the timer phone between your hands.
For more motivation to stand, ask to put open lipstick under your belly. Or a cake, for example.
Timeless classic for the rectus abdominis. The effectiveness will increase significantly if you perform with weights.
- Lie on your back with your lower back pressed to the floor, legs bent at the knees, arms behind your head, chin pressed to your chest.
- Slowly lift your shoulders off the floor using the abdominal muscles a few centimeters. The amplitude is minimal. Try to hold on for 1-2 seconds. Keep your abdominal muscles tense.
- Slowly lower your upper back. And on a new one.
In the past few years, exercise has been at the top of Instagram selections. Probably due to its uniqueness – it uses the deeply hidden transverse muscle, stimulates digestion and helps burn fat around the organs.Yes, there is one too. Only vacuum is contraindicated for menstruation and pregnancy.
- Perform in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Take a deep breath, pull your belly back and up.
- Lock in this position for a few seconds.
- Release your belly and inhale smoothly. And on a new one.
This is hardcore. But almost the most effective exercise. Superski works the bottom cubes.
- Lie on your back with your lower back and legs pressed to the floor, arms extended along your body.If you feel uncomfortable, you can place your palms under your buttocks.
- Raise your straight legs up 10-20 cm from the floor.
- Swing your legs like a scissor movement: left leg to the right, right to the left. Then – the other way around. The socks are stretched out, the knees are straight.
- Lower your legs to the starting position. And on a new one.
Almost the same as above, but vice versa. For the lower part of the rectus and obliques. Also included are the quads, back, and iliopsoas.
- Lie on your back with the lower back pressed to the floor, legs bent at the knees, arms extended along the body.If you feel uncomfortable, you can place your palms under your buttocks.
- Lift your hips off the floor and bring your legs to your chest. Try to hold on for 1-2 seconds.
- Lower your legs to the starting position. The most effective way is not to lower your heels to the floor to the end. And on a new one.
In a month it will hardly be possible to make out the press to cubes and oblique in full assembly, but you can outline the ground for such an event. Especially at home, so that afterwards you can come to the hall and explain the technique yourself.How to quickly start pumping a juicy, powerful and embossed press:
- Download the application. Nike Training Club or “Abs Workout” by Passion4Profession Inc. in the AppStore. The first option is with “real” athletes on the screen. You study with them to the beat, in addition the announcer explains the technique in detail. The application can even create a training program based on your individual needs and characteristics, it will call itself to work. The second – with “unreal” people-cyborgs, which at the end of the training you can even shout for being perfect.However, the company-creator has long established itself as an expert in the field of step-by-step improvement of the press. Therefore, they were pardoned.
- Study on YouTube. There are a lot of similar videos on the Internet site, both from domestic fitness bloggers and from foreign ones. With translation, of course.
- Plank Challenge. A set of exercises without twisting. Ideal for home. Perform the bar every day (alternating with rest) throughout the month. Start with 20 seconds, by the end of the “term” – up to 5 minutes.You can perform different types: side, on the elbows and not only. Look for a picture with a schedule on the Internet, print and paste on the cabinet. Or on the refrigerator.
- Perform exercises from the TOP above. You can do all seven, one by one. For beginners – 3 times a week: 2-3 sets of 20 repetitions each exercise. A higher level – 4-5 times a week: 4 to 40-50. Rest between sets – 30-60 seconds.
Just don’t forget about the magic tandem for every athlete:
Rest and stretching is a must.
Muscles need time to recover, so exercising every day is not an option. Include stretching in the schedule and the muscles will manifest themselves directly according to GOST – quickly and beautifully. And may the press be with you.
Learn more by tags:
Iya Kiseleva
Author
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17 Best Exercises For Men At Home (Full Body Pumping!)
Do you want to pump up at home?
Great wish.
There are no people who cannot get in shape.
There are lazy people.
If you are not lazy, even the house will become your gym.
For a good physique, exercises with your own weight or a minimum set of equipment are enough for you.
I’ll show you the best exercises for almost every muscle group.
You will build muscle and stay healthy and strong with home workouts.
Shoulders / Chest
The main muscle group that you need to swing is the shoulders, and only then the chest.
Most jocks put too much emphasis on the pectoral muscles, but without the shoulders it looks shabby.
Shoulders without chest, in turn, look quite high, so we put more emphasis on them.
Peak Push-ups
This exercise perfectly pumps the deltoid muscles, that is, increases your shoulders.
Handstand Push-ups
This exercise is for fairly advanced swinging and shows your strength quite well.
If you can do at least three or four clean reps, then you have pretty strong shoulders.
This exercise can replace the barbell press.
If you can’t do it yet, do peak push-ups.
Bent over Dips
This exercise engages the shoulders and the upper (clavicular) bundle of the pectoral muscles.
Bent over push-ups pump both shoulders and chest, so you should definitely include them in your workouts.
Bent-over Dips Up
This type of push-up is suitable for the very beginners, those who cannot yet do even regular push-ups.
This is a light version, after which you can move on to the more advanced options above.
Indian (Hindu) Push-ups
Hindu Push-ups are one of the most difficult types of push-ups due to their huge range of motion.
Indian push-ups will smudge you on the floor in no time.
They pump the shoulders, triceps, chest.
Standard Dips
A classic exercise for developing the middle pectoral muscles and anterior deltas.
When your shoulders get too tired from the previous push-ups, go to the classic and kick yourself.
Lateral lifts with elastic / dumbbells / water bottles
Push-ups mainly pump the front bundle of deltoid muscles, but you need to pump the side ones as well.
To do this, you will need a cutter, a dumbbell (at least 8-10 kg) or any other weight that you can hold in your hand, for example, two five liters in one hand.
How to Make Pushups Harder and Build More Muscle
If you don’t have a barbell, it doesn’t mean you can’t add weight in other ways.
You can make your push-ups harder and more effective.
Put a dumbbell or a five-liter bottle (and if it fits, two), or the heaviest books from your library – get creative – and do push-ups!
Face Row
This is one of the best exercises for the side delts, back delts and upper back.
It can be done in two ways: with an elastic band, more efficient, and with its own weight.
Pulling to the face with an elastic band is done like this:
(The picture shows a rope for triceps – instead, just fasten the elastic to the door handle / window and pull the same to the face).
There is also a second variant with pure body weight:
Back / Biceps
The back is an important element of the male physique.
The average bodybuilder should be ashamed that the boobs hang from the bench press, and the back is like a girl’s.
The back should be pumped no less than the chest.
Sliding Row
This exercise is difficult to show in pictures, so watch the video (from 1:33):
I tried this exercise, and if I didn’t have a horizontal bar, I would do just that.
Perfectly pumps the back, engages the latissimus muscles.
By the way, you better watch this video in full – Jeff Cavalier shows 2 more interesting exercises for the back without any equipment.
Pull-ups
I think the quarantine made it clear to everyone how shaky the world around is.
You cannot rely on the gym or even on the street. (I hope the world will successfully recover from this shock and it will all be forgotten like a bad dream)
You need to put a horizontal bar in your house. This is extremely important.
We move on to pull-ups – the king of back exercises.
Wide Grip Pulls
One of the best back exercises in nature.
Even though I have a barbell at home, I often do wide-grip pull-ups.
The next day, your back hurts like a truck ran over you.
What do wide grip pull-ups swing?
Pull-ups with a wide grip pump the lats, rhomboid, infraspinatus muscles of the back, oblique muscles of the abdomen, biceps, brachioradialis (forearm).
You can do wide-grip chin-ups – sometimes this gives an additional lats contraction.
Wide grip chin-ups place the emphasis on the lats and trapezius muscles of the back.
How To Learn To Pull Up With A Wide Grip
This type of pull-up is one of the hardest, and not everyone will be able to do it right away.
How to learn to pull up with a wide grip?
You are doing negative reps.
It means you jump to the top point, where the horizontal bar is above your head, and then resist with all your might, to prevent your body from falling.
Do a lot, a lot, and then even more negative reps, and in one day you can do wide grip pull-ups.
It’s not that hard, as soon as you can do it once.
I did it once – you strive for the second, and so on.
Reverse Grip Pulls
Reverse Grip Pulls shift focus to the biceps. If you need to pump up the bituha, then do the pull-ups with the reverse grip – that’s all the logic.
You can do them as Jeff Cavalier suggests by leaning your body away from the bar.This will make the biceps work harder on .
If for some reason you do not want to install a horizontal bar, then you can swing biceps with an elastic band:
Legs
It is necessary to swing your legs.
Firstly, when a man has skinny toothpick legs, thinner than the girl he is walking with, it looks just ridiculous.
Second, believe it or not, most of all the girls complimented me for a good ass that sways with my legs.
Third, in 2018, a study was conducted showing that “using the legs, especially in resistance exercise, sends signals to the brain vital for the production of healthy nerve cells.” Read: if you want to be smart and resilient to stress, train your legs.
Fourth, it’s fun.
Squats
This is the most basic exercise, and if you are still a less trained athlete, your own weight will be enough to get a good workout.
The beginner should aim to do 100 squats in one set – this will be a little foundation.
But even the more advanced can benefit from the bodyweight squat.
I recently tried a thirty and down workout. The bottom line is this: you do 30 squats, after 29 minutes, after 28 minutes … and so on.
When you get to 10 squats, rest for 30-40 seconds. It’s somehow ugly to rest for a full minute when you’re doing 10 squats, don’t you count?
You end up with 465 squats.
I haven’t had pain in my legs after training for a long time, but this training just burned them, and they hurt for several days. I advise you to try it if you like extreme.
If you’re a beginner, try “twenty and down,” then another day, “twenty-one and down,” and pump your legs.
As soon as 100 squats in one set are no longer scary, try doing 100 squats with 5 liters or dumbbells.
Bulgarian One Leg Squat
This exercise is more difficult than simple squats if we only work with our own weight.
Bulgarian one-legged squat will help you pump up the ass that girls will dream of grabbing during sex.
The advantage of this exercise is that you can do it with an emphasis on the legs or on the buttocks.
You can stand up from the lowest point using the strength of the front of the thigh (quadriceps) or the strength of the buttocks.
I prefer to use both equally, but sometimes I put more emphasis on the buttocks for the reasons described above.
Put your back foot on a chair, sofa, or something else – and you can do these squats.
If you pick up any weights, for example, 5-liter, or dumbbells – it will be even cooler.
There is an even better option – to do an exercise with an elastic band:
Do 3-4 sets of 20-25 times and enjoy the pain.
Stepping on a sofa / chair / pedestal
I remember we used this exercise in boxing and it just kills the legs.
We did it at very fast pace, more endurance.
But if you slow down and concentrate on muscle contraction, it will be an excellent exercise for gaining leg mass at home.
You can do it for a time, say, 2 minutes without stopping.
Or do 5 sets of 20 reps.
Neck
The neck is the secret element for a quality physique.
Not many people know about this, but swinging your neck is extremely important.
Just look at this:
The neck is an easy muscle to pump and is catastrophically important for looking cool and brutal.
Neck Curls
This will help pump up the front of your neck – the most prominent one.
From the first course I suffered from cervical pain after I once chilled my neck.
Spent a lot of money to treat her, physiotherapy, acupuncture, massage – but it always helped for a couple of months, and then she started to hurt again.
So – my neck has never felt better than when I started to train it first with my own weight, and then with pancakes!
So working out your neck is the perfect way to look cooler and improve your health at the same time.
Always squeeze your neck to the maximum so that it burns and hurts at the top!
This will help her grow faster.
Neck Extension
Neck Extension engages the back of the neck.
They are needed for maximum volume and so that your neck looks powerful from the back, like Tyson’s.
If you don’t have pancakes, then your hands come to the rescue.
Do the same exercises, resisting the head, and then the neck will be more difficult – which means it will grow more!
That’s all!
Hope you found a couple of new interesting exercises and will gain muscle mass like a real buffalo!
See you soon.
Vlad Makeev.
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Basic CrossFit Exercises | VCrossfite.com
CrossFit was developed as a universal technique capable of increasing the overall functionality of the body in the shortest possible time. Due to its simplicity, accessibility and real effectiveness, this functional training has earned worldwide popularity among physical culture amateurs and professionals.
Crossfit does not have any hackneyed stencil schemes.New combinations and exercises are constantly being invented and used here. Each workout is always different from the previous one, and we can safely say that CrossFit is not a routine, but a free creative process. It is the variety that makes crossfit so delicious for athletes of all ages and genders.
CrossFit Exercises
CrossFit circuit training uses cyclic exercises (cardio), body weight exercises, and resistance exercises. A large selection of basic exercises allows you to create interesting complexes (WOD), depending on the place and equipment that is available.CrossFit exercises involve large muscle groups, so regular exercise, even if you only work with your own weight, will soon be able to significantly improve your overall physical fitness and tighten your body.
To make it easier for you to compose various complexes for yourself on your own, in this article we will provide a list of the main exercises that are used in this training. It is clear that you need to include them in your training as soon as you are technically and physically prepared.
Basic crossfit exercises
- Jumping rope – single, double and triple.
- Barbell Jumping – jumping over a barbell with two feet.
- Rowing on the simulator.
- Running – running for short, medium and long distances.
- Air Squat – Normal bodyweight squat.
- Hyperextension – lifting the trunk on the machine, including the back muscles.
- Exit on the horizontal bar.
- Exit on the rings.
- Jumping on a curbstone – jumping onto a box from two feet with the obligatory straightening of the legs on it.
- Burpee – transition from a standing position (starting position) to a lying position on the chest, pulling up the legs into a sitting position and jumping out with a clap over the head
to a standing position. - Pull-ups – can be power, kipping (swinging) or butterfly.
- Raises the body on the press (sit-ups) – from a supine position, legs bent, raise the body and touch the floor or toes in front of you.
- Fold – simultaneous lifting of the body and legs on the press from a prone position, arms up.
- Sit-ups on the hyperextension machine.
- Handstand push-ups.
- Walking on hands.
- Raising the knees to the elbows on the bar.
- Raising socks to the bar.
- L-chin-ups – chin-ups, holding the corner with the press.
- Squats on one leg – “pistol”.
- Push-ups from the floor.
- Push-ups on the rings.
- Horizontal push-ups on the rings – The exercise is similar to regular push-ups on the floor, only the hands rest on the rings hanging low above the floor.
- Rope climbs.
- Bench press.
- Squats with a barbell on the shoulders.
- Throwing the ball to the floor, to the wall – intensive throws of the medicine ball to the floor, wall, giving it maximum acceleration.
- Taking the barbell on the chest – lifting the barbell from the floor to a standing position, the barbell on the chest.
- Chest and Barbell Jump – similar to the previous exercise with the addition of overhead barbell jerk.
- Cluster – taking a barbell on the chest in a sitting position and throwing it over your head.
- Deadlift.
- Farmer’s Walk – Walking with weights in hand.
- Front Squat – Squat with a barbell on the chest.
- Broach – Raises the bar from the floor, giving it acceleration, to an overhead position.
- Swings – swing the kettlebell in front of you.
- Overhead Squat – Overhead Squat.
- Standing Power Press – Standing barbell press from the chest, no squat.
- Standing jerk press (shvung) – throw the bar up from the chest.
- Lifting a sandbag (sandbag) on the shoulder.
- Barbell Snatch is a classic weightlifting exercise.
- Row of the bar to the chin from the sumo rack – the legs are wide apart, the hands are holding the bar with a medium or narrow grip.
- Tire Flip – From the deadlift position, lift and roll the tire.
- Trasters – Overhead Barbell Throw from Full Squat, Barbell on Chest.
- Kettlebell trasters – similar to the previous exercise, only the athlete has weights in the hands.
- Walking lunges – deep lunges with the leg touching the floor with the knee and holding the weight over the head.
- Throwing the medball at the target – from the squat position with the ball in front of the chest, we straighten and throw the ball up.
These are not all the exercises that athletes use in their crossfit workouts, but this is more than enough to create interesting and diverse complexes for themselves, improving their sports spirit and body.
And finally, a few WODs.
WOD:
- 200 m run 3 burpees
- 200 m run 6 burpees
- 200 m run 9 burpees
- 200 m run 12 burpees
- 200 m run 15 burpees
- 800m run
Task: to complete it in the shortest possible time.