Now that Winter is over & spring is in full affect, many now look to drop body fat & start to get in shape for summer. This is done by looking at the volume of food you eat ( calories & macronutrients ) & levels of activity ( days per week you train/exercise).
As part of that you may look to increase the volume or frequency that you train your midsection.
If so , here are some of my favourite exercises to do.
Swiss ball crunch
Lie back on the ball with feet shoulder-width apart on the floor. Your lower back should be supported by the ball. Place your hands behind your ears & make sure you keep your head back. Curl your body up off the ball until you’re sitting up.
Horizontal cable woodchop
Set an adjustable cable pulley to shoulder level & grasp the handle with both hands. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, perpendicular to the anchor point, and arms extended, far enough away from the machine so there’s tension on the cable. Twist away from the machine as if you were chopping into a tree. Keep your feet stationary.
Jack Knife
Place an exercise ball nearby and lay on the floor in front of it with your hands on the floor shoulder width apart in a push-up position. Now place your lower shins on top of an exercise ball. At this point your legs should be fully extended with the shins on top of the ball and the upper body should be in a push-up type of position being supported by your two extended arms in front of you. While keeping your back completely straight and the upper body stationary, pull your knees in towards your chest as you exhale, allowing the ball to roll forward under your ankles. Squeeze your abs and hold that position for a second.
Hanging Leg Raise
Hang from a chin-up bar with both arms extended at arms length in top of you using either a wide grip or a medium grip. The legs should be straight down with the pelvis rolled slightly backwards. This will be your starting position. Raise your legs until the torso makes a 90-degree angle with the legs. Exhale as you perform this movement and hold the contraction for a second or so. Go back slowly to the starting position as you breathe in.
