These standing abs exercises work more muscles, improve balance and posture, and you don't need any additional equipment to do them: you can even do it without a mat. Any item is suitable as a weighting agent: even a bottle of water, even a small melon.
So, the complex consists of 10 exercises for 45 seconds. It is perfect for those for whom classic crunches from a lying position cause discomfort in the cervical spine.
For best results:
- do these exercises every other day,
- don't neglect warming up,
- concentrate on breathing: effort - on exhalation, relaxation - on inhalation,
- Rest 10 seconds between sets.
An important point: during all exercises, keep your back and shoulders straight, concentrating the effort in the abdominal area.
For your convenience, we have added clear video instructions for each exercise.
1–2. Crunches with leg raises
This is a vertical version of regular crunches, which, in addition to strengthening the abdominal muscles, improves coordination.
Starting position: legs together, arms extended up.
As you exhale, lift your left leg straight and at the same time try to reach your toes with your hands. Don't slouch, make sure your shoulders and back are straight. Try to raise your leg as high as possible by tensing your abdominal muscles, and stretch your arms forward. As you inhale, return to the starting position.
Do not hurry. When raising your legs and squeezing your abdominal cavity, exhale; when lowering your legs, inhale deeply.
Rest and perform the exercise with your right leg.
Abs training plan (video)
The number of programs and possible variations tends to infinity. You can vary the exercises in any order, add ways to complicate and diversify the load. The main task is to create sufficient stimulus for muscles to grow. In this case, it is enough to pump the abdominal area 2-3 times a week, and for long sessions you can get by with 1-2 sessions.
An example of one complex for beginner athletes in the video. Suitable for both men and women. Can be used even for advanced athletes, as a warm-up or light maintenance training.
FIRE PRESS TRAINING STANDING.
3–4. Diagonal crunches with weights
To complete this you will need a weighting agent. The exercise trains the thigh muscles, lower abs and oblique abdominal muscles, and also improves coordination.
Starting position: left leg bent at a right angle, arms with weights raised above the right shoulder.
As you exhale, lower the weight diagonally down to the left - behind your thigh. As you inhale, smoothly return to the starting position.
In order not to lose your balance, you need to tense your abdominal muscles. Smoothly move the ball diagonally up and down without lowering your left leg and keeping your back straight.
Rest and do the exercise with your right leg.
Abdominal exercises while standing
You can work your abs while standing with the same efficiency as sitting or lying down. The abdominal muscles largely determine the mobility of the spine, which allows the body to be flexible. But among the main functions there are:
- Twisting the body;
- Tilts to the sides;
- Rotation at the waist.
Also, the abdominal muscles are actively involved in most movements, as they are responsible for stabilizing the core. In this case, they tense without contraction, that is, isometrically. If we consider concentric movements, when the muscle contracts, which provides the greatest stimulus for growth, then in this case, bending the body and bending over are mandatory. Moreover, the muscles do not care whether the twist is performed in a standing or lying position. Muscles only respond to the degree of stress they receive. Therefore, you can work out the abdominal area in a standing position with the same effectiveness.
Standing leg raises
This is the simplest movement that can be performed anywhere.
It is necessary to alternately raise the leg bent at the knee as high as possible. It is best to bring your knee up to chest level, this will flex the rectus abdominis muscle and will be a very effective exercise. In addition to the abdominal area, the movement also works the legs, gluteal and small muscles.
To begin with, it is recommended to do at least 20 lifts per set on each leg. But, as with other standing abdominal exercises, it is optimal to focus on continuously performing the approach for 60 seconds.
Lateral leg raises
Standing side crunches are very beneficial.
The main load falls on the oblique abdominal muscles. The movement allows you to strengthen your sides, increase functionality, and at the same time not lead to a visual expansion of the waist. Technique:
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hands are placed behind the head, elbows pointing to the sides;
- Raise your right leg up to the side, while slightly tilting your upper body down;
- Try to bring your knee to your elbow as close as possible;
- Repeat the same movement on the left side.
You can do the cycle either alternately or in turn: on the left and right sides. This is one of the best exercises that, unlike dumbbell bends, allows you to pump up your waist without expanding. The optimal duration is 30 seconds on each side or 60 seconds when performing alternately.
Body tilts to the sides
Unlike leg raises, this movement focuses more on working the upper obliques as it tilts the torso toward the lower body rather than the other way around.
It also works well on the oblique muscles. Technique:
- Take a position with your feet wide (wider than shoulder level), bend your knees slightly. Place your hands behind your head, elbows out to the sides;
- Tilt your body towards your right leg with a delay of 1-2 seconds;
- Slowly and under control, straighten your body and bend your left leg.
It is optimal to do 60 seconds in one set, but for beginners you can reduce the load up to 20 times per set without reference to time.
Cross crunches
This is one of the best standing abdominal exercises for losing belly fat.
It acts as an analogue of classic oblique twists in a lying position. Technique:
- Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, hands behind your head. Elbows point to the sides;
- In one movement, lift your left leg off the floor, moving the fulcrum to the right;
- Walk your foot diagonally towards your right shoulder;
- Simultaneously with the movement of your leg, slightly tilt your body and try to bring your right elbow to your left knee;
- The contact between the elbow and the knee (or the conventional intersection point) should be in the upper abdomen, just below the chest.
This type of crunch simultaneously effectively loads both the rectus abdominis and oblique abdominal muscles.
Raising one leg in front of you
Unlike bent-knee raises, the leg must remain straight in this movement.
It acts as an analogue of hanging leg raises, but with alternating execution for each leg. Technique:
- Grasp any support with your hand to secure the body. Feet shoulder-width apart, back straight;
- Raise your leg forward (you can bend your knee slightly to reduce the load on the joint) as high as possible, slightly bending your body;
- At a slower pace, lower your leg down and repeat the movement.
The movement uses not only the abdominal muscles, but also the legs. Therefore, in order to pump up your abs while standing, when raising your legs, you need to try to slightly bend your body and tuck your pelvis. It is also important not to “drop” your leg on the floor, but to lower it under control. To make it even more challenging, you can perform double movements by swinging each leg in front of you and to the sides (diagonally).
"Russian twist" standing
This is a simpler analogue of the “Russian twist”.
It can be an excellent standing abdominal exercise at home if you don’t have dumbbells or sports equipment. Technique:
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bring your hands together (locked) and place them in front of you. Your arms should be parallel to the floor;
- Start rotating your body, trying to move your arms as far to the right as possible;
- Without pause, at a slow pace, perform the same movement to the left.
If you already have training experience and understand how to pump up your abs while standing, you can use double abductions. After the first movement of your arms to the side, do a “pressure.” To do this, first move your arms slightly in the opposite direction (5-10 cm), then forcefully abduct them in the same direction.
Leg pull-up from a lunge
Another exercise that can improve coordination. Performed from a lunge position:
- Place your right foot forward, take your left foot back as far as possible.
- Bend your right leg and place your left leg on your toe. The “back” leg should remain straight.
- Extend your arms above your head.
- Lean forward slightly and shift your weight to your right hip.
- Pull your left knee towards your chest and bend your arms at the same time.
- Place your left foot on your toes again and repeat the movement. After 15-25 repetitions, switch legs.
To maintain balance, look straight ahead (Photo: liveinternet.ru)
Try not to fall on your side or slouch. Only the legs and arms work.
Features of training
Separately, it is worth mentioning about training.
In recent decades, many “armchair experts” in bodybuilding have categorically prohibited pumping obliques, arguing that their development leads to an expansion of the waist.
Indeed, the lateral abdominal muscles are easily susceptible to hypertrophy, that is, growth.
But subject to regular strength loads, with a constant increase in the weight of the weights used.
In other words, if you constantly increase the weight of a dumbbell, barbell, or weights in a crossover, your obliques will definitely become more massive. And since they are anatomically located on the sides of the waist, its volume will become larger.
Bodybuilders of the “golden era” knew about this back in the 60-70s of the last century. But nevertheless, all bodybuilders pumped up this part of the body.
For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger did side turns of his torso with a gymnastic stick on his shoulders for 20-30 minutes without rest.
Now compare the waist sizes of professional bodybuilders of the 70s and modern bodybuilders. The difference is visible to the naked eye.
For the latter, the percentage of subcutaneous fat in competitions tends to zero, but bulging bellies and wide waists have become almost a prerequisite for their figure.
But for athletes of the golden era, a pronounced narrow waist has always been a prerequisite for success on stage.
That is, exercises for the lateral abdominal muscles do not affect waist size if you correctly calculate the load.
Use the secret of golden era bodybuilders - train them with light weights.
The main goal of such a load is to tone the muscles so that they become denser and more elastic. And under no circumstances should you strive to increase the weight of the burden.
In practice this means the following training weights:
- For men, use dumbbells no more than 10-16 kg, the weight of a gymnastic stick is 5-7 kg, the weight in a crossover is 25-30 kg
- For women, the numbers are even smaller - dumbbells - 3-5 kg, gymnastic stick - 2-3 kg, crossover - 10 kg
Another important point that concerns the health of the spine and relates to popular exercises with rotating the torso left and right.
The fact is that it is anatomically more convenient for the spine to bend forward and backward and left and right. But rotation around its axis is not entirely physiological.
That is, it is possible to do them, but at this moment he experiences quite a large load.
If you rotate your torso with a large weight, this will lead to problems with the spine.
Also, people who already have similar problems should not rotate the torso when training the oblique muscles. For example, with hernias or protrusions .
Still, there are a large number of safer exercises for the press.
Side crunches
This exercise tightens your oblique muscles and helps you achieve a slimmer waist. How to do it:
- Stand up straight, straighten your back. Place your hands on your belt.
- Move your hip to the side and lift. At the same time, raise your bent arm and try to touch your elbow with your knee.
- Lower your leg and repeat on the other side.
The thigh and shoulder are parallel to each other (Photo: bodybuilding-and-fitness)
You can hold your hands behind your head. At the same time, the elbows are straightened and look in different directions. Keep your back straight, lean to the side without leaning forward or backward.
To increase the load on your shoulders and core muscles, hold dumbbells in your hands.
Recommendations and tips
Basic recommendations for home workouts:
- The first rule is to pump up the abs while standing slowly and under control, all movements should be without inertia or swaying;
- Remember that for the press to work, your back should be slightly rounded, this is the norm. With a straight back, the press will work in static mode and this load is often not enough for full pumping;
- Breathe evenly, do not hold your breath, so as not to provoke excessive straining. This may be harmful to blood vessels;
- When working without weights, so that the load is effective and a stimulus for growth is developed, it is better to do the exercises in a series. At least 4-5 movements for different parts of the abdominal area.
Contraindications
If a man has a history of severe cardiovascular disease, then exercises must be performed with great caution
It is strictly forbidden to perform exercises when:
- genitourinary infections during exacerbations,
- Acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, accompanied by an increase in temperature or fever,
- oncological diseases. Exercises are allowed, but with great caution for men with a history of severe cardiovascular diseases. In this case, the loads need to be increased gradually.
How can you pump up your abs while standing?
Taking all this into account, in this article it was decided to publish the best options for standing abs exercises that work all the core muscles. Focus your attention on correct execution, not on the number of repetitions. For example, to lift your leg, contract your abdominal muscles, not your quads or glutes.
How to build abs while standing : Choose 2 or 3 exercises from the list and add them to your regular cardio or strength training. Perform each movement for the indicated number of repetitions or time and repeat them at least twice.
Mill
A basic exercise that stretches the back muscles well and strengthens the abs. How to do it:
- Stand straight with your feet wider than your shoulders.
- Raise your right hand up.
- Lower your hand and touch your left toe. At the same time, raise your left hand up.
- Switch hands and repeat several times.
Touch the toe or the outside of the foot (Photo: www.eshape.ru)
It is important to turn towards the leg with your whole body. At the same time, the back remains straight. The “free” hand looks straight up.
To make the exercise more challenging, lift a small weight up and bend toward one leg. Then switch hands.
Do you know any other standing abdominal exercises? Share in the comments.
Straight body lift
Target : all abdominal muscles
Starting position: lying on your back, feet on the floor, knees bent. Feet should be hip-width apart, hands placed on the lower thigh.
Slowly curl toward your knees until your shoulders are about 10 centimeters off the floor. Hold this position for 3-4 seconds and slowly lower down. Perform 12 reps for abs.
Notes:
- Don't tuck your chin into your chest as you rise.
- Don't lay your head on the floor.
The benefits of training and exercises for potency
Exercising helps men strengthen their cardiovascular muscles
Potency is closely related to sports, because physical activity protects the male body from changes that adversely affect health.
For example, due to prolonged sitting, blood circulation in the pelvic organs is impaired, blood stagnation appears, various pathologies develop, and male sexual dysfunction manifests itself.
Performing physical exercises helps men train the muscles of the cardiovascular system, increase the oxygen content in the blood, increase the functionality of the bronchi and lungs, and improve blood circulation. In addition, exercises to increase potency promote the development of muscles in the pelvic area, which leads to increased blood flow, and this helps in the fight against stagnation and inflammation.
