Abdominal exercises for home and gym – TOP most effective exercises for men and women

Abdominal exercises are a mandatory element of the training program of any sports discipline. All athletes, both experienced and beginners, pay increased attention to this muscle group.

To become the happy owner of a flat, toned stomach or sculpted six-pack, there is no need to exhaust yourself for a long time with daily exercise in the gym. You can achieve the desired result not only in the gym, but also at home. The main thing is to strive for success and competently approach the preparation of a training program. And also, take care of an appropriate diet. After all, regular muscle training alone will not give the desired effect. You can gain aesthetic relief only by getting rid of excess fat deposits in the body.

What is abs and why do you need to develop it?

In fact, in anatomy there is no such thing as abs. There are only four types of abdominal muscles:

• straight;
• transverse;
• oblique;
• internal oblique.

It is necessary to regularly work out these muscles not only to improve external appearance, but also to improve health. Since these muscles play an important role in the human body.

Exercises for the abs:

• contribute to improving the functioning of internal organs;
• normalize digestion;
• act as a preventive measure for back diseases;
• have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the genitourinary system.

Of course, the aesthetic aspect is no less important. A flat, toned stomach indicates that a person takes care of himself, trains his own body to be healthy and look good.

Introduction

For some, the abdominal muscles are an indicator of an athletic physique; for others, the cult of the abs turns their life into continuous twisting and leg lifts. Indeed, clearly defined abs look very impressive, but with a thin physique, bringing them to this state is not at all difficult, since due to the low level of body fat, even not particularly developed abdominal muscles will be visible quite clearly. Try to gain 70, 80, 90 kg of muscle mass and have clearly defined abs. I'm sure this will be an elusive goal for many, if not all. And only the most effective abdominal exercises will help you achieve this result.

The abdominal muscles are divided into the rectus abdominis, internal obliques and external obliques. At the same time, the rectus abdominis muscle is usually divided into upper and lower sections. All these muscles and sections are usually trained with various types of twists, turns, leg and body lifts. It is these exercises that will be discussed in this article.

How often should you exercise?

The press is a muscle group like any other. It’s extremely easy to focus on it in your training program. It is enough to add small sets of 4-5 exercises to your usual workouts for other parts of the body. You need to exercise 2-3 times a week. Doing this more often is pointless. Daily grueling loads do not allow the muscles to fully recover (they do not have enough time). Which, in turn, greatly reduces the effectiveness of classes.

If the training scheme and the corresponding nutrition plan are drawn up correctly, the result will be noticeable quite quickly. When there is no progress despite efforts, this indicates one of two reasons:

• slow burning of subcutaneous fat;
• insufficient load or incorrectly selected training program.

Another important point is the intensity of training. The abs are a small muscle group that doesn't take too much time to work. The best option for productive work is 20-30 minutes.

Useful tips

When wanting to get beautiful, sculpted abs, men often make mistakes during training. Some immediately take on very heavy equipment, which causes their muscles to become clogged and begin to hurt greatly. The load must be increased gradually, otherwise the person will become very tired and will not be able to regain strength.

You can pump up your abs at any time of the day, but it’s better to do it in the morning or evening. To quickly get a beautiful body, it is not recommended to skip even one workout. Moving on to the last exercises in the gym, you need to gradually reduce the load. Stopping your workout abruptly can have a negative impact on your overall body condition. After exercise, you need to restore your breathing, calm your heartbeat and relax your muscles.

After working in the gym, the athlete should drink water or tea without sugar. The lack of moisture must be compensated for, since heavy sweating after exercise can lead to dehydration. It is not recommended to drink during sports activities. If you feel very thirsty, you can simply rinse your mouth with liquid.

An hour after working out in the gym, you can eat a chocolate bar or drink some sparkling water. Glucose and caffeine help restore calories and relieve fatigue. A full meal should be no earlier than 40 minutes after training. Those who do abdominal exercises should consume more proteins and vitamins. The diet should include white and red meat, fish, eggs and vegetables. Protein should be lean. Quickly digested carbohydrates should be avoided. You can start training 40-50 minutes after a hearty meal.

Properly performed abdominal exercises will not only help you achieve the desired body shape, but also improve your health. Also, working out in the gym instills self-confidence in men. With proper nutrition and regular exercise, positive results will be noticeable within a few weeks of starting to work on your abs.

TOP 10 effective exercises for the abs

Below we present several common exercises, including which in your training program, you can quickly achieve the desired result.

Pendulum

A simple gymnastic movement aimed at working the oblique abdominal muscles. In addition, this exercise allows you to engage your back, hips and even buttocks. It is a variation of the reverse crunch and is performed with your own body weight.

Sit on the floor, tighten your abdominal muscles. Raise your legs straight so that they are perpendicular to the floor surface. The arms are spread out to the sides.

As you inhale, lower your legs to the left all the way to the floor. Exhaling, return to the starting position. Do the same in the other direction.

You can learn more about the technique in this video:

Sitap

This exercise is well known to many from the school curriculum. In physical education classes it was simply called “pumping up the abs.”

Lie on your back, bend your knees, stretch your arms behind your head. Tighten your abdominal muscles, but not too much. As you exhale, lift your body to a sitting position. Please note that lifting is accomplished by twisting the lower ribs towards the pelvic area and moving the arms forward.

Inhaling, slowly lower yourself to the starting position.

Thematic video:

Oblique crunches

They are also “lateral” or “diagonal”. Many people mistakenly believe that women should not include this exercise in their training program because of the possibility of losing their waist. Incorrect statement. Oblique twists are very beneficial for health and do not pose a danger to the fair sex.

Sit on the floor, bend your knee joints, rest your heels on the floor surface. Now place the shin of your left leg on the thigh of your right in a crossing manner. Make sure your back and sacrum are pressed to the floor.

As you exhale, lift your body and reach your right shoulder to your left knee, simultaneously tensing your abdominal muscles and twisting. As you inhale, return to the starting position.

Useful video:

Book

One of the best exercises for the press, which turned out to be forgotten for a while. They began to exclude him from the training program as being particularly dangerous. But in fact, with the correct execution technique, it will bring nothing but benefit.

Take a sitting position (on the floor or exercise bench). Bend your knees slightly, pull your hips towards your stomach. Tighten your abs by slightly curling your lower ribs toward your pelvis. The arms are bent at the elbows and rest on both sides of the body on the bench or floor.

Inhaling, straighten at the hip joint, lowering your legs and torso at the same time. As you exhale, return to the starting position. Lifting is accomplished by working the pelvis and twisting the lower ribs towards it.

How to do the exercise correctly:

Twisting with body rotation

One of the basic movements that allows you to work your abdominal muscles. Performed on the floor or training bench.

Sit on the floor, bend your knees, and place your heels on the floor. The stomach is pulled in, the back is pressed tightly. As you exhale, lift your body and hold in the upper position for a couple of seconds. Then inhale and reach your left elbow to your right knee. Exhale, holding the twisted position for another 2-3 seconds. As you inhale, return to the starting position.

Do the same in the opposite direction.

Thematic video:

A hundred

A good exercise for training your abs. Easy to perform, it allows you to work the muscles of the abdomen, back, legs and buttocks.

Lie on your back, pull your stomach in so that your spine is completely pressed to the floor and your pelvis moves forward. Raise your knees bent so that your shins are parallel to the surface on which you are lying.

Now lift your upper body (chest area), tighten your abs more, twisting inward. At the same time, extend your arms forward and perform several blows in the air (5 for inhalation and 5 for exhalation). Then return to the starting position. Over time, the number of strikes should be increased and more approaches should be done.

To understand the technique properly, you should watch this video:

Leg raises on a training bench

This movement is often referred to in training materials as the “reverse bench crunch.” Simple and accessible even for beginner athletes.

Lying on a horizontal bench, place your palms under your buttocks (you can grab the edges of the bench), bring your legs together and slightly raise them, tense your abs. As you exhale, lift your limbs. As you inhale, lower slowly, returning to the starting position.

Important - you don’t need to lower your legs all the way onto the bench (keep them suspended). Moreover, you cannot rest your feet on the floor.

To have a complete understanding of the technique, you should watch this video:

Bike

Another effective abdominal exercise at home. Aimed at developing the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles. Due to the dynamics, it promotes accelerated calorie consumption. A real find for those who dream of a slender waist and spectacular relief.

Lie on your back, bend your knees. Raise the upper part of the body a little, clasp your palms at the back of your head. Now begin to bend and straighten your legs alternately, twisting your body in parallel, reaching your elbows to your knees (right to left and vice versa). Do not lift your lower back off the floor during this process.

Please note that the higher you raise your legs, the easier the exercise will become.

Video for clarity:

Elbow plank

You can perform this simple but very effective exercise both in the gym and at home. However, it is important to remember that a good result can only be obtained if the execution technique is followed.

Take a lying position with your stomach down, focusing on your elbows and toes. Lift yourself up into a straight line. It is very important that the buttocks do not protrude and the stomach does not sag. Stay in this position for as long as possible. Remember to breathe calmly and evenly.

At the initial stage, holding the plank for only 15-20 seconds is normal. Don't worry, over time you will achieve more impressive results.

Video on the technique:

Russian twist

This is a comprehensive abdominal exercise. It is performed both with your own weight and with weights (you can hold a medicine ball, dumbbell or other weight in front of your chest).

Sit on the floor, lean your body back slightly, legs bent at the knees and supported by weight. Clasp your hands in front of you, do not tilt your head, keep your back straight.

As you exhale, twist to one side, touching your elbow to the floor. As you inhale, return to the starting position. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction.

Useful video on the topic:

Workout Features

For any man, abdominal training in the gym is considered a victory over oneself. Classes help develop willpower and the desire for self-improvement. To achieve beautiful abs on your stomach, you need to know a few nuances. Regular pumping of the press increases the volume of the muscles and makes them more noticeable. In addition, giving your body definition is only possible in combination with a diet for burning subcutaneous fat. You can develop functionality without special nutrition, but even large cubes will be hidden behind the fat layer.

Before working out the abdomen in the gym, beginners should become familiar with the theoretical basics. The necessary knowledge will allow you to pump up your abs correctly. The abdominal muscles are part of the muscular corset. They hold and protect internal organs, form the abdominal wall and posture. In the back, the center of the body is stabilized by the spine, and in the front by the abs. With weak muscles, the body tilts forward. For health and a beautiful appearance, training in the gym is necessary.

The press includes several muscles:

1. Straight. The flat and long muscle consists of bundles separated by transverse tendon bridges. It runs from the sternum to the pubic bone. The rectus muscle is divided by connective tissue into right and left regions.
2. Oblique. The extrinsic muscles are located on the sides of the rectus. They stretch from the side of the chest to the pubic bone. Beneath them are the internal oblique muscles, which form the second layer of the abdominal cavity and have fan-shaped bundles. The organs extend diagonally from the ilium towards the center line.
3. Transverse. The muscles are represented by the deepest layer of the muscle corset. They form a belt that runs around the internal organs in the abdominal area.

The anatomy of the abdominal muscles is the same for everyone. But each person has its own characteristics, which are reflected in the shape of the press. For some guys, training will give them the classic bulging six-pack, while others will only experience a flat stomach.

Training program

As mentioned above, abdominal training should be done 2-3 times a week. As an example, let’s imagine three small sets of exercises that need to be supplemented with the main training scheme.

So, by supplementing regular exercise with abdominal training at home, you can become the owner of sculpted abs or a flat stomach. The main thing is to take a responsible approach to drawing up a training program and practice regularly. Don’t forget, health and external attractiveness are only in your hands.

Afterword

The purpose of this article was to review and describe a set of exercises for the press. The set goal can be considered fully achieved, since we have presented perhaps the most effective exercises for the press in the gym. Of course, training the abdominal muscles is not limited to these exercises, because the use of various approaches to training and all kinds of equipment significantly expands the arsenal of exercises. However, the exercises we have proposed for developing the abdominal muscles are exactly the basis, or rather the foundation on which you can build almost any training program, regardless of your goals. And finally, remember that the rectus abdominis muscle always works fully. The upper or lower abs are not separate muscles, but only parts of one large rectus abdominis muscle.

Read also

• Home workout for beginners
• Full body workout at home
• Workouts for men at home
• Exercises for cardio training at home - the most effective training programs
• Home workouts for girls - how to train at home
• A set of leg exercises without the use of additional equipment
• 10 effective exercises for weight loss - how to quickly lose weight at home?
• How to pump up your abs at home and in training - abdominal workouts for guys and girls
• How to properly train your abs so that your six-pack becomes visible? Exercises and recommendations

Comparison table of characteristics

For a convenient assessment of the benefits and an easier choice, we have prepared a summary table of parameters for you: