Great Ab Exercise!

sleepygiraffes

Here's a great ab exercise to try if you don't have weights or dumbbells, and just want to tone up.

Repeat 2-3 sets of each:

BASIC CRUNCH
30 REPS
- Lie on your back. Knees bent, feet flat on the ground.
- Place hands behind your head.
- Flex abdomen to raise upper torso from your mat. Keep your lower back on the mat and raise your torso as high as possible.
- Focus on only using your ab muscles to do this movement. Do not use your chest, neck or shoulders.
- Return until shoulders contact the floor.
- Repeat

REVERSE CRUNCH
30 REPS
- Lay on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind your head.
- Bring your knees into your chest until they're bent to 90 degrees, with feet together.
- Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching your legs up to the ceiling.
- This is a very small movement so try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum.

BICYCLE CRUNCH
15 REPS
- Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground.
- Put your hands beside your head. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion.
- Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee (one rep).
- Breathe evenly throughout the exercise.

TOE TOUCH CRUNCH
30 REPS
- Lie down on your back, making sure your back is firmly against the floor.
- Raise your legs up so that they are at a right angle with the floor.
- Extend your arms and crunch up, trying to touch your hands to your toes.
- Make sure to use your abs to do the movement. DO NOT use your neck.

*Without regular physical activity, your body tends to store fat throughout your midsection. The NUMBER ONE way to get rid of it is to build muscle, which will make you burn fat easier and will prevent you from gaining back unwanted fat in the future.