Most fitness experts will tell you that bodyweight ab workout exercises by themselves are not likely to give you those washboard abs you are seeking. Neither will they help you burn that excess body fat or improve your overall health.
If fact, many fitness experts feel that the continuous repetitions of most ab exercises such as sit ups could actually cause damage to your spine. So if you are considering starting a bodyweight ab workout routine then you really need to choose exercises designed to strengthen your entire core and not just your abs.
What is A Bodyweight Ab Workout?
A bodyweight ab workout or core workout is a type of strength training where an individual uses the weight of their own body to provide the resistance for their workouts.
Bodyweight workouts usually involve a good deal of pushing, pulling, and balancing movements and exercises as well as twisting and bending exercises. By combining these types of exercises individuals are able to work out their entire core not just their abs.
Why Should You Do Bodyweight Ab Workout Exercises?
Bodyweight ab workouts or core exercises do more that just give you those noticeable abs. They actually provide a number of overall healthy benefits to your overall health.
Some of these benefits of ab exercises include:
1. Helps Improve Posture:
Ab or core exercises involves among other muscles the muscles of your back, stomach area and abs. Strengthen all of these muscles can result in improved posture since stronger core muscles will help you to stand and sit up straighter on a day to day basis.
2. Bodyweight Ab Workout Exercises Can Help Improve Balance:
When you have a strong core your balance tends to be much better. A good balance is important since it can help you achieve your fitness goals, do better at your chosen sports, and help your to avoid falls and injuries.
3. Core Body Exercises Can Help Relieve or Prevent Back Pain:
80% of adults suffer from back pain during their lifetime, however exercises that help to keep your core strong can help prevent you having back pain, or if you do can help you heal that pain faster and easier.
4. Ab Workout Exercises Improve Agility:
Bodyweight ab workout activities that include your entire core can help improve your overall strengthen and agility. When your core is strong you are able to run faster, jump higher and tend to have much more stamina then if your core is weak.
What Muscles Are Involved In Ab Exercises That Include Your Entire Core?
There are a number of different muscles involved in doing body ab workouts that involve your entire core. These muscles include:
Your Stomach Muscles
Traverse Abdominals
Back Muscles
Glutes
Hip Muscles
What Equipment Can Be Used To Do Bodyweight Ab Workout Exercises?
The whole idea behind body ab workouts us to use your body as the resistance when doing these exercises. So all you really need for this type of workout is a mat to form a slight cushion between you and the floor or other hard surface.
However, if you want to mix it up a little some of the equipment you can use for those ab workouts include:
6 Practical Bodyweight Ab Workout Tips And Techniques
Here are some basic tips and techniques to help you get started on your practical bodyweight ab workout. Some of these tips are simply common sense others are actual exercises you should learn to do that can help you achieve your overall goals.
1. Warm up:
You should never start any exercise workout without first warming up. Warming up is a way to get the blood flowing to your muscles and limber up your muscles so that you can better perform the exercises to work your core and your abs more effectively. Some good warm up exercises include; running in place with both your arms and legs moving. Doing a few jumping jacks, or stepping on and off a stair risers for two or three minutes before starting your exercise routine.
2. If you are beginner start your repetitions at a low number:
While repetition does strengthen your core and work those abdominal muscles, those just beginning an ab workout routine should do fewer repetitions. 10 is a good starting number and after a few days you can then begin to work up to more repetitions by 5s.
3. Start with some basic core exercises to help strengthen your core:
While you may be eager to begin doing sit-ups and crunches you are better off to start your bodyweight ab workout with core strengthening exercises that are simple to do. Try a few days or even weeks of exercises like tummy vacuums, clam shells and bird dogs to start strengthening the muscles needed for those tougher exercises.
4. Learn the proper form for each exercise:
This may mean watching that YouTube video over and over or going to gym to learn how to each of the exercises on routine and make sure that you know and are using the proper form. When first starting out the quality of your exercises is far more important than quantity.
5. Check with your Physician before beginning an ab workout or any workout routine:
If possible bring a list of the exercises you plan on doing so your doctor can look at it and tell you if there is any reason why one or another exercise may not be right for your health, age, or physical condition.
6. Make sure your routine contains a lot of variety:
Having variety in your workouts will help you work your core and your abs from different angles and make sure that you are working all of the muscle groups you should be working. If necessary get a fitness professional to help you make up a workout routine that will give you everything you need.
Final Take:
Any Practical bodyweight ab workout needs to include your entire core and be done in such a way as you get the most out of each workout session.
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