Standing ab exercises:
Bicep, Butt and Ab Blaster:
Use 5- to 8-pound free weights. Standing with right foot on the ground, bring left leg forward into a knee raise at a 90-degree angle. Holding one weight in each hand, raise forearms and bend elbows forward into a 90-degree angle with palms facing each other. While abs are engaged, pulse the left knee upwards while contracting the bicep and pulling the weights toward the shoulders. Pulse 7 times and hold.
Ab Twister:
Use 5- to 10-pound weights. Begin standing tall with both feet planted firmly on the ground in a stationary position. Holding free weights, raise arms to the sides into a 90-degree angle, with elbows in line with the shoulders and palms facing forward. Raise left leg to the side. Ensure chest is forward, head is up, back is straight and abs are engaged.
Balancing Act:
Use 5- to 8-pound weights. Begin with both feet planted firmly on the ground and raise left knee backwards into a 90-degree angle.
Flying Eagle:
Use 5- to 10-pound weights. Standing with right foot on the ground, take left leg one step backwards onto toes. Hold one free weight in each hand and let arms rest at sides with elbows slightly bent and palms facing each other. Hinge the hip forward 45 degrees and ensure the back remains neutral, which means back is straight and neck is in alignment. Ensure chest is forward, head is up and abs are engaged.
Standing Tummy Tightener:
Use 5- to 10-pound weights. Begin standing tall with both feet planted firmly on the ground in a stationary position. Holding free weights in each hand, place the left hand on the hip. Raise the left arm forward and upwards into a frontal raise position with palm facing the floor, arm straight and elbow slightly bent.
Commonly asked ab questions:
- Why don't people like doing their ab exercises on the floor?
>> Some people may have mobility challenges getting onto and up off the floor.
>> There is high incidence where traditional floor ab exercises can cause strain on the neck and lower back when done incorrectly.
>> People may assume that floor crunches are a waste of time when they are not seeing results.
- Can doing 500 sit-ups give you Ripped abs, or is that a myth?
>> If you are able to do 500 reps of abdominal exercises, the muscles in your stomach may have become used to the exercise and therefore you are losing the effectiveness of the exercise.
>> Often, the visual of a 'six-pack' is related to body fat. Your body fat level needs to be extremely low to be achieving ripped abs.
>> People mistakenly assume that if you work a specific body part (spot training) you will melt the fat away, but this is not the case. Cardio exercises are the best to reduce overall body fat levels.
>> Even if you do thousands of sit-ups every day, the end result will be that you will get sore and have high potential to injure yourself.
- What are some of the key things people need to know when training their abs?
>> It is important when working abs to focus on form and technique, not the number of reps.
>> Isolate the abs when working them.
>> Incorporate a good diet, adequate cardio, and an ab routine.
>> Getting great abs just takes commitment and the knowledge.
>> Reduce Calories
>> Eat more protein
>> Eat every 2-3 hours
>> Ab exercises
- What are the benefits of standing ab exercises (vs. floor ab exercises)?
>> Allows you to focus on balance and core conditioning as well as working the abs.
>> The exercises are a repetition of motions used in everyday activities.
>> Help to improve posture.
>> Provides support for the back and reduces the risk of injury in this area.
>> You are less likely to feel strain on your back or neck when you are standing versus doing traditional core exercises on the floor
>> Ab training is one of the most neglected areas for exercise. By doing compound exercises, you are working multiple body parts in less time.
>> Compound exercises burn 2-3 times more calories than isolation exercises.
- How many days per week should you train your abs?
>> Train your abs 3-5 days per week and try to leave time for recovery every other day, just as with any other muscle group.
>> http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Gallery+ripped/1499908/story.html
About "Get Extremely Ripped"
Certified fitness trainer/instructor Jari Love today introduces her new "GET EXTREMELY RIPPED" DVD ($14.99), which takes her popular "Get Ripped" workout series to a more intense level. The new DVD expands Love's proven system to help people of any fitness level shed unwanted pounds and gain muscle definition at home in just weeks. Now available at www.jarilove.com, this 60-minute program also can be broken down into two 30-minute workouts and features exercises scientifically proven to be the most effective in burning carbohydrates and calories in the shortest amount of time. As in all the other DVDs in Love's "RIPPED" series, the exercises in "GET EXTREMELY RIPPED" are very simple and easy to follow, but they use lots of reps because this keeps the heart rate elevated while sculpting the muscles.
One of Love's clients recently lost 65 pounds in 12 weeks using her program. "'GET EXTREMELY RIPPED'" is effective because you can build up to it," says Love. "If you just work at it consistently, your body is ready for new challenges every few workouts. That's how you get great results."
Love recommends working out with weights to everyone, but especially women who are going through menopause or who are in the stages leading up to it (peri-menopause). Weight bearing exercise is one of the most important things women can do to help fight symptoms that come with menopause, such as stress, difficulty sleeping and bone loss. Leg exercises help the body produce testosterone, which is key for building muscle and it also helps increase your sex drive, according to Love.
Love developed the "GET EXTREMELY RIPPED" workout in collaboration with an exercise physiologist and a physiotherapist to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the routine. Love determined that working all major muscle groups in a continuous fashion, and thereby keeping the heart rate elevated, allowed test subjects to constantly burn fat and it revved up their metabolism for hours after they finished exercising. To select the most effective exercises for the DVD, the laboratory performed Volume of Oxygen Consumption (VO2) testing with a metabolic cart using Love's "Get Ripped" workout as the exercise protocol. Measured variables included the percentage of carbohydrates (RER), lactic acid profile, calories (Kcal), ventilation and oxygen consumption (VO2).
The "GET EXTREMELY RIPPED" DVD features a "calories burned" tally for each section and a 30-second clock to indicate when an exercise is almost over to help motivate you to the finish line. A bonus eight-minute track of abdominal work is included to help you get a firmer, flatter, core-defining stomach. From beginning exercisers to advanced, this DVD has modifications for all skill levels. For higher intensity, an optional workout step and handheld weights (three to eight pounds) can be added.
