Top 10 Abdominal Exercises

We found this great article on AskMen.com ...

Year after year, countless men swear that they will work their abs and achieve the elusive six-pack; most of these men fail. The reasons for wanting great abs are simple: you'll feel good about yourself and therefore boost your self-esteem and girls love them. Here are 10 of the all-time best exercises for your abs. They will help you to whip that gut into shape. Just remember that without a proper diet and a fat-burning cardio regime, you're ab crunches will be in vain.

Number 10
Reaching crunch on ball

Instructions: Sit on a Swiss ball with your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor. Lean back, so that your back is almost parallel to the floor. Straighten your arms and point them toward the ceiling. Contract your abs, as you would for a crunch, while you reach for the ceiling with your fingertips. Hold the contracted position for three seconds. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Number 9
Twist and crunch

Instructions: Place a mat on the floor and lie down on your back, with your hands by your ears and your legs perpendicular to the floor. Twist your hips slightly by contracting your left oblique muscles; hold that position. Using your abs, bring your right elbow across your body to the outside of your left knee. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the movement on your right side. Do 10 reps.

Number 8
Russian twist

Instructions: Sit on a decline bench, with your legs firmly under the pads. Lean back slightly, so that your thighs and torso form a 90° angle. Extend your arms in front of you, so that they form a 90° with your torso, and clasp your hands together. Keeping your back straight, your chest out and your arms straight, make a semi-circle with your arms. With your abs flexed, move as far as you can from right to left and left to right, and do the motion as quickly as you can without sacrificing proper form or range of motion. Work your way up to 60 seconds of continuous movement.

Number 7
Hip raise/leg raise

Instructions: Lie down on a flat bench with your legs up and perpendicular to the bench (hold the bench behind your head for stability). Lift your hips slightly off the bench by contracting your lower abs, hold for three seconds, and lower your hips. Keep your back flat on the bench, your legs straight and lower your legs until they almost form a straight line with the rest of your body. Hold for a count of three and bring them back to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Number 6
Woodchop

Instructions: Add some weight (try 25 pounds) to a multipurpose pulley machine and grasp the handle attachment at shoulder height with your left hand. Square yourself to the machine and take a few steps to the right (away from the machine) until there is sufficient tension. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bring your right arm across your body, and clasp your hands together while holding the handle. Keeping your arms straight and at shoulder-height, use your abs to bring your arms across your body, as though you were making a woodchopping motion. Bring them back to the starting position. Do 10 reps on each side for the excellent core workout.

Number 5
Jackknife

Instructions: Place a mat on the floor, lie down on your back and extend your arms above your head. Simultaneously lift your arms and legs toward the ceiling, until your fingertips touch your toes (if you can). Slowly return to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Number 4
Windshield wipers

Instructions: Place a mat on the floor and lie on on your back with your arms in the "T" position for stability. Lift your legs so that they are perpendicular to the floor and rotate your hips, keeping them in contact with the floor, so that your legs move from left to right, in a "windshield wiper" motion. Make sure to move in a slow and controlled manner. Do 10 reps.

Number 3
Reverse crunch

Instructions: Lie down on a bench with your knees bent and your upper legs at a 90° angle with your torso; grab the bench above your head for stability. Use your ab muscles to pull your knees toward your chest until they reach your elbows. Hold the crunch position for three seconds and return to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Number 2
Side crunch on ball

Instructions: Firmly place your right hip on a Swiss ball and lean into the ball; ensure that your torso is off the ball. Support yourself by pressing the soles of your feet against the bottom of a wall. Place your hands by your ears, and contract your left oblique muscles, lifting your torso up as far as you can. Hold for three seconds and release. Do 10 reps and repeat on the opposite side.

Number 1
Front plank on ball

Instructions: Rest your elbows on a flat bench and the balls of your feet on an exercise ball. Contract your abs so that your body is parallel to the floor and there is no dip in your lower back. Hold the plank position for 60 seconds.

Rock-Hard Abs
Throw a few sets of these ab destroyers between your other exercises at the gym, and within a few weeks, you'll be amazed at your newfound ripped and rock-hard midsection. Just be cool and don't become one of those guys that whips off his shirt to show them off at every opportunity.

Good & Bad Carbs

We have always heard about the difference between good and bad carbs. I came across an article on “Thats Fit” website by Liz Neporent on the difference between good and bad carbs. Here is an excerpt from the article.

Good carbs are good for you because they tend to be broken down more slowly by the body. Whole grains, for instance, include the three parts of the grain: Bran, sperm and endosperm. The body needs more time to process them so they enter your blood stream in a steadier, more controlled way which keeps your blood sugar and energy level more consistent. They’re high in fiber too, so they’re more filling and help push things along the digestive tract. They also tend to be relatively low in calories and fat while high in vitamins and minerals. Studies show a diet that contains lots of good carbs can offer some protection against cancer and other “lifestyle” diseases.

Bad carbs typically deliver a megadose of calories without adding much in the way of nutrition to your diet. They tend to come in large portion sizes and, though they may taste good, typically aren’t very filling or satisfying. You usually wind up eating way more than you intended because your brain takes a moment to realize what’s happening down in the old stomach.

Bottom line: Studies have linked diets that contain an excess of bad carbs to obesity, heart disease and a whole array of other major health headaches. Have a look at your own diet, maybe keep a diet diary for a couple of weeks. Try to substitute the bad carbs in your diet as much as possible.

BMI & BMR

I thought I'd make the first informative post on this Blog about something that everyone can use as part of your programme. Now, everyone knows BMI (Body Mass Index), which compares a person's height and weight. This method is not that accurate but it can give a good indication of a healthy body. It does not measure body fat and in that respect, it is not a good indicator for a person that has a large muscle mass. Its very easy to work out your BMI ...

BMI = Weight (kg) / Height (meters squared)

E.G. someone that is 5 feet 9 and weighs 13 stone. 13 stone is 82.7 kg. 5 foot 9 is 175 cm, 1.75 meters.

1.75 squared = 3.06

82.7 divided by 3.06

This person has a BMI of 27

This would be considered to be overweight, however this person could quite conceivably be very healthy and muscular. As a guide, your BMI should be between 20-25.

BMR is another matter. It stands for Basel Metabolic Rate, meaning the rate at which your body will burn calories if you lived your day in a completely sedentary way. There are sums for this, both different from Men to Women. The easiest way to work it out is to go here ...

There are 14 pounds in 1 stone and 12 inches in 1 foot. The number displayed is the amount of calories you need to maintain your current weight. Anyone that lives by the government guidlines of 2000 calories for women and 2500 for men, will probably be surprised. Those guidlines came out of a Government survey in 1986. In the last 23 years the average weight has significantly risen, whereas the amount of physical activity has fallen.

If you defecit that number by around 500 calories per day, you will see a significant weight loss over the course of a couple of weeks. You can defecit by either diet or exercise, of course doing both is always best.

If you do follow this programme, be sure to get enough nutrients in your diet and vary what you eat. Don't completely cut out one food group - even fat is needed in small doses. Our test subject (above) would have a BMR of 1898 for a man or 1642 for a woman based on them being 28. Just imagine only eating 1398 calories per day for a man or 1142 for a woman. It wouldn't take long to fill your daily quota, which is why it's always best to exercise to hit your daily defecit limit.

Give it a go and let us know how you get on. e-mail adam@vivoactive.co.uk to have your story published.

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The First Post

Hello everyone and welcome to Vivo Active. We will be scouring the web to bring you all the best Health, Fitness and Lifestyle advice. Whether you are a bodybuilder, Personal Trainer or complete novice that wants to get active, this Blog is for you. You will be able to follow us on Facebook and Twitter very soon, or you can e-mail us a direct request, adam@vivoactive.co.uk.

We can write programmes upon request or just answer that health/fitness related question that has been on your mind since you joined your local Gym.

All this for everyone's favourite price, Free! We will be seeking the help of Industry professionals to help us make this Blog, the most comprehensive on the Web. We will also be seeking test subjects. If you are looking to get healthy and are commited to completing a programme, get in touch. We would love to keep a diary on your progress to share with other followers that may need similar advice.

That's all for the first post, but check back as often as you can to keep updated on all the latest info.

Adam