Hi Everyone,
Ok, I'll be the first to admit that I'm out of shape..LOL.I am not over-weight but I do need to tone up and gain muscle.
I was wondering if any you know any exercises to tone up the upper and, (especially..lol) the lower abs.
Any advice would be great!
Hope everybody has a great day!
sky

Begin lying on the floor with your legs lifted up into the air (for example rest your feet on the couch - that L formation thing). Do your crunches with your legs lifted in this way. Don't necessarily go a full sit up but rather focus on your abdominal muscle and pinch it (crunch it). While you do this pinch thing take a breath out (keep pinching). So if you were to do a bunch of crunches in a row your breathing would sound like "Shhhh, Shhhh, Shhhh."

Next rather than crunching yourself straight up - do a crunch to the left and then to the right. The important thing isn't how high you lift yourself up (and try to keep all pressure off the back of your neck) it is more important that you are pinching those muscles.

Next lift yourself up in a basic crunch (as described above first) but only bring yourself part way up (Shhhhh) and then crunch again the rest of the way up(completely blow out your air). When you bring yourself all the way back down into the lying position do it again in two steps. Try this for the cross over crunching too. Lift part way up, crunch to the left, return to the part way up , then down.

Also I highly recommend getting one of those 4" x 4' exercise bands and stand on one end of it with your right foot and wrap your right hand tight around it (around your calf area). Allow your left side to bend all the way over tightening the left abs while you do it. Then switch sides.

Also....lie on your back with your legs straight. Slightly lift your left foot off the ground maybe three inches. While this is lifted up, do a crunch. Alternate to your right leg. Lift it slightly and crunch. You should feel a pulling more in your lower ab area.
shawn

[This message has been edited by briggslady (edited 04-29-2002).]

Sky

Im a certified Fitness trainer and the ab routine that briggs gave you is a very good beginner/intermediate program. My only suggestion is to remember that no matter how many crunches you do, if your not eating right you will not "shrink" you waist. Trust me, I know!! Its the one area that I gain weight in first and the last place to loose it so I have a constant battle with my belly!

Good luck

Ali