Dialing abs from home is possible. Wheel crunches, planks, and bicycle crunches are practical exercises to strengthen the abdomen.
An abdominal routine to mark the six-pack at home should include different types of crunches and exercises that work the other areas of the abdomen.
When working your abs, the key is to emphasize technique. As well as achieving an alternation between the rectus abdominal muscle and the obliques. Read on for the best abdominal exercises to do at home.
Abdominal Exercises: Which Are The Best To Do At Home?
The different types of static abdominal exercises, such as the frontal or lateral planks, improve the neuromuscular connection (abdomen-brain). Because they do not need extra equipment, they are ideal to do at home.
However, if you have the possibility of buying an abdominal wheel, you will make sure to work the middle area comprehensively.
Leg raises are the best exercises to work your lower abdomen. This is ideal for achieving balanced muscle growth and strength in all core areas. Crunches are the best exercises to work the rectus abdominis muscle. However, errors in technique can lead to neck or back pain.
Examples of abdominal exercises to do at home
The abdomen is composed of several muscle groups, including exercises to work the different areas that are essential to achieve a proportionate core.
To work the obliques (located on the sides), the ideal is bicycle crunches, side planks, and ball crunches.
The abdominal vacuum is best to work the internal muscles; for the lower area, the leg raises. Here are some examples of abs exercises to do at home:
Front abdominal planks are an essential exercise that can never be missing in a routine for men. It is considered an ideal static exercise to do at home.
- Side abdominal planks
One of the best exercises to work your oblique abs. It can be done both in the form of static and dynamic exercises. The most common mistake in beginners is in support of the elbows. Make sure to form a 90-degree angle between your shoulders and the ground.
- Crunches
The crunches are essential exercises to work the rectus abs. When lifting the body, you should exhale and keep your back straight.
- Leg raises
This type of abs exercise technique requires immobilizing the body with the arms. This allows for an increase in the load on the lower part of the core muscle. In the starting position, the lower part of the back should remain flat against the floor.
- Oblique crunches
Oblique crunches are a classic exercise to work the lateral area of the abdomen. To feel the correct work of the abs, you can place your hand in the lateral area.
- Bicycle abs
The bicycle crunches are the best exercise to work the abdominal area ultimately. Studies have shown that they are the most effective in strengthening the middle zone. (2) The technique consists of trying to touch the knees with elbows alternately.
- Reverse crunches in banking
Reverse crunches are a complex variation on leg raises. Lifting your legs should increase your lower back slightly. If you do not have a bench at home, you can do them on a mat on the floor by fixing your arms to a table.
- Wheel crunches
The abdominal wheel is one of the best exercises to work the upper part of the abdomen. A beginner is recommended to start with knee support.
- Sit-ups with the ball (football)
The abs with fitball are ideal for working the abdomen entirely without hurting the cervical area. The key in the technique is to form a line and join the ball with the strength of the core; you must avoid turning it sideways. If you don’t have a fitness ball at home, you can use a backpack or an inflatable to simulate movement.
- Fitball crunches against the floor.
One of the best exercises to work on is the lower abdomen. It also allows performing the shoulders and chest muscles secondarily. If you don’t have a fitness ball, don’t try this exercise at home.
How to do sit-ups? – Correct technique of crunches
The primary signal to realize that the abs are being executed with the correct technique is the appearance of a characteristic burning sensation in the abdomen. When doing crunches, you should feel the tension in the upper part of the core muscle.
10-15 repetitions of exercises may be sufficient for beginners to achieve this burning sensation. Whereas for an athlete’s advanced level of torsion, at least 25 repetitions and possibly the use of additional weight are needed.
When working the abdomen with crunches, the shoulders should be raised slightly off the floor while feeling the active participation of the core in work. The technique of abdominal crunches is:
- Lie on your back with your hands behind your head.
- The legs must remain bent at the knees and held firmly on the floor. For added stability, the trainer can have them.
- During the exercise, the lower back must constantly press against the floor.
- Activating the abdominal muscles, gently lift the shoulders upwards (about 10-15 cm).
- The back must remain straight. The abdomen should stay firm and lowered slowly without touching the ground with the shoulders.
Effectiveness of crunches Is it a myth that they are the best to mark the abdomen?
In terms of effectiveness, studies claim that bicycle crunches are one of the best exercises for abs. They are even better than abdominal planks and wheel crunches if performed correctly. (2)
Effectiveness of Different Types of Abs – Examples
| 1. “Bicicleta” – Bicycle Maneuver | 248 |
| 2. Fixed bar leg raises – Hanging leg raise | 212 |
| 3. Sit – ups on the ball – Excercise ball | 139 |
| 4. Leg and pelvic raises – Leg raise | 129 |
| 5. Wheel crunches – Torso track | 127 |
| 6. Abdominal curl with straight arms – Long arm crunch | 119 |
| 7. Inverted Crunches – Reverse Crunch | 109 |
| 8. Sit-ups on the Ab Roller machine – Ab Roller | 105 |
| 9. Plank face down – Plank position | 100 |
| 10. Sit-ups on the Ab Rocker Machine – Ab Rocker | 21 |
How many sets and repetitions do you have to do in an abdominal routine?
Examples of reps and sets for beginners:
- Three sets of 10-15 reps
- Slow pace
- Full control of breathing
Examples of repetitions and series for advanced athletes:
- Four sets of 20-25 reps
- Medium pace
- Full control of breathing
Advantages and disadvantages of abdominal exercises
The main advantage of crunches compared to other exercises to work on abdominals is that they do not need to use the equipment. The training can be done on the floor or on grass. When performed correctly, crunches allow the upper abdominal workouts to be marked quickly.
The downside to crunches is the high risk of spinal strain. This can lead to the development of chronic pain in the lower back. In addition, doing crunches does not expend a significant amount of calories, so they are not the best exercises to eliminate body fat.
Common mistakes when doing sit-ups
Despite the apparent simplicity of the technique of crunches, they are one of the types of abdominal exercises where you tend to see more mistakes in beginners. Crunching requires a strong connection between the abdomen and the brain.
Beginners often make mistakes such as exaggerating the range of motion or lifting the body with the help of the cervical.
Excessive lifting of the body overloads the lower back and cervical area and can lead to pain in the neck and neck.
If you have pain in your neck or lower back after doing sit-ups, it is a direct sign of errors in the technique. In most crunches, the angle of elevation should not exceed 60 degrees.
Beginners often do crunches at breakneck speed. This is one of the errors that does not allow complete control of the abdomen.
As for breathing, it is recommended to exhale at the top of the movement. This allows for achieving better results by increasing the number of repetitions. This translates as greater effectiveness of the exercises in marking the abs.
How many times a week do you have to do sit-ups at home?
The abs are a large muscle group. They require at least 48-60 hours to fully recover. (3) (4) Ideally, to achieve the six-pack is to work the abdominals about three times a week in a secondary way and dedicate an entire day to muscle hypertrophy exercises for the abdomen.
To mark the abdomen and achieve the six-pack, you must regularly increase the difficulty level or combine the crunches with other core exercises for strength. In all cases, particular emphasis should be placed on technique.
Remember that working and marking the abdomen exclusively with crunches is difficult. The abdominal muscles quickly get used to the load and stop growing.
The best abdominal exercises are bicycle crunches, planks, and wheel crunches. Other activities such as classic crunches are ideal for a beginner to mark the upper abdomen. The key to the crunching technique is to control your speed, breathe at the top of the movement, and avoid lifting your shoulders excessively.
