 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
(c) 2009 MarshallFitness.com All Rights Reserved
| ||||
Fitness Search
| ||||
| ||||
AB EXERCISES
BEST AND WORST ABDOMINAL EXERCISES
Last Update: July 14, 2009
| ||||
Smooth 945TV Treadmill
Featuring the new Hydra Suspension™ adjustable shock absorption system, the 9.45TV is equipped with the ability to adjust the softness of the running surface for each and every member of the family. More Info
Best Seller
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
Read Below
Usage
Abdominal exercises are useful for building the abdominal muscles. This is useful for improving performance with certain sports, taking punches, but it has little effect on decreasing fat in that area of the body (belly fat), or on the body's distribution of body fat.
Breakdowns
The anterior abdominal wall is made up of 4 muscles-- the rectus abdominis muscle, the internal and external obliques, and the transversus abdominis.
Types of abdominal exercises and effectiveness
The effectiveness of abdominal exercise is measured using electromyography (EMG) relative to the traditional crunch. The following ranks abdominal exercises from best to worst in terms of activity detected by the EMG measures:
All info provided by Wikipedia
exercise
Bicycle crunch
Captain's chair
Exercise ball
Vertical leg crunch
Torso track
Long arm crunch
Reverse crunch
Crunch with heel push
Ab roller
Hover
Traditional crunch Exercise tubing pull
Ab rocker
mean activity
248%
212%
139%
129%
127%
119%
109%
107%
105%
100%
100%
92%
21%
Activity in rectus abdominis
exercise
Captain's chair
Bicycle crunch
Reverse crunch
Hover
Vertical leg crunch
Exercise ball
Torso track
Crunch with heel push
Long arm crunch
Ab roller
Traditional crunch
Exercise tubing pull
Ab rocker
mean activity
310%
290%
240%
230%
216%
147%
145%
126%
126%
101%
100%
77%
74%
Activity in obliques
Safety of abdominal exercises
Abdominal exercises also put some degree of compressive force on the lumbar spine, putting unwanted stress on the lower back. In addition, exaggerated abdominal exercise can cause respiratory problems. A study of twelve exercises concluded that no single exercise covered all abdominal muscles with high intensity and low compression.
High challenge-to-compression ratio
Crunch with feet anchored
Crunch with feet free
Bicycle crunch
Hanging straight leg raise
Low compression, lower challenge
Crunch with feet anchored
Crunch with feet free
High challenge, higher compression
Straight-leg sit-up
Bent-leg sit-up
Low challenge-to-compression ratio
(not recommended!)
Supine straight-leg raise
Supine bent-leg raise
Hanging bent-leg raise
Static cross-knee crunch
The benefit of focused training on the "deep core" muscles such as the transversus abdominis has been disputed, with some experts advocating a more comprehensive training regimen.
Ab toners
The Ab toner is a product frequently seen on TV infomercials that claims to allow users to obtain muscular abs without doing any sit-ups. The Ab tone works by using E.M.S. or Electrical Muscle Stimulation. "EMS is predominantly used by doctors and physical therapists to prevent, or reduce, muscle atrophy." The technology was originally developed to help women recover muscle after childbirth. The machine sends signals to the nerves that cause contractions.
Chuck Norris wants YOU to get into shape! - Total Gym Official Store.
Try Total Gym® for 30 Days for only $1 - FREE Shipping.
| ||||
| ||||
Equipment
Information
Other
| ||||
Where To Buy A Treadmill
So you've decided to buy a treadmill. But where can you look? Is there advantages of one place over another? There are in general 3 places you can buy your treadmill. This article will outline what you should know about each.
Top Brands
| ||||
