Strong abdominal muscles
The 5 best abdominal exercises that aren’t sit-ups
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Do you want to do something for your abdominal muscles, but you are not a fan of the classic sit-ups? Then we have five alternative exercises for you – which are also much more effective!
Strong abdominal muscles are important for health. A strong core protects our back, especially the sensitive lumbar spine. In addition, the lower abdominal fat, the so-called visceral fat, can be very harmful to health because according to studies it can promote cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes and high blood pressure.
It is all the more important that we train our abdominal muscles. If you immediately think of the boring sit-ups, we can put your mind at ease. Because there are abdominal exercises that are much more effective – and a lot more fun. Here are our favourites.
5 abdominal exercises that aren’t sit-ups to reduce visceral fat
1. Squat
Our largest muscles are in our legs. Therefore, in order to burn calories, you should also train your legs. Combination exercises like squats are best – they activate the leg, buttocks and core muscles at the same time. This is how you can actively reduce belly fat.
That’s how it’s done:
- Stand with your feet parallel, hip-width apart or slightly wider. Most of the weight should be on your heels.
- Now bend your knees, push your hips back and lower your buttocks. Be sure to keep your knees behind your ten-pointers. Ideally, the knees form a right angle. Also make sure not to hollow your back, but to activate your core muscles. This protects the lumbar spine and strengthens the abdominal muscles.
- Then, just as controlled, come back up and slowly repeat the squats at least 20 times.
2nd plank
The plank is an optimal full-body exercise that primarily strengthens the deep muscles in the abdomen.
That’s how it’s done:
- On all fours, stretch out your legs and keep your body in a straight line. Make sure your buttocks aren’t pointing up – your body really should be straight like a board.
- Hold for about 45 to 60 seconds and increase the time depending on your training level.
- As a variation, you can also practice the forearm plank. To do this, come up on your forearms and hold for 45 to 60 seconds.
3. Side plank
Side planks, a variation of the plank, work the lateral abdominal muscles at the waist.
That’s how it’s done:
- For side plank, shift weight from plank to right arm and stack left foot over right. The left arm is stretched upwards.
- At the beginning you can also put your feet in front of each other to have a little more stability.
- Hold the side plank for about 30 seconds and then switch sides. Again, you can adjust the duration as you train more.
4. Boat (Navasana)
The yoga posture “The Boat” (“Navasana” in Sanskrit) is one of the most effective exercises for the core – it primarily strengthens the deep muscles in the stomach and back.
That’s how it’s done:
- First, come into a seated position with your legs straight and your back upright.
- Next, using your abdominal muscles, lift your legs and tilt your upper body back slightly so that your hips are at a right angle. The arms are stretched out straight in front of the torso.
- Hold the boat for about 30 seconds. Make sure your back stays straight and you lift your breastbone up.
- If you want to make the exercise dynamic, you can also slowly lower your arms and legs to the floor and raise them again.
5. Burpees
With burpees you activate your entire body and especially strengthen your abdominal muscles.
That’s how it’s done:
- First, from a standing position, squat down and place your hands on the floor.
- Now jump your feet back until your legs are straight, landing in the plank or push-up.
- From the push-up, jump forward again with your feet and come to a standing position.
- Repeat several times. You can gradually increase the number of burpees depending on your training level.
Sources used: gymondo.com, yogaeasy.de