fitness
These exercises will keep your stomach toned
Singer Zara Larsson shows her well-trained stomach on the red carpet in Stockholm.
© imago images / TT
If you want to shine with the perfect beach figure in summer, you should start early. These are the best exercises for a toned stomach.
Singer Zara Larsson (23, "Ruin My Life") recently drew attention to herself when she walked the red carpet in Stockholm in a two-parter and presented her washboard abs. If you want to look similarly good in summer at the latest, you should start training now. These are the best abs exercises for six pack abs.
Sit-ups
Sit-ups are the basic discipline of any abs workout. You mainly train the upper abdominal muscles. To do this, lie on your back on the mat, bend your legs 45 degrees, put your arms behind your head and, using only the strength of your abdominal muscles, slowly roll your upper body upwards with your chest towards your knees. Exhale and lower your upper body again and inhale. Four sets of 25 repetitions are ideal for an intensive training effect.
Russian twists
Russian Twists primarily strengthen the lateral abdominal muscles, and as a side effect, the shoulders, back and lower abdominal muscles are also trained. Sit slightly bent back on the mat, with your feet angled off the floor. From this position turn the upper body alternately to the left and right, keeping the legs raised. Advanced users can tie in a weight that they clasp with their hands and carry with them as they rotate.
Crunches
With crunches you train the center of the abdominal area and strengthen the entire core of the body. To do this, lay your back on the mat with your knees bent and your feet firmly on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and curl your upper body at a 30-degree angle while exhaling. Then inhale and return to the starting position.
For bicycle crunches, which train the lateral abdominal muscles and ensure a slim waist, take the same basic position. When curling up, alternately bring your right elbow to your left knee and your left elbow to your right knee.
Leg lifts
If you want to train your lower abdominal muscles, you should make friends with leg lifts. To do this, lay your back flat on the mat, place your arms with the palms of your hands on the floor or under your buttocks for support. Lift your legs at a 45-degree angle to the floor and tense them, then slowly lower them. Without touching the ground, raise your legs again.
Plank
The plank is a true all-rounder: In addition to training the entire abdominal muscles, it also trains arms, shoulders, back and hips. For the forearm support, start in the prone position, place forearms parallel at shoulder height and raise your feet. Tense the entire body and push it upwards – make sure that neither a hollow back is created nor the buttocks are too high. This position should be held for at least 30 seconds – ideally three times a minute.