Summer is here, the beach figure not yet? It's high time to get active. These six exercises ensure a firm stomach.
Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez (50, "Hustlers") has one, fashion blogger Caro Daur (25) also and entrepreneur Cathy Hummels (32) anyway. We're talking about the six-pack. Especially in the summer months, many women would like to cut a good figure in their swimwear. Not in top form yet? These six abdominal exercises can help.
Sit-ups
One of the most well-known abdominal exercises are sit-ups. The straight abdominal muscles are trained with them. To do this, lay your back on the floor, stand with your legs bent. Then, using the abdominal muscles, bring the upper body up in a rolling movement, bring the chest towards the knee, the stomach towards the thigh. Breathe out. The end position is reached as soon as the upper body is positioned perpendicular to the floor. Then lower again and inhale. The arms can be moved sideways along the thighs or the hands can be positioned on the temples during the exercise.
Bicycle crunches
The side abdominal muscles can be trained in addition to the straight ones with so-called bicycle crunches. Starting position: lying on the back, hands on the temples, legs stretched slightly off the floor. The exercise starts by lifting the shoulder blades off the floor and bringing the right knee together with the left, bent arm. The left leg remains stretched out, the right shoulder touches the floor. Then return to the starting position and repeat the movement with the left leg and right arm.
Russian Twists
Russian Twists are particularly effective for training the lateral and lower abdominal muscles. To do this, take a slightly bent position on the floor and hold a weight of your choice in your hands. Beginners can initially do without the weight in order to concentrate on the correct execution of the exercise. Then it starts: The legs are raised from the floor (beginners – angled, advanced – stretched), the weight in front of the body is held in the air. From this position, the upper body is turned alternately to the right and left, whereby neither legs nor weight should touch the floor. The rotation trains not only the abdominal muscles, but also the trunk stability as well as the back and shoulders.
Leg Levers
If you especially want to show off your lower abdominal muscles, you should make friends with Leg Levers. Here, too, the starting position lies on its back on the floor, with the arms lying next to the body. Then the legs are lifted vertically into the air, the abdominal muscles are tensed and the legs are simultaneously lowered again under this tension. Before they touch the ground, the movement to the vertical position is repeated. It is important not to fall into the hollow cross. If you have problems keeping your lower back on the floor, you can put your hands under the buttocks as an aid.
Plank
Planks show how effective static exercises are for abdominal muscle training. The arm and leg muscles as well as the deep trunk and back muscles also benefit from the forearm support. This time it is started in the prone position, the forearms placed parallel to the shoulders. Then stand up, tense the whole body and push up. It is important that the tension is maintained, the center of the body does not sag in the hollow back and the hips and shoulders are at one level. This position should be held between 30 and 90 seconds.
Mountain climbers
The push-up position serves as the basis for mountain climbers. Here, too, not only the straight abdominal muscles, but also the back, shoulders and the buttocks and leg muscles are trained. The hands should be hip-width straight in a line under the shoulders, then it starts: The right knee is pulled towards the middle of the body, while the left leg remains in its position. With a sudden change, it is finally exchanged. The right leg is put back again and the left knee is pulled up. Those who keep their body tension avoid a hump or a sagging hollow back.