4 Abdominal Exercise Ideas

Tip! Push-ups are an oldie-but-goodie for getting the jiggle out of your triceps. The trick is to take the normal pushup and directly target your triceps.

A lot of bodyweight exercises work at strengthening just the abdominal core, but planks and lunges not only target your core, but burns belly fat too. Let's look at 2 advanced workout variations of each type ... Planks Most of us are familiar with the basic bridge plank, but let's look at the Side Plank and one of its variations:

Side Plank

Tip! It's important to buy athletic shoes that properly fit your feet. Look for new shoes in the afternoon, when your feet are at their largest.

Lie on your side with your legs straight. If you can't hold your abs in for that long, hold for 5 to 10 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, hold again, etc. for 1 minute total. Be sure to keep that straight line by keeping your hips and knees off the floor. Side Plank With Rotation From the Side Plank position, brace your abs and reach your free hand toward the ceiling. Finish the repetition by returning to the side plank starting position.



Lunges Reverse Lunge

Tip! Before beginning any fitness program, one should always pay a visit to the doctor for a checkup. Your doctor will make sure that you are healthy enough to exercise and can give you some tips.

Grab a 5- to 15-pound dumbbell in your left hand and hold it up next to your left shoulder, palm facing in. Step backward with your left foot and lower your body until your knees are bent and your front leg perpendicular with the floor.

During the time you are stepping backward and lowering yourself down, push the dumbbell directly overhead without leaning or bending at the waist. Lower the weight back down to the starting position as you push quickly back to the starting position. Do 10 to 15 of these, then switch sides.

Lunge With Rotation

Tip! After you exercise, you should feel energized, not worn out and ready for bed. Make sure you are including exercises in the cardio category like jogging, running and aerobics.

Pull in your abs and take a big step forward with your left foot while at the same time twisting your torso to the left as you bend your knees and lower your body until your front leg is perpendicular with the floor. Twist back to center, push off your left foot, and back to the starting position. Do 2 or 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps and then repeat with the other leg. Add these advanced plank and lunge workouts to your regular abdominal workouts to bring your core building and belly fat burn to the next level.

Tip! You should always change your exercise routine up. There are many reasons that this is a good idea.

Lie on your side with your legs straight. From the Side Plank position, support your abdominals and reach your free hand toward the roof. Complete the repetition by returning to the side plank starting position. Do 2 or 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps on each side, resting for 1 minute between sets. Do 10 to 15 of these, then switch sides.