How to pump up the abdominal press at home. Twisting on fitball

Developed abdominal muscles and a flat stomach give the figure aesthetics and sexuality. Every man wants to be the owner of six cubes on his stomach, but this requires a lot of physical effort, as well as adherence to a diet. You need to know a few simple rules, under which any man can achieve good results.

How to download the press

First you need to figure out what “cubes” are and what function the abdominal muscles perform. They are involved in walking, turning and bending the body, and also support the stomach and liver. An underdeveloped press leads to the formation of fatty layers on the abdomen and back pain, because the abdominal muscle is important for the lumbar region.

"Cubes" are formed by two rectus muscles on the left and right sides, respectively. Each muscle is divided into four cubes, but only the top three are square. The lower ones have a shape close to triangular.

The abdominal muscle is one, there is no division into upper and lower. Depending on the exercises, the top or bottom of this muscle develops more strongly. In order for the press to develop fully, it is necessary to pump the upper, lower section and oblique abdominal muscles in one workout.

The abdominal muscles recover faster than the rest, so you can train them 3 times a week. A beginner should not “kill” his abs from the very first workouts, otherwise, in addition to the fact that you will experience pain, the muscles may not have time to recover by the next workout. It is best to limit yourself to three main exercises and perform each in three sets of fifteen repetitions.

Equally important are diet and aerobic exercise - any exercise of low to moderate intensity, where oxygen acts to maintain energy. Such workouts strengthen the cardiovascular system and are the best ways to burn fat. Ignoring proper nutrition and aerobic exercise, such as running or cycling, you will not be able to achieve a good result. In this case, the press will train, but there will be no noticeable relief and harmony.

Basic exercises for the press at home

These exercises will help you pump up the press at home:

1. One of the most famous and frequently used exercises, focused on the upper part of the muscle.

2. Due to raising the legs, it is more difficult to perform. The lower part of the press is involved.

3. Develop external and internal oblique abdominal muscles.

4. Side twists. Train the lateral muscles of the press.

5. plank. Static exercise, where there is no movement, to strengthen the abdominal muscles. The main thing here is to keep the body in the correct position as long as possible.

Upper press

So, the simplest and most popular exercise for training the upper part of the press is twisting. You will need a soft exercise mat and any weight on your legs so as not to tear them off the floor. A sofa or a battery will be the best helpers in this matter. Hands should be crossed on the chest, but to complicate the exercise, you can remove them behind your head.

Execution: raise the upper body, bending at the waist and trying to touch the elbows to the knees, and then slowly lower to the starting position. Three sets of twenty repetitions will be enough.

You should not keep your back straight, in which case the load from the press is shifted to the lower back.

The following exercise is called jackknife. It focuses on the upper section, but also engages the lower press due to the simultaneous lifting of the legs.

Execution: lie on the floor and stretch your arms behind your head, keep your legs in a closed position. At the same time, bring your hands to your legs so that the body folds in half. Do two sets of ten reps.

For complication, you can linger in a shortened position for one to two seconds.

Lower Press

The exercise is similar to the first, only you have to raise your legs. In the supine position, fix the torso with your hands, focusing on the floor or holding the sofa.

Fulfillment: raise the legs until the knees touch the chest, then lower the legs until the heels touch the floor. Three sets of fifteen repetitions is the best option.

To complicate the exercise, do not touch the floor with your heels. Because of this, the abdominal muscles will be in constant tension.

It develops the lower part well, an exercise familiar to many scissors.

Fulfillment: lying on your back, put your hands along the body, raise your legs ten to fifteen centimeters. Do horizontal swings with your legs, the wider the better. Two sets of twenty repetitions or more.

During execution, you do not need to raise your head.

The best exercise for the lower abdomen - hanging leg raise. For him, you will need the presence of a crossbar at home.

Fulfillment: while hanging, with a powerful movement, raise the legs bent at the knees, trying to reach them to the chest.

Hold this position for one or two seconds and lower your legs down. Do three sets of ten to twelve reps.

Try not to sway the body while lifting the legs, the press must be in constant tension. To complicate the exercise, raise straight legs to a right angle.

oblique muscles

The best exercise for developing the internal and external oblique muscles of the abdomen. Lying on the floor, press your lower back to the floor, your knees should be bent, and your hands should be behind your head.

Execution: simultaneously raise the torso and the knee opposite to the elbow so that the right elbow touches the left knee. Do the same mirror with the left elbow and right knee. Do three sets of ten reps.

To complicate the exercise, do not lower the torso to the end.

Great exercise to strengthen the oblique muscles.

Fulfillment: lying on your side, keep your legs together one on the other. Lean on the right elbow, keep the left hand on the left side. Tighten the press to lift the pelvis up. Do the same mirror on the other elbow. Perform two sets of twenty times.

How to pump up fast

It will not be possible to completely achieve a beautiful relief press in one week, but the improvements will already be visible. First of all, muscle tone will increase, and the level of subcutaneous fat will slightly decrease. But you should not expect cubes, as this is the result of many days of training and a strict diet. With the right approach, strengthening the press and drawing the long-awaited cubes will begin in about 4-5 weeks of training.

However, it should be noted that people come in different preparations and different physiques. Metabolism plays a key role here. A thin person with a fast metabolism will find it easier to achieve a drawing of the press, because he initially has little belly fat. People with a slow metabolism should severely limit their calories and put more emphasis on aerobic activities, such as running or cycling. Accordingly, this type of people will spend more time achieving results.

How to remove the stomach

First of all, you need to give up alcoholic beverages, especially beer. Alcohol increases the level of hormones that are derived from cholesterol, and they in turn contribute to the formation of fat deposits in the abdomen;

Reduce calories. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. It is better to leave the consumption of carbohydrates in the first half of the day, and in the second, from about three o'clock, the best option would be to eat protein foods and low-calorie vegetable salads. Fiber contributes to weight loss, as its fibers fill the stomach and dampen the feeling of hunger. But starch, on the contrary, is better to exclude to the maximum. It is also better to limit the intake of sweets and fruits due to their sugar content;

Consume two liters of water per day. Without water, it is difficult for the body to cleanse itself, and if you have a slow metabolism, it will be more difficult to reduce fat;

Frequent aerobic and physical activity. Exercise two to three times a week, including exercise and high-intensity exercise.

How much can you pump up the press

A person with an average metabolism will be able to get a tangible result in a month if he practices every day, taking into account proper nutrition. In this case, you should not do serious loads on the press, but pay more attention to aerobics. This will help to quickly drive excess fat from the abdomen, and the exercises will add definition to the abdominal muscles.

Be sure to warm up before training (warm-up will warm up the muscles and protect them from injury);

Follow the technique of performing exercises;

Exercise regularly;

Breathe correctly (do not hold your breath during the approach);

Focus on the abdominal muscle (keep it in constant tension).

This video demonstrates how to perform abdominal exercises at home:

The points discussed in the article will help to achieve the desired result for absolutely any man with any metabolism. There are only three basic rules for building a beautiful figure: regular quality training, proper nutrition and good rest. In a short time, your stomach will become smaller and more prominent, and the figure as a whole will look more aesthetic if you follow the above tips.

To pump up the press cubes at home and not only, you need to: remove belly fat; train the muscles of the press; monitor your progress and make constant adjustments.

Many people strive for sculpted abs, however, not everyone can buy expensive equipment or go to the gym. Rejoice, there are many ab exercises that do not require special equipment, but use your own body and gravity to create a load. Follow the steps below to get the abs you've always wanted at home.

Part 1: Lose Belly Fat

1. Assess your belly fat

Excess fat tends to accumulate around your belly. And the abs lie under that fat, so if you want to show them, you need to shed the extra belly fat. So if you are not in shape yet, then first of all you need to burn belly fat.

  • Remember that ab exercises, such as sit-ups while lying down, will help build muscle and burn calories, but not target fat.

2. Reduce your calorie intake

To pump up the press at home, you need to burn fat, that is, burn more calories than you absorb. It is simply not possible to get embossed cubes with the help of exercises alone. You need to follow proper nutrition to remove excess subcutaneous fat. And here is the easiest way to reduce calories.

  • Reduce your portion size, but don't skip meals. If you do not eat for a long time, the body receives a signal to store fat.
  • Beware of foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients.
  • Be sure to cut back on excess sugar. The extra sugar tends to be stored as belly fat. Read food labels and beware of hidden sugar in bread, sauces, soda and alcohol.
  • Curb your cravings for sweets by making healthy choices like chocolate, honey, and fruit.
  • Record calories ingested using an online calorie calculator, read labels, and/or keep a food journal. There are many applications on tablets and smartphones that can help you calculate the number of calories you should eat and control how much you eat.


3. Eat proteins

Protein is the most important nutrient for building muscles because they are built from protein.

  • It is recommended, depending on your body weight and activity level, that ¼ of your diet should be protein.
  • Your body also burns more calories by breaking down protein than it does by breaking down carbohydrates.
  • Healthy foods should include chicken, fish and turkey. Vegetarians should include tofu, tempei, and seitan.

4. Eat vegetables and fruits

They fill you up quickly and are loaded with the nutrients and vitamins you need to keep you active.

  • Make sure half of your food is fruits and vegetables. The remaining ¼ of the diet (after protein, fruits and vegetables) should be filled with cereals. Whole grains are the best, and should make up half of all grains consumed.
  • Foods high in Vitamin C, such as oranges, kiwis, and kale, will help your body turn fat into energy and balance out the stress associated with food cravings.
  • Garlic, lentils, broccoli, and chili peppers are also good for fat loss.

5. Drink enough water

Keeping an adequate supply of water will improve your energy levels and mood, and help you feel full between meals.

  • Medical research has shown that two cups of water before each meal helps people eat less and reduces sugary drinks.
  • Doctors recommend that women drink 9 cups of water a day and men 13.

6. Get Cardio Exercises

To burn the most calories, you should do cardiovascular exercise (exercise that increases your heart rate) for 30-60 minutes a day. Together with an improved diet, these exercises can help you lose pounds.

  • Choose aerobic activities that you enjoy. If you enjoy them, you are more likely to stick with them. There are many non-gym aerobic activities, such as walking, running, long walks, cycling, dancing, and swimming.
  • If you don't have time to complete a 30 minute workout, there's an easy way to add activity to your life. If you have a sedentary job, use your lunch break for a brisk walk outside. Move around the house or garden for at least 20-30 minutes, or take a walk to your destination instead of driving.

Part 2: Abs Workout


1. Target all three abdominal areas

To get the cubes you need to perform exercises for the upper press, lower and oblique muscles. While you can't focus on each area individually, any abdominal exercise will accentuate a specific part. The following exercises will help you get started.

2. Load Your Lower Abs

People often notice that this area is hard to shape, so it needs more attention. Try these three exercises to tone those muscles.

  • Scissors: Lie on your back and raise your legs to a 45 to 90 degree angle, depending on your flexibility. Place your hands at your sides and lower your right leg slowly, slightly off the floor. Return it to its original position, and then repeat the movement with the left leg. Continue on, changing legs. Try to complete at least 10 reps without stopping.
  • Leg Raise: Lie on your back and raise your legs a few inches off the floor. Keeping your knees straight, slowly raise your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor. Slowly lower them back to their original position without touching the floor. Repeat the exercise.
  • Body Rotations: Sit cross-legged, extend your arms forward and interlock your fingers. Breathe in. While tensing your abs, slowly rotate your upper body to the right 45 degrees. Exhale. Sit up straight and do the exercise on the left side. Repeat the exercise.
  • Remember, when doing any of these exercises, keep your lower back still on the ground. Otherwise, you may injure your back.


3. Work on your upper abs

The upper abdominal muscles are located below your sternum. They also need to be strengthened if you want to get strong cubes. Here are some exercises to help strengthen your upper abs.

  • Lying on the floor to the legs: Lie on your back, bend your knees at 45 degrees, put your feet on the floor. Cross your arms and place them behind your head. Inhale, tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your head and shoulders off the floor towards your knees. Then exhale and slowly lower your back to the floor.
  • Leg Raised Crunches: Get into a crunch position, but keep your feet off the ground. Keep your legs in the air and your lower body on the floor still, as you exhale lift your upper body towards your feet. Then inhale and slowly lie down on the floor. Repeat.
  • Hip Raise: Lie on the floor with your hands at your sides, palms down. Then lift your legs with straight feet. Raise your hips up, off the floor and lifting your abs. Repeat.

4. Work the Obliques

Last but not least, you need to strengthen your oblique muscles. Otherwise, your stomach will be unbalanced, and the cubes will look strange or ugly. Here are some exercises that will help strengthen your lateral muscles.

  • Lateral Curves: Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your waist, and then slowly bend over, moving your upper body to the right. Take the original position, and repeat the movements to the left side. To make the workout more difficult, take a heavy object, such as a water bottle, in your hand and do the exercise with bent arms.
  • Oblique crunches: Lie on the floor, raise your legs, bend your knees at a 45-degree angle and spread your hips. You will notice that it is easier to stay still on a flat surface, such as a bench. Place your hands behind your head and use your abdominal muscles to lift your head and shoulders off the floor, touching your right elbow to your left knee. Return to starting position and repeat the movement, touching your left elbow to your right knee. Exhale as you rise and inhale as you return to the starting position.
  • Oblique twist (Russian twist): Lie on the floor, bend your knees, and fix your feet still. Raise your upper body off the floor. Extend your arms fully perpendicular to your body, and as you exhale, bend your torso to one side. Sit upright while inhaling. Repeat the bend to the other side. To make it harder, hold a heavy object in your hands, such as a water bottle, a bag of flour, or a large dictionary.

5. Plank

Plank exercises are important for any abs workout because they work all the abs together, as well as a lot of other muscles. To perform these exercises, take a push-up position, using your elbows as a support rather than your hands. Keep your body in a straight line, make sure your hips don't sag. Hold on for as long as possible.

  • Keep your head relaxed and look at the floor.
  • Start by holding the plank for 10 seconds, and work to increase that interval.
  • Make sure your body is tense, do this exercise in front of a mirror.

Part 3: Monitor your progress

1. Keep a training and nutrition diary

For any training program, a journal is the best way to keep track of your goal and see if you're getting close to it or not.

  • Every day, carefully record everything you eat and all your exercises.
  • An exercise log can help you see which areas of your diet and your exercise regimen need improvement.

2. Measure the circumference of your waist

Since muscle weighs more than fat, measurements will be a more important indicator of your progress than pounds on the scale.

  • Weekly measurements of your waist will keep you informed and show you the progress you have made.
  • For accurate measurements, use a regular measuring tape, measure above your thighbones.
  • Do not measure over clothing. Relax your muscles and don't pull them in.

3. Take before and after photos

Since you look in the mirror every day, it can be hard to see your progress without a photo.

  • Take a photo every two weeks and compare with the original photos. The changes you see motivate you.

Video

Exercises for training the press at home

  • If you're trying to lose a lot of belly fat, focus on diet and aerobics first. When you lose excess weight, start doing abdominal exercises. This will save you from a vain attempt to build abdominal muscles under a layer of fat.
  • Mix up your workouts. This will keep your body from getting used to it and keep you from getting bored and not exercising.

Cautions

  • Don't overload yourself. The goal is to feel a burning sensation in the muscles, but not pain.
  • Use your hands to support your head during crunches so you don't strain your neck.
  • Beware of hurting your back, do all abdominal exercises on a mat. If you don't have your own mat, use a thick blanket or two.
  • Talk to your doctor before starting a new diet and exercise regimen, especially if you have any medical condition.
  • When doing lower abs exercises, make sure your lower back is kept on the floor to avoid back injury.

How to pump the press correctly is one of the most frequently asked fitness questions.

“Now, 10 minutes of ab work. Any,” our coach said at the end of the workout. Yes, and in the basic training of a beginner, it is also not about specific, but about “any” exercises for the press. We understand how to properly download the press.

And the exercises themselves are usually not given much attention. Meanwhile, studies show that not all of them are good for health and the spine, and not everyone pumps the press.

How to download the press: harmful exercises

An example of a harmful exercise for the press is lifting straight legs with a fixed body. Moreover, whether you lift straight legs from a prone position, or do it from a vertical position with emphasis in the lower back, it harms your spine.

Never do that. Have pity on your spine.

Studies have shown that straight leg raises place a significant compressive load on the intervertebral discs of the lumbar spine. In this case, the maximum force occurs at the moment of separation of the heel from the surface of the plane.

If such a load is carried out regularly, then this can lead to the accumulation of microdamages in normal discs, and in degenerative-changed intervertebral discs, cause damage and an increase in hernial protrusion. Performing this exercise causes the development and progression of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. Therefore, if you raise your legs or body with a rigidly fixed lower back, think about the possible consequences.

In this regard, one of the most harmful exercises is the "folding knife" - the simultaneous lifting of the torso and legs from the floor:

LJ user dmitriysh wrote a post on this topic, where he talks about the particular danger of the “jackknife”: “The abdominal muscles are tense, and the muscles of the lower back are relaxed, therefore, all the load during flexion falls on the ligaments of the spine. As a result, this transition point begins to give painful symptoms, and this point is in very good reflex relations with the entire given segment. The lower back starts to hurt. The more you do such exercises, the sooner it will hurt.

How to download the press: what NOT to do and what to do

1. Just completely eliminate exercises where the lower back comes off the surface or rests on a hard surface.

2. If you are doing lying down twists, avoid tearing your lower back off the floor. Do the twists right.

3. You can easily do without twisting at all, because there are some great ab exercises that do not burden the lumbar spine. In , we recommend the “prayer”:

How to pump the press correctly: There is no “top” and “bottom” of the press. It loads all at once

The muscles in the abdomen are made up of 4 muscle groups. The transverse muscle lies inside, supporting your internal organs.

The internal obliques run diagonally from the pelvis to the sternum, while the external obliques lie above them to help you flex and rotate your torso.

Finally, on top of the transverse muscle lies the rectus abdominis, which is given so much attention - it is she who is called the "abs". It starts on the pelvic bone and is attached to the sternum.

The press keeps the back straight and allows you to lean forward.

Connective fibers, crossing it across, create those same 6 cubes that serve as proof of good physical shape.

Although different exercises involve the abdominal muscles in different ways, there are no such concepts as "top" and "bottom" of the press. Therefore, if you see somewhere exercises “on the upper part of the press” or “on the lower” - smile indulgently. During the performance of any exercises on the press, the entire rectus abdominis muscle is stimulated at once. It is impossible to strain and force only part of it to work.

How to pump the press correctly: we study anatomy - the core muscle

The press refers to the muscles - stabilizers, called in the American manner the muscles "core" (from the word "core" - the essence, center, core). These are muscles that can be developed while remaining still. Unlike other skeletal muscles, they do not move bones.

Their task is to keep the pelvis, spine and hips in a stable position. Strengthening the core allows you to maintain a healthy posture and a healthy spine, but one hour of training per week cannot compensate for 50 hours of sitting in a defiantly preoccupied posture. If you want a straight back and a stomach in cubes, work on your posture. When sitting at the computer, do not lean forward or cross your legs, but keep your shoulders lowered and slightly laid back.

Any complex movement begins with a contraction of the core muscles. Only after they have joined in the work, the force is transmitted through the arms and legs to the barbell or dumbbells. A weak core gives weak commands, so if your results in bench presses or squats have stopped growing, pay attention to the core muscles.

How to download the press: effective and safe exercises

To properly load all the muscles of the core at once, perform the following set of exercises in a row, without rest.

1. Hanging Leg Raise

For the abdominal muscles, the base is the lifting of the legs in the hang on the crossbar (attention: without emphasis in the lower back!)

2. Side bridge

Tightening the muscles of the abdomen and back, tear the pelvis off the floor, bringing the body in line with the legs, rest your forearm on the floor strictly opposite your shoulder. Hold this position for 15-60 seconds (as long as you can!) and repeat for the other side. In addition, strain the muscles of the abdomen and buttocks in order to keep the body perfectly straight.

3. Plank

Emphasis lying on the forearms. Put your feet either together or shoulder-width apart (the wider, the easier). Raise your right hand diagonally forward and to the right “2 o’clock”, fix this position for 2 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat with the other hand and you get one rep. Important: in the initial position, the forearms should be perpendicular to the shoulders, and the elbows should be strictly under the projection of the shoulder joints.

4. Twisting on a fitball

Lie down on the fitball: hands behind the back of the head, feet shoulder-width apart, hips and body in a line parallel to the floor. Now do the standard twist. Do 15 reps or as many as you can.

Pumped up abdominal muscles are one of the most desirable parts of the body for every athlete. Everyone seems to want them, but only a few have them. Perform the following exercises and your stomach will turn into a stone press!

Athletes toil in the gym doing countless sit-ups and crunches, only to end up with sore muscles and dwindling motivation.

Someone does not worry about them at all and practically does not develop them, remembering them only at the end of the workout.

The abdominal region includes a number of important muscles. It not only provides balance, but also redistributes tension and stabilizes the entire body during weight lifting. If the abdominal muscles are pumped up, the body can put more force into, for example, squats and hold the load almost like a weight belt.

The next time you bench press, tighten your abs a little and keep them that way for the duration of the lift - you'll be surprised how much your abs will help you with this exercise.

Abdominal cubes are a sign of a harmonious physique

So, the abdominal muscles are not only an important element in the performance of other exercises in your program, they also play a major role in bodybuilding.

A bodybuilder taking part in competitions must have an excellent set of abdominal muscles in order to take a prize. From an aesthetic point of view, the abdominal muscles attract attention first of all, since they should represent a proportional and harmonious physique. In addition, a belly with six packs shows that the athlete is in great shape and helps to demonstrate the V-shaped torso.

If you stick to a healthy eating plan and follow a comprehensive training regimen, sculpted abs can be a reality for you. Although this article focuses on the training regimen, proper nutrition is also an important factor in creating impressive abs. You can't just do countless squats and leg raises and expect amazing results.

The development of no other part of the body does not require such discipline, but then others simply will not be able to take their eyes off your press.

A bit of anatomy

The abdominal muscles are made up of several sections that compress, stretch, twist and stabilize the body area. They are located in front on the sides on the lower torso, begin at the chest and continue along the pelvis. Let's look at each muscle and its function separately.

rectus abdominis
These are the very coveted six "cubes" - although the muscle has more than six heads. It flexes the spine and brings the chest and pelvis closer together.

transverse abdominis muscle
This muscle is deep and is located under other muscles that are necessary for the stability of the body.

Internal and external oblique muscles
Diagonal muscles that work when turning the torso and stabilize the abdominal area.

Pumping up the relief press!

Now that you know about anatomy and movement mechanisms, let's figure out how to pump up the press. The presented movements and exercises are designed to get the maximum result every time you visit the gym.

Remember that it is always necessary to use the correct technique and not to lift too much weight so as not to risk your safety. When doing any ab exercises, make sure you are constantly in control of the movement (concentric and eccentric) to avoid "idle" repetitions.

Twisting and lifting the body from a prone position

The standard crunch is performed lying on the floor, feet flat on the ground, arms either crossed in front of you or behind your head. Bend the upper body towards the knees, while the lower back should not come off the ground, only the upper torso. Contract your abdominal muscles and exhale as you lift. Hold for a second in this position, then return to the starting position, keeping the abdominal muscles in tension.

To perform sit-ups, take the same starting position, then lift the entire upper body to your knees. Return to starting position. Try to use not the lower back, but the abdominal muscles when lifting.

There are many different types of this exercise, such as crunches on a gymnastic ball, with legs on a bench, and with a small plate on the chest for weight.

Another way to do weighted crunches is to lie on the floor with your head toward the rope attachment on a low pulley and pull the load as you lift your torso. Make sure you keep the ends of the rope on either side of your head as you twist.

A great way to complicate the rise of the body from a prone position is to perform it on a bench with a negative inclination, holding a plate crossed over your chest. This is quite difficult, so try doing it lightly first.

Leg raises

Leg raises are performed in a supine position on the floor, arms slightly apart, palms pressed to the floor for support. Keeping your legs together, lift them up with your knees slightly bent until they are almost perpendicular to the floor. Lower your legs to the starting position, without touching, however, the heels to the floor, and repeat the exercise.

Advice: To make it harder for yourself, do incline leg raises. So the range of motion will be wider, and muscle contraction will be more intense and effective.

Hanging leg raises or bent leg raises are two more options for pumping up the steely muscles of the lower abs. Hanging on the bar, raise your legs straight or bent at the knees in the same way as in the prone position until they are parallel to the floor. Lower your legs. When lifting bent legs, bring your knees up to your stomach and lock. Lower your legs to the starting position.

Side crunches

Lie on the floor on your side, place both hands behind your head, use the footrest to stabilize your lower body if necessary. Raise your body to the side without lifting your hips from the floor. For a second, fix the position of the body at the top point, then return to the starting position. Don't lie. Change sides and repeat the exercise.

"Bike"

One of the most effective exercises from the entire complex for the press (especially for the oblique muscles) is the "bike". It is quite difficult, but if performed correctly, it can guarantee the excellent development of all the muscles of the press.

Lie on the floor, put your hands behind your head, lift your legs slightly off the floor. Start alternately stretching your elbows to your knees. Rotate your torso so that your left elbow reaches your right knee and vice versa. Continue the exercise without touching the floor with your shoulders. Squeeze your obliques with each contraction.

Advice: You can make it more difficult and isolate one set of obliques by focusing first on one side, then on the other. Just do all the reps first on one side and then on the other.

Russian twists

This exercise is not for the faint-hearted. Sit on a Roman chair or incline bench with your upper body lifted off the surface.

With straight arms, hold a medicine ball or pancake in front of you. Start twisting your upper torso first one way (as far as you can), then the other. Continue the exercise at a slightly slower pace. Sharp jerks can lead to injuries to the lumbar spine.

Advice: For those who find it difficult to perform the exercise with a ball or plate, you can simply clasp your hands in front of you and continue to act in accordance with standard technique. So you can strengthen the muscles in order to move on to weighted twisting in the future.

"Plank"

This exercise does not involve any movement and is used to strengthen and develop deep muscles. This stability exercise is mainly used to pump up the transverse abdominis muscle.


Just take the emphasis lying down, just lean not on your palms, but on your elbows. Pull in and tighten your stomach to engage your internal muscles. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, then rest - this will count as one set.

"Side Plank"

Like a regular plank, this exercise develops the internal muscles, but only on both sides for lateral stability. Without bending your body, lie on your side, lift up on your elbow and keep your feet together. You can put your other hand on your waist or on your side. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

Advice: To make the exercise a little more difficult, try slowly switching from a side plank to a regular one, moving to the other side. Make sure your body is level and do the exercise smoothly and at a steady pace.

To turn a protruding belly with flabby muscles into a flat relief press, it is not necessary to go to the gym. You can pump the abdominal muscles at home. However, you will have to train often and hard. The abdomen is a problem area that is difficult to correct. The abdominal muscles are relatively slow to respond to physical activity. And if the abdominal muscles are covered with a thick layer of fat, you will first need to lose weight. This will help cardio loads and the transition to proper nutrition. Those for whom the problem of excess weight is not relevant can immediately begin strength exercises.

To train the press at home, you do not need special equipment. In most exercises for the abdominal muscles, neither weights nor any other sports equipment are used. However, it’s not bad if there is a fitball at home, a Swedish wall with a horizontal bar, dumbbells or barbell disks. On the fitball, you can perform twists, torso lifts, side lifts, leg curls, a stance, that is, all those exercises for the abdomen that are usually performed on the floor. An unstable position on the fitball causes the abdominal muscles to additionally tighten, making their training more effective. Weights - a dumbbell or a disc from a barbell - will be useful for advanced athletes who are no longer satisfied with the standard load in exercises such as twisting and lifting the body. And the presence of a horizontal bar in the house expands the range of available exercises. If you have a crossbar at home, you can practice turning the pelvis, lifting the legs and twisting in the hang - exercises that well load the lower and lateral sections of the abdominal muscles.

The complex of physical activities for training the press should be varied. This means that it is necessary to include three types of exercises in it: on the upper press, on the lower and on the side sections. Such a division of the press into sections is conditional, not anatomical. From the point of view of anatomy, the abdominal muscles are composed of the rectus, transverse, oblique external and oblique internal muscles. The rectus muscle lies in the center of the abdominal wall. Its top is called the upper press - this is the very area on which the relief cubes appear. The bottom of the rectus abdominis muscle, or lower press, does not differ in pronounced relief. To train the upper press, twisting and lifting the body are used. For pumping the bottom, a variety of leg raises are used. The oblique abdominal muscles are located in the lateral part of the abdominal wall. They are responsible for rotation of the body and tilts to the sides and, accordingly, are strengthened by exercises consisting of these movements. The transverse muscle forms the deepest muscle layer. The stronger it is, the more retracted the abdominal wall. The transverse muscle is well pumped when performing a stand on a fitball (analogous to a plank) with a strongly drawn in tense abdomen.

This set of exercises is designed specifically for those who want to pump up the press at home without special equipment. From sports equipment, you only need a fitness mat. Wear comfortable clothing, preferably barefoot.

  1. Sit on a sofa or bench, put your hands back and lean on the seat. Straighten your legs and lift off the floor. Quickly bend your knees and pull towards your chest. Straighten again. Here and in the following exercises you need to do 20 repetitions.
  2. Lie on your back. With your hands, grab onto a fixed support located behind your head. It can be the edge of a sofa or the legs of a heavy chair. Raise your straight legs and bring them to a vertical position. Lower your feet to the floor.
  3. Lying on your back, bend your legs and pull towards your chest. Straighten your legs and lay on the floor.
  4. Duplicate the starting position from the second paragraph. Then, holding on to the support, lift your straight legs up and try to tear your lower back off the floor. You need to take a pose, as in the exercise "birch". While in a shoulder blade stance, bend your legs, straighten them again and continue to bend until you have completed the specified number of repetitions.
  5. Stay in the supine position. Raise your legs and rotate them in the air. Move like you're pedaling a bicycle. For the first three counts, “pedal” forward, for the next three, back. This counts as one repetition.
  6. Put your shins on the sofa. Raise your body and touch your knees with your palms.
  7. Bend your knees, put your feet under the sofa and fix. Put your hands behind your head. Lift the body and turn it to the side, trying to touch the left knee with the right elbow. Lie down on the floor. Climb up again, but this time with a left turn. You need to do 20 repetitions in each direction.
  8. Starting position as in the seventh paragraph. Raise the body and stretch with straightened arms behind the right leg. Lie down, rise again and stretch both hands behind your left leg.

Pumping the press at home, you need to follow certain rules:

  • Before training, a warm-up is necessarily performed, warming up the muscles and joints.
  • Classes are held in a well-ventilated area.
  • You can't train on a full stomach. After the last meal, at least 2 hours should pass. It is also not recommended to sit down at the dinner table earlier than an hour after the end of the workout.
  • At home, you can train the abdominal muscles at least every day (or even 2 times a day). Those who comprehensively work out the body in the gym should take a break - the body needs 1-2 days to recover from heavy weight training.

The pace of work should be even and fast enough: 12-13 leg/body raises in 30 seconds. Rest between exercises is given 30-60 seconds. If the exercise is easy, then the body has adapted to the load and the number of repetitions should be increased. For example, if there were twenty repetitions, you need to add ten more. With frequent and high-quality training, the first visible results will appear after two weeks of training.