LEG LIFT EXERCISE
Since we are concentrating on reducing belly fat the common lower stomach exercise is upright leg lift exercise. Its quite easy to do and effective too. Unfortunately, people rarely seem to perform the upright leg lift exercise to its potential.
Procedure
This is an effective exercise for muscle control and stabilization. There are two levels in this exercise. The beginner level is relative simple while the advanced level requires more muscle control and muscle strength. One should start with the first level and then slowly proceed to the advance level stage.
Beginner?s Level
Lie down on the mat with your arms extended at the side of your body, palms facing down, keep your lower back, shoulder and neck comfortably on the mat.
Bend your knees slightly and slowly lift it up for a count of two three seconds until you reach a right angle to your hip. Lower your legs for the same count and stop it a before a few inches of the floor.
Try to avoid the leg contacting the floor until you finish your exercise. Repeat the exercise for 10-15 times before going for break
The Exercise can be made easier by increasing the angle to 30-degreewhile lowering the leg.
Crunches
Instructions
Preparation
Lie down supine on mat and bend lower legs. Place your hands behind your neck or head.
Execution
Flex your waist to raise upper torso from mat. Keep your low back on mat and raise torso up as high as possible for a count of three seconds. Return back until your shoulders contact the mat. Repeat the exercise for 10-15 counts before going for break.
Comments
It is safe to keep your neck in neutral position with a wrist width space between your chin and chest
Easier
The exercise can be made easier by placing the arms in the chest or in the thigh
Harder
This exercise can be made more challenging by placing your hands further beyond your head.
Weighted crunches (weight plates on chest)
Instructions
Preparation
Lie supine on mat, bend your lower legs and keep it on a bench. Place a weight plate on chest and hold it with both hands.
Execution
Flex your waist to raise your upper torso from the mat. Keep your low back on the mat and raise the torso up as high as possible. Return back until your shoulders contact the mat. Repeat the exercise for 10 -15 times before going for break.
Comments
This Exercise can even be performed without any weights until you need more resistance. See to that the weight plate that you carry should not be too heavy Elevating the leg keeps your pelvis (hip bone) slightly tilted back so that the lower back is comfortable on the mat.
Easier
This exercise can be made easier by placing either lesser or no weights on your chest
Harder
This exercise can be made more challenging by increasing the weights on the chest
Incline crunches
Instructions
Preparation
Hook your feet under the foot brace and lie down supine on an incline board with the hips bent and place your hands behind neck or head.
Execution
Flex your waist to raise the upper torso from the bench. Always keep your low back on bench and raise your torso up as high as possible. Return back until your shoulders come in contact with the incline board. Repeat the exercise for 10 -15 times before going for break.
Comments
You can place a ball under the legs if the knee support is not built in the incline board. You may need to keep your neck in neutral position by providing space between the chin and chest.
Easier
This exercise can be made easier by place your arms further down on your body. Movement can also be performed on lower height incline or on flat surface.
Harder
This Exercise can be made more challenging by placing your hands further up on your head. When it gets comfortable the same can also be performed on a higher incline board or with an additional weight.
Ball crunches
Instructions
Preparation
Sit on an exercise ball (Swiss ball), walk forward and lie down back on the ball with your head and shoulders hanging off and knees and hips bent. Gently hyperextend your back to contour of the ball.
Execution
To perform this exercise, flex your waist to raise the upper torso and come back to the original position. Repeat the exercise for 10 -15 times before going for break.
Comments
You can place a ball under the legs if the knee support is not built in the incline board. You may need to keep your neck in neutral position by providing space between the chin and chest. If hips are not bent few may experience low back discomfort so they must use a smaller size ball or lower your hip position on the ball.
Easier
This exercise movement can be made easier by positioning your hips low on the ball or by placing your arms further down away from your head.
Harder
This exercise can be made more challenging by positioning the ball slightly lower on the back and the hips little higher or by adding some additional weight.
Crunch up
Instructions
Preparation
Lie down supine on a mat or on floor with legs and arms pointed up and slightly bend the knees.
Execution
Flex your waist to raise the upper torso from the floor. Return back until your shoulders come in contact with the mat or floor. Repeat the exercise for 10 -15 times before going for break.
Comments
Your hip may move slightly during the exercise. if needed you can perform this with added resistance by holding weight in your hands. You may need to keep your neck in neutral position by providing space between the chin and chest.
Jack knife-sit up
Instructions
Preparation
Sit a mat or on the floor. Lie down supine with your hands on side of your body.
Execution
Simultaneously raise your knees and the torso until your hips and knees are flexed. Come back to starting position with your waist, hips and the knees extended. Repeat the exercise for 10 -15 times before going for break.
Comments
To allow the abdominal muscles to work dynamically, start each repetition with your upper back on floor.
Incline hip raise
Instructions
Preparation
Grasp the feet hooks or the sides of board with your head for support .Lie down supine on the incline board with the torso elevated
Execution
Until hips are fully flexed raise the legs by flexing your hips and knees. Continue to raise your knees toward the shoulders by flexing your waist. Come back until your waist, hips and knees are extended to reach the starting position. Repeat the exercise for 10 -15 times before going for break.
Comments
To avoid throwing weight of your lower legs over head, raise your hips and keep the knees fully flexed
Easier
This exercise can be made easier by decreasing the inclination of the bench or lying on a horizontal surface.
Harder
Perform this exercise with additional weight. Elevate the inclination or perform in a vertical orientation to increase the resistance.
Lying leg-hip raise
Instructions
Preparation
Lie supine on a bench or on the floor. Grasp the sides of the bench for support.
Execution
Raise your legs by flexing hips while flexing the knees until your hip is fully flexed. Continue to raise the knees toward your shoulders by flexing the waist, thus raising hips from board. Come back until waist, hips and knees are extended. Repeat the exercise for 10 -15 times before going for break.
Comments
To avoid throwing weight of your lower legs over head, raise your hips and keep the knees fully flexed
Easier
For decreasing intensity, perform the exercise on floor and allow your heels to contact the floor for each repetition or perform slightly declined surface.
Harder
This exercise can be made more challenging by perform on incline board or exercise ball .This exercise can also be performed with added weight.
Stretches
Kneeling abdomen stretch
Instructions
Preparation
Kneel down on the floor or mat with your hips straight. Place your hands on back of the hips
Execution
Bend back by arching the torso back. Grip the stretch for few seconds.
Lying abdomen stretch
Instructions
Preparation
Lie down prone on the mat or floor. Position your hands on floor to sides of your shoulders.
Execution
Push your torso up by keeping the pelvis (hip) on floor. Hold stretch for few seconds.
Standing abdomen stretch
Instructions
Preparation
Stand straight with arms extended overhead.
Execution
Arch back by lifting the chest up and bringing the arms back as far as possible. Hold stretch for few seconds.
Spot Reduction Myth
Fat is lost throughout the body in exercise in a pattern which depends on genetics, sex, and age of a person to lose fat in any particular area the over all body fat should be reduced. The abdomen hip and the thighs are the first area to accumulate fat and they are the last area to become lean whenever body losses or gains weight. Hence exercise like sit ups, crunches leg raise will strengthen the muscle under the fat
