I'm going to show you an example today of one of my favorite ab workouts that doesn't include any direct ab exercises at all. It's in a tri-set format (similar to a super-set but alternating between 3 exercises).
Here goes:
1a. Renegade Dumbbell Rows
1b. Front Squats with Barbell
1c. Mountain Climbers on Floor
A good rep scheme to use with this could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less reps, such as 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise. Mountain climbers can be done for a time interval (such as 30 seconds) instead of "reps".
Renegade dumbbell rows are done starting in a pushup position with the hands on 2 dumbbells. You then row one dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during the rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection core area. Trust me... you'll feel it in the abs!
Front squats are done similar to back squats, however with the barbell in front of your body on the front of your shoulders instead of resting on the upper back as in back squats. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body. This takes a little practice at first, so you will want to seek a professional trainer at your gym to help you with the form. Front squats require extreme stabilization strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg exercise, you'll feel this one in the abs big time!
Mountain climbers are done by starting in a pushup position and then shuffling your feet in and out so that your knees are moving in under your chest and then back out to starting position. It sort of resembles climbing a mountain but flat on the floor. If you want an advanced version, you can also shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the leg movements. This really makes it a full body exercise and MUCH more difficult than standard mountain climbers.
After finishing each exercise, rest about 30 seconds before starting the next exercise. Rest about 1-2 minutes after completing each "tri-set" before repeating.
This will give you one of the best ab workouts you've ever had without even doing any direct ab exercises. You'll see what I mean after you try it!
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Tuesday, February 3, 2009
lose abdominal fat The Best Ski Exercises For Rock Solid Skier Legs
Every time I read a skiing magazine or see another so called "expert" recommending ski-specific workouts, I have to cringe when I see some of the exercises recommended! After all, isn't the goal of an effective skier fitness training routine to reduce injuries while simultaneously building incredible strength and endurance in your legs and core?
Of course that's the goal... we all want to tear up the slopes as long as possible, avoid the dreaded "jello legs" that might cut our day of skiing short, and also prevent those nagging injuries that might cut our season short.
The problem I've seen with traditional workout routines that are being recommended for skiers are that they not only use inefficient exercises that don't carry over that well to actual skiing movements, but also may even be setting you up for an injury. For example, if you've seen workout routines that are recommending machine leg presses, machine leg extensions, and machine leg curls, please run screaming from that workout recommendation as fast as you can! It will only set you up for injury, and won't even help your goal of strength and endurance that's actually applicable to skiing movements.
The same can be said if you see authors recommending smith machine squats or any smith machine exercises whatsoever... they should all be avoided as smith machine movements follow unnatural movement patterns (not biomechanically correct) that can create excessive stress on the back and possible injury there and/or in the knees.
Now what about wall squats (aka "wall sits")? Well, although almost every skiing fitness program in existence seems to recommend this exercise for skiers, I don't find it to be optimal. I will say that it's a step in the right direction compared to the machine-based exercises that I mentioned previously. However, wall squats are still not a truly effective exercise that carries over directly to strength and endurance throughout the entire range of motion that the legs use during skiing. This exercise can be mildly effective since even an isometric exercise held for endurance in one joint angle will still carry over to a slightly wider range of motion, but I actually have at least a dozen exercises that are MUCH more effective than wall squats. One of the other major faults that I've found with typical ski workout fitness routines is that they often neglect achieving a proper joint strength balance (proper strength ratios between quadriceps, hamstrings, etc). Although skiing demands a lot of work from your quadriceps and less work from your hamstrings and glutes, it is still vitally important for injury prevention to maintain proper strength ratios between all of the muscle groups of the lower body and also make sure the small stabilizer muscles around the joints are properly strengthened. This is yet another factor that's lacking in most skier workout programs. Want to know all of the specific exercises that really work in developing rock solid legs that will never quit on you on the slopes? Visit here for the best Ski Conditioning Exercises and learn the best kept secrets.
Mike Geary is a certified Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Specialist and the Author of the popular skiing fitness book for people that are serious about their ski season - Avalanche Ski Training, Your Guide to Carving Down the Mountain with the Power of an Avalanche.
Mike is also the author of the wildly popular book, The Truth about Six Pack Abs, which is the number one best selling abs program on the entire internet with readers in over 150 countries. Visit the following site to learn the truth about stomach fat exercises lose abdominal fat
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Of course that's the goal... we all want to tear up the slopes as long as possible, avoid the dreaded "jello legs" that might cut our day of skiing short, and also prevent those nagging injuries that might cut our season short.
The problem I've seen with traditional workout routines that are being recommended for skiers are that they not only use inefficient exercises that don't carry over that well to actual skiing movements, but also may even be setting you up for an injury. For example, if you've seen workout routines that are recommending machine leg presses, machine leg extensions, and machine leg curls, please run screaming from that workout recommendation as fast as you can! It will only set you up for injury, and won't even help your goal of strength and endurance that's actually applicable to skiing movements.
The same can be said if you see authors recommending smith machine squats or any smith machine exercises whatsoever... they should all be avoided as smith machine movements follow unnatural movement patterns (not biomechanically correct) that can create excessive stress on the back and possible injury there and/or in the knees.
Now what about wall squats (aka "wall sits")? Well, although almost every skiing fitness program in existence seems to recommend this exercise for skiers, I don't find it to be optimal. I will say that it's a step in the right direction compared to the machine-based exercises that I mentioned previously. However, wall squats are still not a truly effective exercise that carries over directly to strength and endurance throughout the entire range of motion that the legs use during skiing. This exercise can be mildly effective since even an isometric exercise held for endurance in one joint angle will still carry over to a slightly wider range of motion, but I actually have at least a dozen exercises that are MUCH more effective than wall squats. One of the other major faults that I've found with typical ski workout fitness routines is that they often neglect achieving a proper joint strength balance (proper strength ratios between quadriceps, hamstrings, etc). Although skiing demands a lot of work from your quadriceps and less work from your hamstrings and glutes, it is still vitally important for injury prevention to maintain proper strength ratios between all of the muscle groups of the lower body and also make sure the small stabilizer muscles around the joints are properly strengthened. This is yet another factor that's lacking in most skier workout programs. Want to know all of the specific exercises that really work in developing rock solid legs that will never quit on you on the slopes? Visit here for the best Ski Conditioning Exercises and learn the best kept secrets.
Mike Geary is a certified Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Specialist and the Author of the popular skiing fitness book for people that are serious about their ski season - Avalanche Ski Training, Your Guide to Carving Down the Mountain with the Power of an Avalanche.
Mike is also the author of the wildly popular book, The Truth about Six Pack Abs, which is the number one best selling abs program on the entire internet with readers in over 150 countries. Visit the following site to learn the truth about stomach fat exercises lose abdominal fat
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
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