Your core is made up of dozens of muscles, and all of them work to support and stabilize your body while you move. From daily activities to athletic performance, there are plenty of reasons to include core training in your workout routine. Whether you’d like to enhance your core to look toned, improve your posture, or set a new PR in the weight room, here are four ab-strengthening exercises you can try at your nearest Bakersfield, Roseville, or Vallejo gym.
Crunches
Crunches are among the most popular ab exercises and are a staple in workout routines everywhere. To complete a crunch, lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Place your arms on your thighs and brace your core. Then, lift your shoulder blades up and exhale as you crunch your abs. Keep your chin tucked in as you rise. Lower back down and repeat.
Tip: To increase the difficulty of your crunches, you can hold a small weight and pause at the top of the crunch or use a specialized ab bench to extend the range of the movement.
Bird Dog Exercise
This core exercise targets the obliques and the rectus abdominis. It’s also a great exercise for reducing lower back pain because it engages your core and back muscles at the same time. In the Bird Dog Exercise, you kneel on all fours, brace your abs, and then extend an opposite arm and leg while keeping your back straight. You’ll hold for two seconds before returning to your starting position and repeat 10 reps on each side.
Tip: Try to minimize motion in your hips and keep them square to the ground as you transition from one side to the other.
Russian Twists with a Weighted Medicine Ball
The Russian Twist places tension on your abs while your obliques balance and rotate your torso. To complete a Russian Twist in a weight area at nearby Vallejo, Roseville, or Bakersfield gyms, pick up a medicine ball and sit on a mat with your knees bent while holding the weight close to your chest. Then, lean back slightly to form a V-shape and rotate the weight to both hips before returning to the center.
Tip: Don’t rush the movement. Instead, keep your reps slow and controlled.
Cable Woodchopper
The Cable Woodchopper challenges the muscles in your hips and shoulders while defining your waist. All you need is a cable machine and a handle attachment. Once you’ve attached the handle grip, grab the handle and take a few steps away from the tower. Then, pull the handle while rotating your torso 180 degrees with your arms fully extended. Hold for one to two seconds before rotating back to your starting position.
Tip: Want to really turn up the burn? Superset these with Russian Twists.
About In-Shape Family Fitness
If you’re looking for a welcoming gym experience with friendly members and high-quality amenities, join In-Shape Family Fitness. With dozens of full-service clubs throughout California, In-Shape Family Fitness is here to support you in all your fitness goals. Whether you want to use their state-of-the-art cardio machines, try one of several studio fitness classes, or get one-on-one help from a certified personal trainer, you can do all that and more at In-Shape Family Fitness’ Bakersfield, Brentwood, Napa, and Roseville gyms. In-Shape Family Fitness offers a family-friendly gym environment, with a Kid Zone at many locations. From weightlifting to pickleball, join today and see why In-Shape Family Fitness is the gym Rocklin and other California cities love!
Join In-Shape Family Fitness and try these ab exercises at https://www.inshape.com/
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