Advancing the Best AB Exercise.
Today: How to advance the best AB exercise using 3 techniques. Including a 3 minute AB workout at the end of the video.
The 3 techniques efficiently and effectively take your lower ab workout to the next and next level.
You are in complete control of advancing your ab workout at any time. No fancy equipment needed.
The AB exercise stands on its own and it is also a part of:
The 90 ☀️ Days 5 🖐🏼 SIMPLE Exercises series.
A series you can start or RE-start at ANY time. Click the gold box for links to each week.
Prefer to have each week sent to your inbox in order? You can:
⏰ Times to easily locate sections.
00:00 Intro
02:36 1st technique
04:39 2nd technique
05:16 3rd technique
07:54 AB ROUTINE: 3 Min AB routine
The Simple Self Care Lifestyle Tip:
🎯 Take a moment every few weeks to check in using the 3 techniques so you can stay on top of advancing your lower abs.
The 3 Techniques to advance your ABs
1- Lower your head support and/or Change your leg positioning relative to the floor.
2- Vary the tempo and reps
3- Intensify the FOCUSED use of your lower abs during your E for E Breathing.
All 3 Techniques Are Simple
Your body may find that one or all of the advancing ab techniques are NOT EASY for you.
SIMPLE does not mean easy so please always, always listen to your body.
Use today’s 3 techniques to advance your ab exercise when YOU feel ready to progress.
With 40 years of teaching under my belt- I promise– it is the day in and day out CONSISTENCY of exercising your abs that create results NOT how fast you progress.
You can return here at any time for a refresher on how to advance.
To make it easy for you to jump to what you want to review the video section times are listed above.
Technique 1 for Advancing the Best Ab Exercise: Head Position & Leg Movement
The first advancement technique is to:
Incrementally challenge the effort it takes to keep your back on the floor.
This incremental challenge can be achieved by:
1st– Lowering your head support a bit if you are using one.
2nd– Lowering your heels closer to the surface WHILE keeping your entire back FLAT.
As your lower abs slowly strengthen you will be able to use less of a head support.
Then over time you’ll be able to lower your heels closer to the floor while:
- rotating from the hip maintaining the 90 degree position and
- keeping your entire back flat.
As you rotate from the hip you’ll be incrementally increasing the challenge to your lower ab muscles by slowly lowering a tiny bit further as in an inch or two.
To find your maximum capability go slow and stop just prior to where it seems impossible to keep your ENTIRE back FLAT on the floor (surface).
IMPORTANT NOTE: Reducing your head support and going lower is simply a TECHNIQUE to incorporate when the exercise does not push you close to your muscle’s maximum capability.
It is finding the sweet spot where you are
- using the maximum effort
- against the resistance moving your legs lower to keep your back flat.
This continuous challenge to your muscles improves their strength.
REMIND Yourself Often
The key is finding YOUR sweet spot which is why I repeatedly ask you to:
Remind yourself that it is NOT how low your head support is or how low your legs go that matters but how well you are working your ab muscles as close to their maximum capability WHILE KEEPING your ENTIRE back FLAT.
Using your head and leg positioning creates an ongoing weighted challenge for your abs and is what makes this the most efficient and effective lower ab workout.
Your Current Tempo
Slowing the Tempo
Technique 2 for Advancing the Best Ab Exercise: Vary the tempo and reps
Vary the tempo and change the reps.
The slower you go the more work your muscles will engage in.
You may feel the need to reduce the reps. If that is the case that’s perfectly fine. Your new challenge will be to increase the reps over the days and weeks.
Again you do you.
Lower the number of repetitions and take on the challenge of the slower tempo continues to provide what you need to progress.
FYI: In the 3 minute ab routine at the end of today’s post video we:
- start with a nice slow 8 count
- then we increase the tempo to 3 down and 3 up count
- slowing down to the 8 count again for a few more reps as we wrap up the exercise.
Technique 3 for Advancing the Best Ab Exercise: Intensify the FOCUSED use of your lower abs during your E for E breathing.
Our 3rd advancement technique is to accentuate your lower ab contraction during the effort phase of your exercise.
The E for E. Exhale on the Effort.
This is amazingly helpful when it comes to training your abs.
This is because it helps you stabilize your torso which will help you to be able to lower your legs further while still maintaining your flat back.
When you use the E for E breathing in this exercise position think of it as:
Your belly button trying to meet your spine.
As your lower ab gets more practice pressing the air up and out of your lower abdominal cavity your diaphragm (your body’s most important muscle for low back stability) and pelvic floor muscles become stronger and stronger as well.
IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE NOTE: Pressing your air out by flattening your abs is different from sucking air in.
Take a moment when you are in your position and double check that you are flattening your lower abs by pressing your air up and out of your belly area.
TIP: When you get really good at using Technique 3
Some people feel after incorporating focused E for E breathing technique that the exercise feels more difficult as the weeks go on.
This is because you are getting better and better at using the exercise to its fullest potential.
So when it feels more challenging take that as a sign of progression! Congratulate yourself!
🔗 90☀️ Days 🖐🏼 Exercises Week 3 Daily Routine