For all those men who dream of a six pack abs, here are some simple yet effective exercises, which will help them get a perfect body.
As men age, they tend to accumulate fat, especially around their abdomen. Sedentary lifestyles, stress, eating fried and fatty foods are some of the main contributors to this unsightly weight gain. For losing this fat, a person needs to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly.
The workout routine should be a combination of cardiovascular and abdominal exercises. For a cardio workout, activities like running, swimming, cycling, aerobics, etc., can be undertaken.
Following are a few exercises that can be easily performed at home.
Crunches
- To do this exercise, lie down on your back (on the floor).
- Next, raise your knees and keep the feet flat on the ground, slightly away from the buttocks.
- This is the standard position to be in, while performing almost all the abdominal exercises.
- Now, keep your hands behind your head and your elbows out.
- Slowly, raise your upper body by putting pressure on your abdominal muscles.
- See to it that you do not use your shoulders for lifting the upper body.
- Lift your body towards the knees as much as you can, and then, come back to the floor.
- Repeat the same exercise twelve times.
- Later, as your strength improves, increase it to three sets of twelve repetitions each.
Floor Cycling
- To perform this exercise, lie down on your back.
- Next, raise your knees and bring them near your chest.
- Keep the hands behind the head for support and the elbows out.
- Now, raise your upper body off the floor and at the same time, extend your right leg straight, keeping it six inches off the floor and almost parallel to it.
- Meanwhile, turn your upper body in such a way that your right elbow touches your left knee.
- Remember, all these three actions of raising the upper body, extending one leg, and joining the opposite elbow and knee should be performed simultaneously.
- Without taking a break, perform the same exercise by extending the left leg, and touching the left elbow with the right knee.
- Continue this exercise by altering the legs at least twelve times.
- Aim for three sets of twelve repetitions.
Reverse Crunches
- To do this exercise, lie down on your back.
- Raise your knees off the floor, and keep the thighs perpendicular to the ground.
- Cross both your feet and raise them towards the ceiling, by lifting your buttocks slightly off the ground.
- Remember when you perform this exercise, the position of your upper body and thighs should not change.
- Perform twelve repetitions initially, and later increase them to three sets of twelve repetitions each.
V-Crunches
- Lie down on your back.
- Keep the hands behind the head, with the elbows out.
- Now, raise your shoulders, head and feet simultaneously, about two inches off the floor.
- In the same position, raise your upper body.
- At the same time, bend your knees so that the thighs are somewhat perpendicular to the ground.
- If you are doing this exercise right, your upper body and thighs should meet when the body is raised.
- Hold this position for about five seconds, and then, come back to the original position.
- Aim for three sets of twelve repetitions.
Leg Raises
- Lie down on your back.
- Keep the hands underneath the hips for support.
- Now, keeping both your legs straight, raise them till they become perpendicular to the ground.
- Your feet should be facing the ceiling.
- Now slowly bring them back towards the ground, stopping just two to three inches above the floor.
- Next, raise the legs again, followed by bringing them down.
- Do twelve repetitions of this exercise in quick succession.
- Aim for three sets of twelve repetitions each.
If you perform these exercises regularly, along with following a healthy, well-balanced diet; the day when you have great six pack abs to flaunt won’t be far!
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only. Always consult a physician before starting any physical fitness program in order to reduce the risk of injury.
