Stomach Exercises For You

Let’s get one thing clear – this blog does not believe strongly in “spot reducing”. When it comes to stomach muscles and abs, we believe that genetics does play a primary factor in this. That means that you will have to do cardio or interval training to trim the fat of the abs before any muscles are visible. Even then, your genetics will determine what is underneath.

That being said, the abs are a focal point for many people’s fitness ambitions. Therefore, in a way, it is a good idea to know what the best stomach exercises are, although this might not be the best way to put it. There are indeed many resources available for finding the best stomach exercises, with information often conflicting. So what gives?

The first thing to note is that no matter what the “best” exercises are, so to speak, the “best ones are those that a person are willing to do in a consistent basis. No matter how effective the exercise is, if a person isn’t going to do them consistently, the exercise will not benefit them – plain and simple. On that note, we must also mention that due to the nature of the stomach muscles, the “best” exercises might not even require specific equipment.

On to the exercises – We’re going to make things even more complex and say that there are several muscle groups rather than just one. The point of mentioning this is that ideally, we should incorporate a range of exercises to hit most of the group. Briefly, the “best” stomach exercises combine working the oblique i.e. the side muscles, the lower abdominals, the mid-section and also the upper section.

No surprises that one of the most popular stomach exercises is crunches. They are very effective exercises, and very convenient as they can be performed anywhere, and without any equipment. As a variant to it, the next stomach exercise that is also very popular and goes along with the basic crunch is the side crunch, which works out the oblique.

Apart from crunches, another suggestion will be to do a Pilates workout. The reason for this is because the entire focus of Pilates is on the core of the body – i.e. is the abdominal, or stomach muscles. Every movement in a Pilate’s workout will work the stomach muscles either directly or indirectly.  Specific exercises can be found on the internet or online.

The next exercise on the list is called a plank. This is considered by many fitness experts as one of the best stomach exercises. To do this, lay flat on your stomach, legs straight and then raise your body up using your arms. Clasp your hands together and keeping your body straight as if doing a push up. Hold this position as long as you can. This is an excellent movement to strengthen the whole stomach.

On a parting note, understand that just because one person may consider a specific exercise to be the best stomach exercise that does not necessarily mean it is the best for everyone. Each person’s body is different, and they will therefore respond differently to certain movements. As such, we urge you to try several different stomach exercises and then determine which one works for you. All the best!

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