Upper Abdominal Exercises for Strength and Muscle Tone
The upper abdominal muscles are one of the most commonly targeted muscles in abdominal training routines. The upper abdominal exercises I’ve listed here are the most popular exercises used by people who wanted to tone and strengthen their abs, especially when looking for the all important six pack abs.
If you are someone who wants to strengthen your upper abs, trying even just these basic upper abdominal exercises 3-4 times a week will get your abs noticed.
Swiss Ball Crunch
Designed for those who want to obtain a perfect six pack, this upper abdominal exercise is done by these easy to follow steps:
First, you need to sit down on the Swiss ball with your feet positioned shoulder width apart. Keep you feet on the floor to maintain your balance throughout.
From the seated position, lean back gently making sure that your hips and shoulders are touching the Swiss ball.
Put your hands at the back of your head, and contract your abdomen by simply curling your shoulders towards your hips. Hold for 2 counts and exhale.
Hold the contraction again at the top for another 2 seconds, and go back to the initial position.
Sit Up
Recommended for the beginners, this upper abdominal exercise can be done by simply performing the steps involved in a traditional crunch.
All you need to do here is to first select the position of your arms and hands according to the degree of your abdominal strength. As what experts have noted, the closer your hands are to your head, the more difficult it is to perfect the movements.
So if you are just starting on the trend, start by placing your hands at your sides, otherwise cross your arms at the back of your head.
From there, move up reaching at least 45 degree angle. Expect to feel the flexors on your hips taking over, but no contraction is involved here.
Slowly return to the starting positions and repeat.
Curl Up
This upper abdominal exercise helps to give you a toned and well-shaped abdominals.
It is performed by lying flat on your back on the floor with your legs slightly bent and feet kept together.
Place your hands at your sides, and start sliding them near the ground toward your feet. Do the sliding as far as you can so to lift your torso.
Once you reach the lifting position you will feel contractions on your upper abdominals. Pause for 2 seconds at the muscle contraction and then relax and return to the starting position.
All these upper abdominal exercises can be performed at home if you have a swiss ball, but if you don’t you can always replace the swiss ball crunch with traditional crunches. You’ll also find plenty more examples of abs training exercises on the website.
Check out: Muscle Building Programs
Filed under: Six Pack Abs
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