Sports-And-Fitness

Abs workout for beginners

Abdominal Muscle Anatomy

The first step in abs training is knowing which muscles make up the abs in general and what functions they perform.
The abdominal muscles are made up of the straight abdominal muscles (M. rectus abdominis), the external oblique abdominal muscles (M. obliquus externus abdominis), the internal oblique abdominal muscles (M. obliquus internus abdominis) and the transverse abdominal muscles (M. transversus abdominis).

Figure abdominal muscles

Illustration of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall (A) and horizontal section I-I through the abdominal wall (B)

Abdominal muscles

Straight Abdominal Muscle -
Rectus abdominis muscle
Outer weird
Abdominal muscles -
Obliquus muscle
externus abdominis
Inner sloping
Abdominal muscles -
Obliquus muscle
internus abdominis
Transverse abdominal muscle -
Muscle transversus
abdominis
Pyramidal muscle -
Pyramidalis muscle
Intermediate string -
Intersectio tendinea
Rectus sheath -
Vagina recti abdominis muscles
Iliac crest - Iliac crest
White line - Linea alba
(Braiding of the tendon plate)
Anterior abdominal muscles -
(1. + 5.)
Lateral abdominal muscles -
(2. + 3. + 4.)
Posterior abdominal muscles -
Square lumbar muscle -
M. quadratus lumborum
(not in the picture)

You can find an overview of all Dr-Gumpert images at: medical illustrations

The straight abdominal muscle can do that Tilt pelvis and lean your upper body forward. He is the opponent (antagonist) of Spinal muscles.
The external and internal obliques are for that lateral inclination of the upper body responsible.
The transverse abdominal muscle can be called a Abdominal press generate, e.g. is used when going to the toilet.
All abdominal muscle groups support breathing and ensure that people walk upright. A simplified classification that the subsequent exercises access divides the abdominal muscles into upper, lower and lateral abdominal muscles. You should know this rough classification if you want to train your abdominal muscles effectively. Because every muscle group can be trained sensibly through different exercises.

Training principles

Before a small selection of exercises takes place, a few basic rules are defined according to which the training should be designed.

First of all, you shouldn't eat too much or nothing before a training session, as this can make you feel unwell.
An even strain on the various muscle groups is essential for successful training. One-sided training can lead to poor posture in the long term and should be avoided. In addition, sufficient breaks should be taken at the beginning to give the muscles the chance to regenerate.
One training session every other day is sufficient for the first two weeks to make progress. The training duration should be between 5 and 25 minutes, since a shorter duration has no effect and a longer training would lead to over-acidification of the muscles.
Correct execution of the exercises ensures optimal results and prevents injuries and poor posture.
Finally, you should make sure that in addition to the abdominal muscles, the back muscles are also trained, otherwise long-term bad posture can also occur.

Read more about this: Training the abdominal muscles - you should pay attention to this

Exercises

Sit-ups are an advanced abdominal exercise.

The first exercise that will now be presented is called Forearm support and is a static Exercise. The main training goal is straight abdominal muscles.
A position is assumed like a push-up, only that you are not resting on your hands, but on your forearms. The back and trunk should be kept stable and straight, and the head should remain in line with the spine. This position should be at the beginning 30 seconds held before going up with the duration of the exercise.
The dynamic alternative is the Abdominal press. It is the gentle alternative to the better known Sit-ups, since a safer execution can be guaranteed. They are also easier to learn and perform. Although the entire straight abdominal muscles are involved, the upper part is trained a little more than the lower part. For a correct execution, lie on your back on the floor or a training mat and bend your legs so that the feet are flat on the floor, the legs are hip-width apart. The hands are crossed behind the head and touch the back of the head with the fingers. The elbows point to the left and right and the head is in a natural position (in line with the spine). The view goes diagonally upwards and the head is neither leaning back nor is the chin on the chest. Now the upper body lifts off the floor, bends and bends in the direction of the knee joints. Exhale during this movement. Then the upper body sinks back towards the floor and you exhale. Shoulders, head and hands do not touch the ground in order to maintain muscle tension. The arm and head position does not change during the entire execution. To 10 to 20 Repetitions the torso is completely put down and there becomes one 1 to 2 minute break. This exercise is completed after two more passes.
The number of repetitions depends on the starting level of the trainee. As a recommendation, a lower number of repetitions should be chosen at the beginning. An increase can take place in the following training days and weeks. One of the most common mistakes is swinging with the arms, which leads to a significant loss of training effectiveness.

Now we come to an exercise for them lateral and transverse abdominal muscles.
The hip roll is a beginner exercise and easy to learn. The starting position is similar to the abdominal press. In the supine position, the arms are placed to the left and right of the body. The legs are bent so that the hip and knee joints are at an angle of 90° arises. To perform the movement, the knees are alternately rolled to the left and right. The shoulder blades remain rigid on the floor, only the lower back stands out slightly. The sideways movement of the knees rotates the hips.
Only carry out the movement as far as your mobility allows. The knees are bent alternately to the left and right side. After each 10 Repetitions can be paused for a minute. When doing this, make sure that your shoulders always touch the ground. Also, the exercise should slow and controlled so that only the lower body rotates.
In addition to this dynamic training exercise, there is also one static exercise which is gentler on the back. The body is lying on the side and is supported by the elbow on an exercise mat. The shoulder is at the same height as the elbows, the legs are straight and the upper foot is placed on the lower foot. To perform the exercise, the torso is lifted off the floor and the body only rests on the forearm and feet. The overhead arm rests on the side of the body and the upper body and legs form a line. The head is an extension of the spine. Just keeping this exercise has a training effect. This should be the first step. To increase the level of difficulty, the torso can be alternately raised and lowered. To 20-30 You change sides in seconds and do the exercise three times each time.

The exercises presented form only a tiny part of the possibilities to perform an abdominal muscle training. They should be used by beginners and always performed correctly. Abdominal muscle training for beginners should always be individual, include sufficient recovery and be performed slowly and in a controlled manner.