Ab Toning Exercises
Introduction
Ab toning is not difficult to understand intellectually but it is difficult to follow through on physically. There are exercises that have been around for ages that are proven and will work, but you have to follow through on them as much as you possibly can. Dieting also helps a lot since even if you follow through on exercises, a layer of fat on your abs will obscure those nice shiny washboards at the end of the day. Most people find that fat finds its way to their stomach first and leaves it last, so approaching the problem from all angles is the best way to get the toning that you truly want.
The use of equipment
One recent advent in the fitness industry that is great for ab toning is the use of equipment. Exercises for ab toning that use equipment to augment their effectiveness are great exercises for you to make a commitment on.
A great example of this would be an exercise machine that helps you with exercise technique. The Perfect Sit-Up is an example of a tool that can help you do a perfect abdominal curl. If you do perfect curls, you will tone your abs faster. It really is that simple. The Ab Lounge is another example of a piece of equipment that can help, but all of these equipment pieces will only work as long as you are still committed to doing the required number of reps every single day.
If you are looking for equipment to help you with making the abdominal curl better, an exercise/stability ball should be your first investment. Doing modified crunches with your back inclined against the ball rather than flush to the floor will actually focus your effort much more on your abs than standard and it will also have the effect of relieving a lot of the pressure on your back. Better toned abs and stronger back muscles will result from the process.
Working both ends
If you cannot afford equipment or do not wish to purchase it at this time, Ab Toning Exercises can definitely be done with the conventional back on the floor crunching position. If you are going to do these exercises though, you should seriously consider maximizing the gain you get from each rep.
One way you can do this is to perform a dual curl. In this motion, you have your back flush to the floor with your feet together and your knees apart. You then bring your back side up at the same time you do the traditional crunch movement, holding it at the top and then releasing. This will work both your rectus and transverse abdominal muscles, giving you the more traditionally even “six-pack” workout that can pay big dividends over the course of time.
Finally, one more way you can increase efficiency is to hold your crunch at the top and then do the side-to-side motion reminiscent of boxing movies. If you squeeze your abs while doing this motion, you will work your oblique muscles at the same time that you are working your main abdominal cavity.
