How to Use Abdominal Exercise Equipment

You can use abdominal exercise equipment to help tone your core and develop those "six-pack abs" bodybuilders flaunt on the covers of muscle magazines. Just follow these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Abdominal equipment

Use Abdominal Equipment

1. Choose abdominal equipment based on how much space you have and how intensely you plan on working out. For example, if you have the space for a sit-up bench, then that may be the best option. If you live in a small apartment, you may wish to opt for smaller devices like floor ab rollers.
2. Adjust your abdominal equipment so that you are comfortable throughout your exercise. This may mean raising or lowering the bench or adjusting the head and arm rests on the ab roller. You may also want to lay your towel down where you are going to be positioned to help absorb sweat.
3. Pick up a weight, anywhere from 5 to 25 pounds, and place it on your chest/abdomen. Be careful it's not so heavy that it will injure you or fall off while you exercise. This step is optional (and somewhat impractical when using an ab roller or similar floor equipment), but it does add some resistance and increase the effectiveness of your workout.
4. Interlock your feet, ankles or knees in the abdominal equipment (if it is a bench). This will give you added support and greater stability as you work out.
5. Begin by inhaling, tightening your abdomen back toward your spine and then raising your neck and head a few inches off the ground. Exhale as you roll up. Support your head with your hands so you don't strain your neck.
6. Hold your body in a raised position for a moment or two. Keep your abdomen contracted (the optional weight will help). Remember to keep breathing!
7. Lower your head and neck back down level with the rest of your body. As you are releasing the raise, inhale.
8. Rest for a moment in the down position and repeat the process. When you're just starting out it's a good idea to do less than three sets of 25 reps. Each week, increase the number of sets and reps you do.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your abdominal muscles tight even when you are releasing back to the starting position. Doing so will increase the effectiveness of the abdominal equipment you use.
• Don't overexert yourself or push harder than your body is prepared for, especially if you're going to use abdominal equipment unsupervised. Use only a little weight at first until you learn what your body can handle and how far to push.

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