Paras Hemrajani
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Written By: Paras Hemrajani | Updated : November 19, 2019 7:08 PM IST
Yoga is a great workout for abs. ©Shutterstock
Six pack abs are unanimously the holy grail of fitness. Yes, they are, and for a good reason. Apart from giving you that extra dose of confidence (sometimes ego boost too!) when you take off your shirt, six pack abs reflect that you have a strong core. A strong core is necessary to carry out many important daily life activities with ease, avoid injury and perform various exercises. But it is a painstakingly task to achieve your much-desired six pack abs. Even if you follow a disciplined diet and sweat it out a lot in the gym, you won't find those muscles appearing below your ribs just overnight. It'll take time for your six-pack dream to be fulfilled. But the good news is, it's not an impossible task. Here's a list of workouts that will see you through the uphill task of building six-pack abs.
Pull-up is a strengthening exercise, which benefits one's back, core and shoulder muscles. Depending on your grip your benefits of a pull-up exercise would be determined. If your palms are facing towards your body; then pull-up would impact your biceps and abs more than back; if your palms are facing outwards, then your back and abs will work-up more than your biceps. Here's the step-by-step guide to a typical pull-up workout.
Hang yourself on a pull bar with straight arms.
Pull yourself up till you chin reaches the bar level.
Repeat this movement 10 times
Hand style plank is just like regular plank, the only difference being in the hand grip. Instead of an open fist, you perform this exercise with your fists locked. This creates more tension in your core muscles. Because of high intensity, it is much harder to hold than a regular plank. In this plank variant, the body engagement is more than that of the regular version. Here's your step-by-step guide.
Lie on your belly on the ground with your face down
Steady your forearms in a plank position
Make your fists tight and balled up
Make sure that your arms are parallel to each other
Try to hold this position for as long as you can
Dead bug exercise is done to build core strength and stabilization. This protects your spine from injury, prevents lower back pain and gives a workout to your abdominal muscles. Along with working your muscles, it can also improve your left-right coordination. Here's your step-by-step guide.
Lie down on your back
Bring your arms straight above your head, make a 90-degree angle with your knee and hips.
Lower your left leg at the same time you extend your right hand back.
Stop just before they are about to touch the ground
Return to your starting position.
Keep your core tight throughout the exercise.
Repeat this exercise with other hand and other leg.
Bird Dog is one exercise that requires no special equipment and can be at home. This exercise has special focus on improving abdominal muscles, lower back, butt, and thighs at the same time. Bird dog is a good exercise, for building low back function and reducing the risk of back pain. It is also safe to perform if you are recovering from a back injury. This exercise involves major involvement of gluteus maximus muscle of the buttocks and abdominal muscles. Here's your step-by-step guide.
Kneel down with your hands facing down touching the floor and your knees making a 90-degree angle with the ground.
Extend your left leg up in the air making a parallel line with the flood, at the same time extend your right arm in the air
Balance your body on one hand and one knee.
Hold this position, and then come back to your starting position.
Repeat this movement with other leg and arm.
