The transverse abdominal muscles are very inconspicuous. But this last part of the human abdominal muscles also plays an important role in the body, e.g. stabilizes the trunk and thus helps to relieve the spine. These intense exercises for the transverse abdominal muscles can be integrated into a training plan for six pack training without hesitation.
Exercises: The transverse abdominal muscles
Simple and effective. The classic push-up position is also the starting position for forearm push-ups – with the difference that the forearms are used for support instead of the hands. A “sagging” of the back is of course to be prevented by adequate body tension. To maximally stimulate the transverse abdominal muscles – pull in the stomach and tense the abdominal muscles and hold for 20-30 seconds. As the training progresses, the intensity can be increased by increasing the tension phase to 60 seconds. Don’t forget to breathe evenly! (Beginner)
- Push-ups with diagonal arm-leg lift
The starting position is the push-up position. Raise your right arm and left leg at the same time and hold for about 5 seconds. Then lift the left arm and the right leg and hold them as well. This exercise not only trains the six-pack, but also promotes coordination and balance. (Beginners and advanced)
Lie on your side with your left forearm and the outside of the left foot on the floor. Spine and head are in a line, high body tension. Pull in your stomach and tense your abdominal muscles for maximum effectiveness. Hold for approx. 15-30 seconds with regular breathing. Depending on the progress of the training, the intensity of the abdominal muscle training can be significantly increased by a longer holding phase or by lifting the opposite arms and legs at the same time. A soft surface is gentle on the extremities, but should not be too soft due to the necessary body balance. (Advanced)
The starting position is sitting. The upper body is aligned about 90 ° to the floor. The knees are slightly bent so that the feet can be positioned flat and shoulder width apart on the floor. Bring your arms together and stretch them forward. Now tense the abdominal muscles and with the cross slightly rolled (with a hollow back there is a considerable risk of injury!) Lower the upper body by 45 ° and hold it for 2-3 seconds before the upper body is returned to the starting position. By lowering the body posture changes slightly. To prevent the loss of balance, you can fix your feet under two heavy dumbbells. (Advanced and professionals)
- Floor press with barbell
A ball-bearing barbell is equipped with two small weights (2.5kg or 5kg). The knees are directly on the floor in front of the barbell, the hands grip the bar shoulder width apart, with the back of the hand up. Now the barbell is rolled forward without changing the position of the knees. Only the hips, torso and arms are moved forward. The arms remain tense. The end position of the barbell depends on your physical capabilities. In any case, the barbell should be rolled back to the starting position before the back hurts. This abs exercise is very effective, but it does involve some risk of injury. Avoid excessive hollow back and bent back. (Professional)
It’s made in the kitchen!
The abdominal muscle training, more precisely the definition of the abdominal muscles, is probably the hardest discipline in fitness training . Every mistake in the daily diet makes it a bit more difficult to achieve your training goals in the foreseeable future. For this reason, it makes sense to implement a nutrition plan for burning fat in your daily eating habits in the definition phase, so that not only the necessary macronutrient supply for continuous muscle building is ensured, but also so that no excess calories contaminate the neatly painted abdominal muscle facade! 😉
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