Four Ab Exercises To Do At Home For A Flat Tummy

The beauty of ab exercises is you don't have to take time to go to the gym. Simply roll out your exercise mat or lie on the carpet and knock out a few repetitions of ab crunches, reverse crunches or any number of ab exercises. But remember ab exercises alone will not flatten your tummy. Accompany your ab exercises with cardiovascular activity to burn off excess tummy fat, and an appropriate nutritional plan.

Bicycling Manoeuvre
According to a  study by the American Council on Exercise the bicycling manoeuvre is one of the most effective ab exercises. Lie on your back on an exercise mat. Raise your shoulders and lift both knees until they are 90-degrees to your body. Place your hands on your temples. Crunch up and touch your right elbow to your left knee. Straighten your left leg, then touch your left elbow to your right knee. Repeat this bicycling motion for as many reps as you can. Do three sets

Wall Pulses
Sit on an exercise mat in front of a wall. Lean back and rest your shoulder blades against the wall. Place your hands palms down on the floor alongside your hips. Raise your legs and bend your knees. Exhale and tense your abs as you pull your knees toward your chest.You should feel an intense burn in your abs after a few reps. Do three sets of as many reps as you can.

Crunches
The ab crunch may be the most commonly practice ab exercise, but most people fail to perform it properly and end up using their hip flexors, or hurt their lower backs. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms across your chest or hands on your temples. Ensure your back maintains contact with the floor, exhale and tense your abs as you lift your shoulders, shortening the distance between your sternum and navel. Imagine your abdominal wall is an accordion being squeezed. Inhale and relax your ab muscles as you return to your starting position. Do three setrs of as many repetitions as you can.


Reverse Crunches
Adopt the same starting position as in crunches, but place your arms palms down, alongside your body. Lift your legs cross your ankles and bend your knees. Exhale and tense your abs as you pull your knees towards your chest by lifting your hips. Inhale and relax your abs as you return your legs to their starting position. Do three sets of as many repetitions as you can.






References.
1.American Council on Exercise: http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/BestWorstAbExercises.pdf
2.The University of New Mexico: Super Abs Resource Manual, Len Kravitz, Ph.D.http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/abdominal.html


Teenage Muscle. A Guide To Muscle Building For 15 and 16 Year Old Teens

How To Gain Muscle at 15 or 16

As you hit your mid-teenage years of 15 and 16, you become more aware of your body.
You want to gain muscle.
It may be for a variety of reasons:
You wish to be stronger and faster to improve your performance in a sport such as football, basketball, baseball, tennis, hockey, rugby, athletics, or another specific sport of your choice.
Or perhaps you simply want to look good with a lean muscular body and a 6-pack.
Or you feel you are a bit small for your age, and would love to add some muscle to your slight frame.
So you put together your savings or convince your parents to shell-out for a gym membership.
You are naturally a bit uncertain on your first visit to your local gym. Gyms can be daunting places, especially to a 15 or 16 year old beginner.
You are faced with rows of complex looking machines and racks of dumbbells and barbells some of which the Incredible Hulk would have trouble lifting.
Intimidating looking muscle-men prowl about, hogging the equipment, and daring you to get in their way so they can squash you like a bug.
If you are lucky, a gym instructor might show you how to navigate your way around the bewildering array of machines, but after that, you are left to your own devices.
You are left with many questions:
Which equipment should you use?
What exercises should a 15 or 16 year old beginner start with?
What are the best muscle building exercises?
How long should your workouts last?
How do you go about setting up a workout program to help you gain muscle?
How often should you go to the gym?
What should you eat to help you gain muscle?
Building a muscular body you can be proud of takes much more than simply going to the gym and lifting weights.

 Learn how to gain muscle quickly, safely and effectively