Some Ab Specific Exercises That Keep Working Wherever You Go
Some exercise routines are simple to maintain while you are away from the gym, fitness center or places you focus on for your regular training sessions. But making time to train the abdominals as well is also important for those periods when you are not a regular at the gym, or away and traveling. For some of us, staying consistent with ab training is a challenge even while at the gym, and when away from the gym, it is easy to pass up on even doing the minimum you really need.
One athlete who helps others with this type of challenge along with keeping his own abs in year-round condition wherever he goes is national level bodybuilding competitor, personal fitness trainer and fitness model Troy Tate. Being on the road frequently and maintaining camera-ready form is something this athlete knows all about. While eating clean and keeping to a relatively low body fat are also part of the game in keeping abdominal definition, Troy also sticks to some key moves for himself that are central to working the abs sufficiently. Here he outlines those critical moves and some tips for getting the most from each.
Ab Related Movements Important to Perform All the Time
“I do a lot of crunches and hanging leg raises.” Performance: for hanging leg raises – by holding onto a pull up bar, raise your feet up together and keep yout legs locked and straight. Maintain your legs in a parallel position on the upward movement, and on then on the downward return.
Ab Specifc Exercises for Anyone to Include While on the Road
Leg lifts from the floor. Performance: by lying on the floor, tuck your hands under your glutes and keep your feet together, then raise your feet off the ground and drop them slowly to the floor, but keep it two inches above. Repeat the up and down motion.
Swiss Ball crunch. Performance: place your hands lightly behind your head for support, avoiding pulling on your head to try and go higher. Keep your feet about two feet apart for best balance. Breathe out steadily as you rise and as you reach your top position. Crunch forward by squeezing your abs.
“Another good variation with the Swiss Ball: lying on the floor, put the ball between your legs and keep them straight in the locked position, then raise them up and bend your upper body up off the floor and meet with the ball and grab the ball. Lower the legs and the upper body in the down position, then meet back up at the top and put the ball back between your feet. Then repeat.”
The Benefit Below the Surface
What can keep anyone well motivated to maintain the essential ab training wherever they go is the awareness that your abdominals are the mid-section muscles that are also core muscles for overall body stabilization. With the essential support and protection they provide to the spine, not only do they look great when they are well toned, they also make you feel great on the road because your back is also getting that much better support.
Body Muscle Workout Guide 