All About Abs – 66 Exercises
All About Abs – 66 Exercises in Pictures! Bodybuilding, Calisthenics & Yoga (Part 1)
25. Bicycle Crunches
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and your hands beside your head. Bring your shoulders into the crunch position and lift your knees to about a 45-degree angle. This will be your starting position. Keep your right leg extended and bringing in the knee of the left leg and your right elbow close to your left knee by crunching to the side, as you breathe out. Go back to the initial position as you breathe in. Crunch to the opposite side as you cycle your legs and bring closer your left elbow to your right knee and exhale.
26. Indian Push-Ups
Start by getting into a normal push-up position, but with your feet spread slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and your hands shoulder-width apart. Raise your pelvis into the air, while keeping your arms, legs, and back straight. You should look like an upside-down ‘V’. This is your starting position, and it’s the position you’ll return to after each push-up. When coming down, point your elbows out to the sides while bringing your pelvis down into a normal push-up position. Now shift your weight to your arms and push your shoulders up while keeping your pelvis on the ground. Once your shoulders are all the way up, use your abs and glutes to bring your buttocks back into the air and return to the starting position. The exercise should be done smoothly and without delay between each part.
27. Bridge Pose
Lie supine on the floor with your knees bent, feet together. Keep your arms on your side, palms on the floor. Exhale and, pressing your feet and arms into the floor, push your tailbone upward toward the pubis and lift the buttocks off the ground until the thighs are about parallel to the floor. Keep your knees directly over the heels, but push them forward, away from the hips, and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees. Maintain the position and move your arms over your head.
28. Cat-Cow Pose
Begin on your hands and knees on your exercise mat. Line up your hands underneath the shoulders and knees under the hips. Exhale, tucking the tailbone and rounding the spine towards the ceiling, and release the neck. Then inhale, lifting the shoulders and seat bones towards the ceiling and raising the head to look straight ahead. Repeat slowly and gently as many times as needed to warm up the spine and core.
29. Crane Pose
Start off in a squat with your feet close together and your hands placed on the floor shoulder width apart. Bend your knees, bring them right next to your upper arms and then keep your feet close together moving onto your tiptoes. Once set in this position, lean your body forward allowing the transfer of your weight to move from your toes to your palms. Let your abs do the lifting and arch your hips towards the ceiling moving your feet closer together near your buttocks. Keep your ab muscles and legs in, straightening out your arms and hold this position for up to 5 breaths. Slowly come down to the starting position and repeat.
30. Double Leg Raise
Lie flat on the floor. As you inhale, simultaneously, feet flexed, lift your legs, knees straight, into a vertical position. Press your lower back into the mat, preventing injury to the lower back and spine. Exhale and lower your legs. Neck is relaxed throughout. Make sure to keep your lower back and buttocks on the floor to avoid any spinal injury.
31. Fish Pose
Lie down on your back with your legs extended and your feet together. Place your hands, palms down, underneath your thighs. Pressing down on your elbows, inhale and arch your back. Drop your head back so that the top of your head is on the floor, but your weight should rest on your elbows. Exhale. Breathe deeply while in the position, keeping your legs and lower torso relaxed. To come out of the pose, lift your head and place it gently back down, then release the arms.
32. Hands to Feet
Start in a standing position, and inhaling deeply, lift your hands upwards. As you exhale, bend forward in such a way that your body is parallel to the floor. Inhale, then exhale, and bend forward completely, with your body falling away from the hips. Try to touch the floor, with palms straight on the floor, or even under your feet, without bending your knees. Beginners can try touching the toes or just the ankles to start with, working your way to the floor. Exhale, leave your toes, and lift your body back to a standing position.
33. Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend
Sit on the floor with the legs stretched forward and the toes and feet pointing up. Separate the legs into a V shape with the knees facing the ceiling. Use your hand to balance an upright sitting position. Inhale, with the arms in front of you and lengthen the spine. Keeping the spine straight, bend forward at the hips, moving the hands forward between your legs. Then exhale and place the hands over your head, palms pressing down on the floor. Keep the back straight and try to bring the breast bone parallel to the floor. Contract the abs and thighs and continue to press through the balls of the feet.