Three Simple and Fun Ab Workouts To Get You Chiseled
Plus a few nutrition tips!
Here are the exercises to get you started towards the fittest core you've ever had!
1. Overhead Lifts and Squats
You might think that this kind of exercise is only beneficial for the legs and shoulders but overhead lifts and squats are also great for the stomach muscles. Your core muscles have to work hard to stabilize your spine while you do overhead lifts.
This is quite an advanced move, so we recommend starting with supervision to ensure you get it right.
2. The Plank
This might be the least fun exercise, maybe even a bit boring, but side and front planks still work the core muscles super effectively. They also need no equipment, so you can do them anywhere, anytime.
3. Swiss Ball Punch Outs
Position yourself into the front plank on the Swiss Ball and roll your arms out as straight as you can before bringing them back into the plank position. Repeat until the burn is too much to bear.
And now - six nutrition tips to help you be as healthy as you can be!
1. Ensure the food on your plate is as colourful as possible – this means the food is nutrient dense.
2. Eat a varied diet – eating the same thing over and over is not what we’re designed to do. We’re designed to eat a varied diet, it’s good for the soul as well as the body to eat many different foods.
3. Traditional food is good – don’t be put off by hearty British fare, often it’s the way that the food is prepared that causes the problems. An English cooked breakfast (which I encourage all athletes and anyone to eat) is a great meal to start the day. It might sound crazy, but just think about what it actually is – meat, eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms – a colourful meal full of protein, you just need to avoid frying it.
4. Don’t buy food that lasts longer than you – anything that bacteria doesn’t want to eat probably isn’t good for you. Any food which appears immortal should be avoided.
5. Have protein with every meal – we tend to eat a very carb dominant diet in the west, when really we need to go the ‘meat and two veg’ route as my gran would call it. You can get the carbs you need in vegetables without having to have a plate full of pasta or rice. I'm not saying you should never eat those foods, we all enjoy a good pasta dish, but moderation is key.
6. Have a day off – you need to give yourself a break from time to time, in the same way you would with your training regime. We don’t just eat food for fuel, it’s something to be enjoyed socially. Eating an ice-cream sundae or a burger and chips might not be good for the body, but they can be good for the soul on a treat day.
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