Mid section Exercises

ABDOMINAL CRUNCH

• Lay flat on your back with your knees bent.  Perform a pelvic tilt by pressing your low back flat against the floor and pulling your belly button towards the floor.

• Curl upwards by raising your shoulders from the floor, while keeping your lower back pressed against the floor.  Return to the starting position without allowing your lower back to arch.  Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

• For greater intensity, pause at the top of the motion for 3 to 5 seconds with each repetition.

SUPERMAN'S

OR

• Lay flat on your stomach, with you hands extended above your head, and palms facing downward.

• Bring on hand under your forehead 

• Raise the other hand and opposite leg off of the floor 2 or 3 inches and hold.

• Typical hold times range between 5 and 30 seconds depending upon your conditioning. 

LOW BACK EXTENSIONS

• Lay flat on your stomach.

• Place your finger tips at your temples with your elbows out to your side.  

• Slowly raise your shoulders from the floor a couple of inches and hold

• Hold time varies depending upon your conditioning.  Typical hold time ranges from 10 to 30 seconds.

BALL CRUNCHES       

• Lay with your back flat on the ball

• The further back you roll on the ball, the more difficult the exercise becomes

• Curl up as if drawing your rib cage closer to your pelvis

• Your low back should remain in contact with the ball and your chin should be a tennis ball size space away from your chest at all times.

• Slowly return to the starting position and repeat for the desired number or repetitions. 

REVERSE CRUNCHES

• Lay flat on your back in a pelvic tilt (low back flat against the floor and stomach pulled down towards your spine) with your legs raised so that they are together and perpendicular to the floor.

• Slowly press the soles of your feet towards the ceiling by raising your hips from the ground.

• Slowly return to the starting position.

• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. 

JACK KNIVES

Stating Position:
Seated on the edge of a bench, leaning back 45 degrees to the bench, hands placed only an inch or so behind you, and your feet elevated slightly off of the floor.

 
The Motion: 

Crunch forward while drawing your knees towards your chest.  Pause at the top.  Slowly return to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

You can also perform these with the exercise tubing!

CABLE CRUNCH

• This is an advanced exercise.  As with all the exercises, perform only if you are certain you understand the exercise form properly.

• Attach the rope handle grips to the upper cable pulley and grasp the ends

• Kneel back about three feet from the weight stack.

• This is a short, controlled motion. Your low back and hips do not move throughout the exercise.

• Lean in slightly and position the ends of the rope at your temples.

• While keeping your low back and hips stable, and maintaining a space between your chin and chest, focus on curling into a ball by drawing your rib cage closer to your pelvis. 

• Pause to squeeze at the bottom of the motion.

• Slowly allow your upper torso to "un-curl," stopping when your spine is straight.

• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Walk-Outs

• From a kneeling position, with the ball in front of you, roll out on the ball

• Keep your lower back flat the entire time.

• Focus on pulling your belly button towards the ceiling through your spine (pelvic tilt)

• The further out you roll, the more difficult the exercise becomes.

• Hold for 10 to 60 seconds.

V-Sit Up (ball)

• Begin with the back straight, and ball at knee level

• By bending at the hips, not at the knees, bring the ball in close to your torso and push your shoe laces into the ball by squeezing your abdominals

• Maintain a flat back  throughout the entire motion.

Reverse Crunch Ball

• From a kneeling position, with the ball in front of you, roll out on the ball until the ball is at your knees

• By bending at the knees and hips, curl the ball in towards your chest.

• Extend the ball back out to your starting position while keeping your back straight (no sagging).

• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

CRUNCH ON LAT PULL MACHINE

• Attach rope to lat pull machine and position the leg support at its top position for back support.

• Sit backwards on the seat with your back flat against the leg support and bring the ends of the rope to temple level, where they will remain throughout the entire exercise.

• While maintaining a tennis ball sized space between your chin and chest, curl downward (not forward) drawing your rib cage closer to your pelvis.

• Pause briefly, then slowly return to the starting position.

• Repeat for the desired number of repetitons.

RUSSIAN TWISTS

• Seated on the decline bench, lean back, without arching your back so that your torso is at a 45 degree angle with the floor.  
• While maintaining that position slowly rotate 45 degrees or less to both the left and right repeatedly for the desired number of repetitions.
• Always move slowly and in a controlled manner.

DECLINE REVERSE CURL

• Lay on the decline bench backward and grasp the handles or edge of the bench if you are sure that you can maintain your grip.
• Without arching your back, raise your legs up to a position where they are at a 90 degree angle with the floor.  
• Raise your hips up by pushing the soles of your feet towards the ceiling.
• Pause at the top and slowly return to your starting position.  
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. 

BALL LOW BACK EXTENSION

• Roll forward on your stomach on the exercise ball until your hips are positioned on top of the ball

• Rest on your elbows and forearms for support

• Slowly raise your legs up from the floor until they are in line with your body.

• Pause, then slowly return to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

KNEELING SUPERMANS

• Position yourself on your hands and knees with your back flat.

• Raise one arm and the opposite leg so that they are level with your torso and hold for 10 to 60 seconds.

• Repeat with the other arm and leg.

Cable/Band Twisties

• Grasp cable or band handle with both hands, arms fully extended directly in front of you (12 o'clock) with a very slight bend in the elbows, and feet shoulder width apart.  *If using a band you will first need to wrap it around a pole, fence, etc at chest height or taller.

• With your left arm furthest from the point of band/cable attachment twist using your midsection from 12 o'clock to between 9 and 10 o'clock while maintaining your hand position squarely in front of you between your shoulders.  Arms remain extended.  Slowly return to 12 o'clock.  Repeat for desired number of repetitions. 

• Switch foot position so that your right arm is furthest from the point of cable/band attachment and repeat by turning towards 2 or 3 o'clock for the desired number of repetitions. 

Oblique Side Bends

• Grasping a dumbbell in one hand.  Raise your opposite hand to just above your ear with your elbow pointing out towards your side.  Lean towards the dumbbell side with your torso so that the dumbbell drops one or two inches.  Then lean back towards the opposite side so that the dumbbell raises 2 to 3 inches above your original starting position.  The opposite arms elbow is elevated only to serve as a guide.   Perform for the desired number of repetitions.

• That elbow should move only upwards and downwards, not laterally to ensure optimal contraction of your obliques.  Another cue is to think about bringing the your ribs on your free arms side towards the crest of your hip bone. 

• Switch sides and perform for the desired number of repetitions.