Don't Make These Mistakes If You Want Flatter Slimmer Stomach
Even the most popular core exercises around have some easy traps that
anyone can fall into. When you’re looking to give your core a little extra
work at the gym, chances are, you’ve got a routine of ab exercises. But
while you probably think you’ve got them nailed after all this time, there
are still some form mistakes you might be making.
It can be easy to get used to faulty patterns without realising it. And
it’s not just you, in fact, some of the most popular and common core
exercises around have some sneaky traps that anyone can fall into.
These mistakes mean you’re not getting the most out of every rep (and if
you’re setting aside time to focus on your core, you don’t want to waste
it). Doing abs exercises improperly can lead to pain or injury in other
parts of your body, like your neck or lower back.
Here are 6 common abs exercises you might be doing wrong, and how to
fix them.
Plank:
Planks are one of the most effective abs exercises around. But the most
common mistake is easy to fall into. Over-arching or dropping into your
back lets your core off the hook, which means you won’t see the results
you’re after. Plus, it often leads to lower back pain.
The fix:
⚫ If you can’t help but arch your back in a full plank, build up your core
strength by bringing it back to basics.
⚫ Begin with a modified forearm plank by dropping to the knees and tucking
the tailbone, allowing the abdominal walls to engage.
⚫ Once you’ve got that down, you can lift up to a regular forearm plank or
high plank, making sure you’re keeping your abs engaged and not dropping
into your back or shoulders.
Russian Twist:
For an exercise that’s meant to target your obliques, it’s actually
pretty easy to cheat them out of the work they’re supposed to be doing.
Russian twists are all about the rotation of your torso to target your
internal obliques, but many people keep their torso facing forward and
just move their arms side to side without rotating.
The fix:
⚫ Keep your elbows straight and focus on turning your entire torso
as you twist, so that your shoulders are moving and not just your
arms.
⚫ Make sure you’re leaning back at about a 45-degree angle without
rounding your back to keep your abs engaged.
Crunch:
Tucking your chin to your chest and pulling on your neck is one of the
biggest mistakes you can make during crunches. What this does is put
unnecessary strain on the neck vertebrae while decreasing the amount of
oxygen you can intake while breathing. Plus, it means you’re not powering
the movement with your core.
The fix:
⚫ Rather than interlacing your fingers, use them to lightly support
your head while keeping your elbows pointed to the sides, or try folding
your arms in front of your chest.
⚫ Your chin should be up and away from your chest. If that’s easier
said than done.
⚫ While your fingers push pressure into the head, your head pushes
equal pressure back to the fingers.
⚫ The two actions cancel each other out, reducing neck strain.
Side Plank:
When you’re doing a high side plank, it’s important to resist the urge to
lean your shoulder away from your palm—this leads to shoulder strain and
makes your side plank harder to hold, whether you’re staying still or
doing another exercise that starts with side plank. Your joints should be
stacked one over the other to create necessary stabilisation.
The fix:
⚫ Start with a forearm side plank (pictured), stacking your
shoulder right over your elbow.
⚫ If that’s still too challenging, you can place your bottom knee
of the ground.
⚫ Hold for 30 seconds, and when you’re strong enough in the
modified position, bring it back to a high side plank.
Bicycle Crunch:
Quickly moving through bicycle crunches may seem harmless (maybe even
more effective), but it’s actually harder to engage your abs properly when
you’re racing to the finish line. Speed is not always a good thing during
exercise—especially when it comes to working your core. Sometimes going
slower with more control is actually safer and more effective.
The fix:
⚫ Slow it down.
⚫ Really focus on proper form by getting your shoulders off the
floor, your opposite leg straight out, and really emphasising the rotation
of your torso.
⚫ You’ll get way better results and you’ll definitely feel the burn
more.
Stability Ball Jack Knife:
To do this challenging exercise, you place your feet on a stability ball
and tuck your knees into your chest to fire up your core. But if you’re
dropping your body weight into your knees while you tuck, it’s hard to
keep engaging your core.
It’s also important to stack your shoulders over your palms on the
ground. When the shoulders slide away from the palms, it creates greater
load, causing a likely faster rate of fatigue for the delts.
The fix:
⚫ Start by just holding a stability ball plank for 30 seconds to
engage your core.
⚫ When you’re ready to try the jack knife part of the movement,
remember to elevate the hips higher, this will help avoid dropping the
weight into your knees so your abs can power the exercise.